Between the popularity of Barbie-core and balletcore, it’s the season of pink. But that’s nothing new for LoveShackFancy, whose entire world is shades of cotton candy, bubblegum, and flamingo—and has been for years. There are endless ways to interpret the shade, and for resort 2024, designer Rebecca Hessel Cohen brought the Sugar Plum Fairy into Marrakech.
The collection notes set the breathless, lighter-than-air tone: “As she lands in the warmth of Marrakech with tropical New Year’s Eve party looks in tow, she’ll dance under a pink desert sky.” Still, Cohen estimates that this is the brand’s most edited collection, and it continues the grown-up themes that she explored for fall 2023. The goal is to give “much more thoughtful attention to detail and make sure each piece stands on its own.”
In the mix are giant pink princess ball skirts and tweed skirt suits and floor-skimming halter dresses with iridescent tiered skirts in a shade called pink sparkle. While the designer herself typically doesn’t wear pants, the brand is building out options for the customer. Several takes on the tuxedo appear in the collection, a nod to Yves Saint Laurent’s le smoking and the home he made in Morocco. The rich textiles, from Battenberg lace to cascading paillettes, are appropriately decadent.
The collection is resolutely girlish with a more-is-more attitude. LoveShackFancy has clients of all ages, including moms and daughters who shop together, which explains some of the offerings. A ruched minidress with a frilly hemline and bows at both the waist and the bust makes sense when you imagine it in the context of a homecoming dance. On the other hand, there are some mature offerings that don’t sacrifice the brand identity: a hot pink strapless dress with an ankle-length tulip skirt; the pale pink slip dress adorned with a bow pattern made out of rhinestones; the tawny paillette midi and matching top. Cohen is adept at creating a fantasy in which the customer doesn’t have to sacrifice anything—not a single bow or ruffle or tier of tulle. Where is that attitude more appropriate than in a holiday collection?
