Fresh off the launch of men’s eyewear, Karen Walker showed a kitschy resort lineup that pitted the extravagant flair of Marie Antoinette against the streetwear cred of Seventies beat boys. Cultural clashes are a consistent theme throughout Walker’s collections — her fall collection focused on pirates and mutiny — so it’s no surprise she’s drawn from historical references once again.
The slogan for the season was “May you live in interesting times,” referencing the wonderfully mismatched themes of feminine frills on athletic silhouettes and what’s going on in society. Feminine ruffles, bows and “court” floral prints were applied on preppy sportswear such as bomber jackets and lemon yellow nylon parkas. The culture clash was seen most evidently on a bright orange bomber jacket with ruffled sleeves, a magenta taffeta ruffled top, ruffle and grosgrain ribbon dresses, and Kangol-inspired hats that helped round out the looks. Elsewhere, matching sets were youthful and pretty but didn’t have a clear tether to the theme — like a daisy print organza jacket and skirt or striped seersucker top and pants. No matter, a graphic print of Antoinette’s head on a cake stand imposed on a casual long-sleeved top and button down made things clear.
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See more from the 2018 Resort Collections:
Carolina Herrera Resort 2018: For her 2018 resort collection, Carolina Herrera explored the language of flowers, both literally and otherwise.
Victoria Beckham Resort 2018: Victoria Beckham’s resort 2018 lineup was a true trans-seasonal collection full of refined clothes for everyday.
Mugler Resort 2018: David Koma imagined clothes for a modern, sexy superhero for Mugler’s 2018 resort collection.
Lilly Pulitzer Resort 2018: Lilly Pulitzer is known for having resortwear 365 days a year, so for resort 2018, the collection was based around living in that Palm Beach paradise.
Prabal Gurung Resort 2018: The works of London-based Moroccan photographer Hassan Hajjaj informed Prabal Gurung’s resort collection for 2018.