Resort is the first season that Maiyet founder Kristy Caylor is back in the designer driver s seat after the ethical fashion company parted ways with Gabriella Zanzani, who had been taking runway bows for a few seasons. That kind of shake-up can destabilize a young brand, but it s a positive in this case. With aesthetics and intentions aligned, Caylor was free to interpret a handful of eclectic influences. Her lineup riffed on the idea of uniforms, the work of the Ghanaian sculptor El Anatsui, and twenties lingerie. She has good timing; Africa and the twenties are getting play in other collections this month. Here, a schoolboy s Mackintosh was cut from a bonded geometric Varanasi silk pattern; chemise dresses were decorated with wavy, block-print designs; and a crop top and its matching bloomers were hand-knit by artisans in Bolivia.
With its emphasis on the artisanal, Maiyet hasn t lured many minimalists. But that may change; Caylor proved she could do understated in an interesting way. Cases in point: an unconstructed jacket worn with an asymmetric tunic and pleated trousers, and a clever take on the jumpsuit that looked like a drop-waist dress with a cutaway hem.
