It s funny that Alice + Olivia designer Stacey Bendet started the brand in 2002 based on a pair of great-fitting pants, because these days the line is best known for girly cocktail dresses. Those prom-y looks were again at the center of things for Spring, but this time they were given some more athletic touches. "It s preppy meets pretty," said Bendet in the midst of her always jam-packed presentation.
When Bendet delivered on that idea, the collection worked. A bone-white piqué polo, for instance, was paired with a color-blocked cream, black, and red cotton ball gown skirt, which was a fun take on the theme. A standout was an aqua silk crop top worn with a tea-length aqua leather pleated skirt—the outfit would have looked just as good worn with a pair of slip-on white Vans as it did with silver pointy-toe heels.
Alice + Olvia is totally commercial, and Bendet is totally OK with that: "It s contemporary, you know?" she said. And even though an embellished jacket felt uninspired—especially paired with ripped-up rocker jeans—it might sell well. A better use of embellishment was on a sparkly silver bustier, worn with a cropped white tuxedo blazer and white leather pleated skirt. It was, indeed, both preppy and pretty.
