Reed Krakoff has a new bag named the RL40 after his company's new address at 40 West 25th Street. It's unstructured and as light as a bag in fine French calfskin can be, and was a bona fide hit at his Resort presentation today. The designer reported that virtually everyone who walked through the door remarked on its good looks.
He focused on those same qualities of lightness and soft structure in his new ready-to-wear collection, which combined the activewear influence that's been circulating in fashion these last few seasons with Krakoff's own abiding interest in art. Andy Warhol and El Anatsui were both name-checked, the former providing the inspiration for an abstract screen print on pieces like a tailored mesh jacket, and the latter influencing the undulating multicolor metal embroideries on a tank dress. As it did in his Fall collection, color played a big role here. Acid yellow, vivid cobalt blue, even pink stood out amid the neutrals he's favored in the past. Krakoff relied a bit too heavily on a narrow pencil skirt silhouette with an asymmetric, semi-detached hem. In certain fabrics it looked a little tricky. When he was designing along more straightforward lines, as was the case with a slouchy pantsuit in white and sporty blue tracksuit, he came closer to the effortless luxury he was after.
