“It basically all started with a scarf and then we turned this scarf into a larger print, something we could turn into pants and tops and dresses,” Lela Rose said of the collection’s beginnings at the wrap of her look-book shoot. Those pretty separates, meant to be worn as matching sets, were airy and easy for day, and doubled as sophisticated loungewear for at-home entertaining at night.
It led to alluring print dresses cut with handkerchief hems, which Rose referred to as “this picnic fantasy.” Chiffon dresses featured matching strips of ribbon along the neckline, while one provocatively paneled number turned fabric into ribbons to show skin without revealing too much. Little wrap tops in cotton weights felt just right for a day in the park.
The brand’s sweet spot lies with dresses, and there were plenty that erred on the side of youth. A standout lace-paneled style balanced multiple colors with everyday wearability, as did knit dresses pieced together with vertical and horizontal panels with scalloped trim. Rose rounded out the elegant range with a few lovely floral printed satin gowns, including one with a color accent at the hem.
Lela Rose Pre-Fall 2019
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