Tracy Reese Spring 2014: Let them eat lace

There’s a reason Tracy Reese fans are such an enthusiastic bunch. Hers are clothes to catapult any woman to the top of her game, clothes put to the service of confident, fulsome femininity. Clothes for women, designed by one who knows and loves them.

So it’s a tempered disappointment, but one nonetheless, to see the designer tip from failsafe into formulaic with this latest collection. For Spring/Summer 2014, Reese grabs a handful of current trends – crop tops, voluminous separates, floral appliqué, lace, sheer – and simply marries them to the classic, retro-tinged style for which she’s known.

Nothing unusual there – and indeed, the results are largely wearable. But what makes this collection a shotgun marriage between trademark and trend is the designer’s recourse to fabrics, techniques and even ostensible surprises we’ve all seen before on her runway.

Loose, mix-print separates under structured blazer with scarf in coordinating palette? Check. Circle skirts and dresses with close-fitting, V-necked bodices? Check. Organza over lush floral print? Time and again. Eyelet? Yes. Lace? Good Lord, YES.

Some of these pieces seem to have been lifted straight out of past collections without even the benefit of a trend-up. It’s as if Reese awoke from a sweet, deep slumber days before showtime, looked yawningly around her showroom, and, recalling that a fine meal tastes even better the next day, convinced herself that her loyal fans would be just as content with leftovers.

Photos: Tracy Reese Spring 2014 – New York Fashion Week
all photos by Semon Tam for Meniscus Magazine