Nanette Lepore likes to straddle a balance between romantic, feminine bohemia and vivid pops of color. There’s a light, carefree spirit to her clothes that has always skewed young. The message for fall, though, was strong, bold design and luxe fabrics meant to empower women in the current political climate.
At the look book shoot, the designer expressed solidarity with immigrants, and noted the inspiring nature of the Women’s March on Washington and an overall pro-human outlook that helped lead, directly or not, to a collection for a more emboldened woman. “It’s settling into a place that feels more sophisticated, more wearable.”
The clothes felt more elevated than in seasons past, mixing textures, prints and various surface embellishments that seemed more like considered design elements for a naturally maturing customer. Set in a color palette of rich burgundy and dusty tones atop black backgrounds, silhouettes ranged from house signatures like loose blouses and lace dresses to new designs such as cut-velvet, feathery coats and asymmetrical velvet dresses with great sheen. A brocade print on a dress, fashioned also into a pantsuit, featured plenty of surface effect that felt like embroidery. A structured zip-up coat and an elongated pantsuit with a blazer featuring hooks-as-buttons hardware provided weight. A strapless mixed media dress with a sequin bodice mixed the soft flares and harder edges all together. It made for a more varied collection of mix-and-match separates, which, according to Lepore, allowed for more freedom, more fun in her customer’s day-to-day outlook.