Véronique Nichanian sent out a lineup of bathing beauties for this soft collection inspired by the seaside. Her men were ready to stroll along the boardwalk or ride horses on the beach, and were dressed in sweet pastels, breezy silhouettes, and strappy sandals.
The designer was in a dreamy mood, using words like “gentle,” “sweet,” and “poetic” to describe this collection, where colors came straight from the shorelines and landscapes of so many Mediterranean resorts.
She used powdery lilac for a loose jacket; sand for a short trench style; and baby pink for cotton shirts adorned with little ties knotted at the neck.
Just like the horizon on a summer’s day, those colors shifted and evolved. The designer worked navy, gray, camel, and chocolate into ribbed knits, some with abstract swirls, or into more tailored pieces such as jackets with patch pockets and lightweight, almost sheer blazers with sporty button tabs at the neck.
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“It does us some good to have a little lightness at the moment,” Nichanian said after the show, smiling brightly.
The rainbow of pastels and earthy tones were only one part of the spring story. Prints and embroideries were also inspired by the natural world, with a tangle of white wildflowers stitched onto a gray jacket or a powder blue shirt; horsey buckles and belts swirling over silky tops, and spilling onto models’ arms and legs with temporary tattoos.
A pencil sketch of horses moseyed across T-shirts and a lightweight lambskin sweatshirt.
Accessories added a dash of color, and shine, to the pieces. Logo-less D-ring belts were braided, striped, and colorful as retro beach tents, while navy dockers’ caps gave the looks a jaunty, casual air.
Stacked silver bracelets sparkled, as did a lineup of foil-dappled jackets and coats which arrived like a lightning bolt out of a blue sky, adding a sharp, arty edge to all the beachy softness.
