Resort marks a timely reversal for Calvin Klein Collection. After two seasons of cozy, even crafty shows, designer Francisco Costa has embraced a more linear, streamlined silhouette. Backstage afterward, he claimed Matisse s collages as an inspiration. "Fall was very organic; it was time to offer women something else," he said. That something else boiled down to a vaguely late sixties, early seventies silhouette—sleeveless A-line dresses, cropped zip-front jackets, and flares chopped off above the ankle, their retro associations heightened by the see-through plastic Chelsea boots with which they were paired. Brushed-metal bibs built into some of the shifts added to the space-age vibes. Where last season s materials were furry or fuzzy, Costa s technical fabrics for Resort were flat, exuding a modern cool. The palette was equally precise in shades of black, white, blue, and sand. Curving plastic zips inset at the hips were among the collection s few embellishments, save for the flat Lucite flowers embroidered with grid-like rigor on the hem of two dresses at the end.
These developments situated Costa in Resort s developing story line—a good place to be. Clothes are getting leaner. Round, enveloping shapes are fading away and sharp angles are taking their place. The Calvin Klein legacy is a sensual one. In the end, fashion that obscures the form probably doesn t make as much sense for the brand as form-fitting pieces like these. Costa also pointed out that short, above-the-knee lengths sell well for the company. "We imagine the average height of an American woman is 5 10". Well, it isn t, it s 5 4". And short lengths work for her." Short or tall, the collection s best look was a tunic-length top layered with a tank and teamed with cropped flares.
