Working under the influence of David Hockney’s Los Angeles pool paintings, Escada creative director Daniel Wingate delivered a breezy, bright interpretation of the brand’s signature polish. The most obvious connection to Hockney was the fresh, peppy palette of bay and pool blues and Melrose pink worked on blazers and shorts and jackets cut with breathing room. But Wingate also alluded to cool California waves with simple ruffles trimming necklines and caped sleeves, but mainly in the black or white dresses included in the collection.
The Escada archive is a consistent resource for Wingate — displayed this time in looks derived from the green high-collared, low-cut back gown Kim Basinger wore to the 1998 Academy Awards, when she won Best Supporting Actress Oscar for “L.A. Confidential.”