Orla Kiely hired Leith Clark to style her namesake collection many seasons ago, but Resort 2016 marks the first time that the designer and creative consultant have given their collaboration a name.
At a breakfast presentation on the rooftop of Manhattan s NoMad Hotel, Kiely and Clark showed L’Orla, the duo’s interpretation of the early- 70s nostalgia currently sweeping fashion. Sarah Moon, Stephanie Farrow, and Biba were all names Kiely threw out, and their influence could be found in the details. Bib-collar necklines, ruffled trimming, and tiered baby-doll silhouettes ruled, often rendered in a geometric daisy print and paired with sturdy T-strap Mary Janes.
You could really see Clark s personality in the not-too-sweet palette of pink, yellow, and black, which cast an ethereal light on Kiely s Pop Art point of view. ("I love the tonality," said the designer.) The two also made lots of peasant-y pieces in solid black and dressed up the models in bonnets, which were somewhat inspired—of all things—by the Amish. "There s something sophisticated about that way of dressing," Clark pointed out. And to be sure, these looks never veered too far in the direction of kiddie-land. With this collection, Kiely and Clark proved that you can dress like a baby doll without looking like an overgrown child.
