Misha Nonoo visited Havana as a child, but in place of a present-day trip to Cuba s beautifully crumbling capital, she relied on the photographs of Michael Eastman to put her in an old-world mood. The city s faded porticoes and once-bright hues, now bleached by the sun, informed the collection s wallpaper prints and tropical palette of hibiscus, sea blue, and muted pastels. Nonoo, who said she s seen her business grow appreciably in the past year, put together her biggest collection yet. Summer-weight knits, a new focus, should appeal to buyers, as should the collection s approachable sensibility and contemporary price point. "I don t want anything to be too overly sophisticated," Nonoo said at her presentation. No worries. Flamingo and palm-frond prints developed in-house were charming and unstuffy, while the silhouettes had a Havana-appropriate languor. Minimal, well-placed embellishments like a stripe of sequins at the bottom of a dress and attention to tailoring mean these clothes will have a wide appeal. As the brand s fan base continues to grow, there should be plenty of playful, pretty options for all.
