Tanya Taylor’s spring collection was based around her idea of a perfect day. For the designer and artist, that would involve painting and cruising between her studio and an art-supplies store on a skateboard. “When you’re in an art store, you feel like all your tools are around; you could create anything. And there’s something about someone on a skateboard that’s pure freedom. It’s like the wind in your hair and the control of where you’re going.” With all this in mind, Taylor’s goal was to create a day-off kind of feeling to the collection; she didn’t want things to look too polished or perfect. Styling a pretty pistachio satin dress with a twisted strap with slippers didn’t push the idea far enough; relaxed trousers in beige and apricot that you could wear with any number of cute tops, from a gingham bikini to tie-back peplum halters or a slouchy marinière sweater, did.
As usual, Taylor created the prints for the season. The boldest was of tulips, printed on a T-shirt and on pleated skirts once they had been produced, so when you sit or move, the print would be interrupted. A gingham-front trench coat was fun; from the back, the only hint of what lay ahead was the checked collar. In terms of investments, you couldn’t go wrong with a long, sleeveless, scoop-neck denim column with corset seaming: It was flirty, fitted, and fab. Also strong was a LBD–tennis dress hybrid with buttons down the extended front that opened up into a fuller skirt. A white short top with cutouts edged in green and puffed sleeves could similarly be dressed up or down.
This felt like a little-bit-of-everything collection; there was gingham, eyelet, stripes, knits, cutouts, denim, satin, beading, and more. This was in keeping with the theme, a free-pass-to-do-as-you-please day, yet the collection seemed tighter than the preceding ones. Taylor pointed out that the dress buyers gravitated to was Look 24, a butter yellow sheath with a full skirt with thin bands of black threaded eyelet at the princess sleeves, and wider ones at the side of the waist. It was a bit ’60s Lily/Jackie/Camelot and quite nostalgic. Which vibes with Taylor’s own effusive mood: “I love connecting back to what my youthful state of mind was,” she said. “And my youthful state of mind was always about freedom.” Let it ring.
