Lela Rose took over a boat to showcase her spring collection. A live band played Seventies classics and lobster rolls and Aperol spritzes were passed around, to the crowd’s delight. The presentation was the exact type of event where one might end up seeing her spring collection down the road.
“It’s not just about the clothing, it’s about the fantasy of how and where you are wearing it,” according to her show notes.
She dubbed her spring theme “Americana.” For Rose, this means things that evoke a feeling of nostalgia. Some are pieces, like trenchcoats and suiting; some are fabrics, like gingham and maritime stripes. She used all of them in the collection of 16 looks, but she reworked each “theme” with her unerring sense of charm and informal elegance.
A khaki trench was remixed into a dress with plaid piping, a column dress came in bright citrine maritime stripes with a bustle back, and languid suiting got a boost in a chestnut macro plaid. Graceful dresses abounded, some in a light cotton voile, many that could work at a daytime garden party. Rose is a designer who has found her sweet spot: modern clothes that are polished but aren’t too stuffy.