Sophie Albou-Mechaly settled on what she would offer this season by first determining what she would leave out. And in her mind, women don t really want to wear boxy, moody, conceptual clothes—at least, not the women who typically wear Paul Joe. This still left her with a vast field of femininity to explore, and for the most part, she settled on fifties-era Mediterranean vacation destinations Capri and Cap Ferrat for inspiration. This is ideal territory for the line—it means more time on print development (a Matisse-like algae motif, botanicals rendered in Ben-Day dots à la Lichtenstein) and fabrics (guipure and Calais lace, summery tweeds) and less on working through challenging shapes. Oh, there were all sorts of shapes, though—from a billowing maxi dress in silk mousseline to a roomy woven blue blouson to mini shorts stitched with tiny dancers. Albou-Mechaly also drew attention to the simplest shape of all: a square foulard. Mantero, the renowned silk manufacturer in Como, will now be making scarves for Paul Joe. And already, she was showing them tied around the neck, Grace Kelly-style, to further play up the retro-chic attitude. The joie de vivre of this collection proved easy on the eyes, even if it felt slightly summery for a winter delivery to stores. Albou-Mechaly responded by singling out a scarf-print blazer or a bubblegum pink sweatshirt covered with cartoony embroidered patches as pieces that offer instant gratification—and she s right, provided you re the type of gal who would wear a winking strawberry.
