She launched her lower-priced Rachel by Rachel Roy line this summer, and if you re angling for one of the bubble skirts that once encapsulated the designer s girly look, that s where you should go. For Spring, Roy is taking her signature collection further down the path she set out on for Fall, a newfound focus on strong tailoring and, to a lesser extent, draping. The show opened on a quiet, somewhat restrained note, with a sleek gray pantsuit; a beaded, fitted T-shirt dress topped by a short skirt in the same cool shade of smoke; and a come-hither wrap dress with a plunging neckline. The middle section consisted of bright colors, often in surprising combinations that somehow clicked—an emerald jacket with a petal hem, say, paired with a cadmium yellow top and a fuchsia matte crepe wrap skirt. At the end, it was back to black: a smart sheath with a cropped jacket draped over the model s shoulders and a strapless L.B.D. with asymmetric ruffles down the bodice. You couldn t call it a reinvention of American sportswear, but Roy is rethinking her own label, and in a way that jibes with fashion s current direction.
