Where to next for a California contemporary brand keen to signal that it s all grown up? Lincoln Center, for a start. For this, Trina Turk s first time participating in New York fashion week, she mined the design legacy of California modern. The result was a more textured collection that moved away from the Palm Springs poolwear of previous seasons. "It s a conscious decision to upgrade," Turk said. "We re taking ourselves a little more seriously and felt this was worthy of being shown on a larger scale."
Looks came long, lean, and seventies-inflected, as in a banded satin column dress that united navy, auburn, mustard, and pink in its broad stripes. Prints are one of Turk s fortes, and other patterns and colors—particularly the geometric Embarcadero print jersey dress and the collaged tweed print—delivered a desert-y, southwestern feel. There were touches of the truly rich, in the form of off-black dyed furs (a curly lamb coat with rabbit sleeves in plum and navy, and a pine green lamb gilet) and an alpaca and melton wool coat. Sweaters with zigzag and chevron intarsias also looked sharp. It was a well-layered collection that might mystify some Turk devotees with its relative dearth of dresses—but surprises can be a good thing.
