Jane Siskin is on a mission to bring back a slower pace of romance. She’s recently been focusing on personal wellness, and while taking notes during yoga teacher training, she realized she hadn’t flexed her writing muscles in quite some time. It led to thoughts about writing love letters in bygone eras, and the connotations of anticipation, patience and time. “I think the beauty and intimacy of all of that is a lost art,” Siskin noted post-show.
She aimed to evoke that kind of emotion, and did so by giving a modern spin to Victorian styles. She started by expanding her color wheelhouse, with a brighter, joyful palette. There were plenty of feminine frills to satisfy loyal customers, namely fluid ruffles streaming down bright red crepe pants and a silky lavender chiffon dress. A floral silk faille she’s used in seasons past was cut into a high-low skirt and sleek coat with fur accented cuffs. These were the dressier options. But in the vein of how women dress in real life, they could easily be brought down with a casual button down or loose knit.
Comfort was another focus. A black-and-white striped sweater with red accents received numerous requests immediately after the show for its graphic appeal and ease. Elsewhere, there was intimacy in the monochromatic pink slip slung over a tight turtleneck. “I’m excited about what we can do in terms of giving the woman options and recurating her closet. I feel like she’s ready for that.”