Before his Resort presentation got under way today, Michael Kors announced that it's one of his favorite seasons to design. That didn't surprise anyone who was in the room with him. He had a witty one-liner for nearly every one of the thirty-eight looks in the new collection. A cashmere and silk Baja pullover worn with a floor-length gauze maxi skirt? It was designed "for food shopping in Malibu." And a washed gabardine field jacket lined neckline to hem in sable? "The way we get people in Bushwick to wear fur." He even coined a new term. You've heard of #normcore, yes? Well, worn with a cotton pullover and a flippy skirt, that field jacket was #normkors.
Monologuing aside, Resort found Kors in peak form, revisiting and reworking the masculine/feminine dichotomy that has enlivened his last two runway shows. On the tomboyish side there were cargo pants in easy-to-pack crushed cotton with a touch of sateen, trenchcoat/cape hybrids (slip your arms into the sleeves or through slits in the side pockets), and the best-looking utility anorak of the season so far in crushed black satin with a fox fur lining. On the romantic side: ruffled LBDs, floral print silk charmeuse and chiffon whipped up into flirty dresses, and overdyed shearlings in shades of wisteria and oleander pink. What the really winning thing was about the collection was just how much ground it covered. And we haven't even gotten to the tie-dye leather bell-bottoms or the space-dye sweater and matching scarf yet. Another one of Kors' witticisms: "It shouldn't be called Resort, it should be called Destinations." As in, "Is your destination work? Is it Gstaad? Phuket?" Kors has got you fabulously covered.
If we could get through a Resort season without one designer citing Bardot or Birkin as an influence, I'd die of a heart attack.
