Seventies bohemia. It s a perennial touchstone for Rachel Zoe s eponymous line, and, indeed, it s hard to imagine the stylist-cum-reality-star-cum-designer not sporting her signature dinner-plate-size sunglasses and silhouettes of skinny flares or a Studio 54 gown. But of late, that influence seems not as overbearing. At a presentation of her Resort 15 collection, it seemed Zoe looked less to the seventies, or at least less literally. Sure, there was still a pair of the aforementioned flares (in a lightweight tropical wool), but there were plenty of items with more modern appeal as well. Suiting came with many kicky shorts; a seafoam Deco-meets-Aztec print made for a particularly standout iteration. The eveningwear offering here fell a bit flat. Straightforward silhouettes and chain detailing didn t seem to sufficiently distinguish the pieces from a plethora of similar options from contemporary brands. Sweeter were her casual dresses, like a white macramé lace shift finished in a wide band of tweed—youthful, as all of the designer s clothes are, but also a bit urbane. All told, this felt like a step in the right direction for Zoe.
