“We’re selling an explosion of pinks and reds, greens and whites. I think it’s fun that people are feeling fun,” designer Lela Rose remarked amidst her cherry Midtown Manhattan showroom, filled with racks of candy colored fashions. The designer’s collections have always included playful colorways and plenty of floral blooms, but the uptick in bright daywear and evening styles stemmed from her customers’ desire for fun-loving looks.
The look: A colorful explosion of optimistic, feminine fashions.
Quote of note: “Windmills! Tulips! This whole collection was around tulips,” Rose said of a delicate lace dress with Dutch windmill motifs, and the collection’s nod to the flower in the form of blooming prints and jacquard knit offerings.
Key pieces: A variety of cocktail and evening dresses, such as standout candy cane striped, knife pleated matching sets and dresses with rounded shoulders; a floor-length strapless white number with embroidered yellow flowers cascading down the gown; intricate cutout lace floral frocks, and soft and sweet floral tulle and crochet dresses. Bold, painterly brushstroke printed dresses inspired by overhead photographs of tulip fields; a block striped candy colored dress with ribbon ties at the shoulders; brightly colored daywear (also in gingham) and new takes on the brand’s continually best-selling easy knit dresses and layers (like a grass green skirt set, which Rose explained would be the perfect for next year’s U.S. Open).
The takeaway: Rose’s pre-fall collection was full of fun and happiness, offering easy yet beautiful options for her customers to feel cheerful flaunting at future events.
