Preen designers Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi looked to the late stylist Ray Petri’s work at the Buffalo label, taking cues from the androgynous feel of his images from the early Eighties, for their latest resort collection. The duo infused the lineup with the “graphic” elements of Petri’s look — they did their signature floaty, drop-waist silk dresses in panels of contrasting black-and-white stripes and paired a crisp white shirt with a black lace pencil skirt, worn with oxfords and ankle socks.
But as a counterpoint to the masculinity, Thornton and Bregazzi channeled a name at the opposite end of the Eighties sartorial spectrum: Diana, Princess of Wales. They homed in on the sailor collars and statement dresses that the late royal wore — but their take looked modern rather than nostalgic. The designers did the sailor collars on a sweeping trenchcoat or on the silk top of a knitted maxidress, while a structured lemon-yellow dress with an obi belt referenced Diana’s stronger silhouettes.