Wayne Lee can t seem to kick the memories of her trip to the Caribbean last year. Her Spring collection found her diving deeper into the ocean. Her dream has always been to be a marine biologist. The under-the-sea theme was most evident in the prints. Lee incorporated four into the latest range. One was inspired by the Portuguese man-of-war, a jellyfishlike invertebrate that has 30-foot-long tentacles. ("I had them cut shorter for the clothes," she joked.) Another print was a digital rendering of a coral reef. It showed up on tanks, slouchy boy-fit pants, and a baseball-style bomber jacket.
The wares were more colorful than what we usually see at Wayne. "Maybe it s because I had a kid," she said. "I have been reading a lot of children s books, and it definitely changes the way you think." Cobalt blue, conch pink, and a neon yellow were mixed in with the line s signature black and white palette. Shapes and silhouettes stayed true to the Wayne DNA but were updated with cool details. Racer-back tanks got side zippers, mini skorts (and skort dresses!) were lined in contrasting colors, and flaps on cropped pants were strategically placed to create an apron effect. It s pieces like these that we d like to see more of next season.
