Pamella Roland s latest Resort collection was loosely inspired by her mother s garden—"the memory of it, an abstract," explained David Rodriguez, Roland s VP of design and brand development.
In this case, the more abstract, the better. Roland used the same floral design throughout, but how it was rendered drastically changed its appeal. A floral party dress, done in a brash black-and-purple, was pieced together with strips of hand-beading—the technique was neat, the effect less so. Appliquéd flowers made of feathers seemed unnecessary when added to a few of Roland s signature beaded dresses, given the intricacy of the beadwork.
The garden-ish concept succeeded in a black-and-white floral jacquard gown covered in sparingly beaded black tulle. The solid-color dresses were pretty, too. A bright magenta gown, made of silk faille, fell away from the bust in a grand, sweeping fashion, and a series of fit-and-flare frocks in hothouse colors were almost universally flattering. The winner, though, was a strapless cocktail number in a faded lavender gray floral that had a narrow skirt and fabric gathered at the front. Cute without being cutesy, its appeal went far beyond the garden party.
