Rachel Zoe canceled her New York fashion week show in February to spend time with her newborn son and promote her new book, Living in Style. Taking a step back worked out for the celebrity stylist-cum-designer, whose new lineup felt more focused than those of seasons past. Zoe has a long-standing affinity for the glamour of the seventies, but this time around she went for a swinging sixties vibe, which tapped into one of Fall s major trends. "I ve said it before: I don t think that my love for French ingenues of that era is ever going to change. It s how you express that and make it new and modern," Zoe said during a phone interview. She made references to the youthquake era with boxy jumpers and pleated miniskirts that looked fresh teamed with pointy oxford flats. Clean shift dresses were updated in a variety of novelty fabrications, including a slightly frayed tweed accented with delicate metallic chains, while classic bateau stripes were tweaked with graphic matte sequins. While there was nary a flared pantsuit in sight, Zoe managed to incorporate plenty of her signature tailoring throughout the collection. Among the highlights were a pair of pleated, wide-legged leather pants, as well as a houndstooth blazer shown with matching suspender trousers, and a menswear-inspired peacoat that popped in an electric "peacock" shade of blue. Still, Zoe couldn t resist addressing the bohemian side of the sixties, so she also included lace baby dolls, groovy fringe tops, and brown suede bell-bottoms. They diluted the collection s message a bit but should still appeal to her customer. All in all, this was a big improvement for Zoe.
