Spontaneity. It may be the thing we missed the most in 2020: the last minute weekend trips, the spur-of-the-moment dinner parties, the surprise birthday visits from friends… Our lives are painfully coordinated and repetitive now, even when it comes to what we wear. Who among us hasn’t looked down to find we’re in the same sweater as yesterday, and the day before that?
Tanya Taylor’s pre-fall collection was designed to be the antithesis of all that. She painted a graphic floral motif in her own bedroom, while a member of her design team created an abstract watercolor in his apartment by placing ice cubes on white cotton, dripping various pigment dyes over each, and watching as they melted and spread color across the fabric. He couldn’t control the outcome, and Taylor liked the imperfect results. That print appeared in a few colorways, including an emerald and blush version on a full skirt with an elastic waist.
The collection’s sporty, functional touches felt new for Taylor; there was a lot of elastic and stretchy ribbed-knits, with fewer of her signature ruffles and soft shapes. She said she wanted the silhouettes to feel sharp and purposeful, not fussy or superfluous. The combination of efficient lines, artful patterns, and juicy colors will feel right next summer, when we’re back to spending most of our lives outside again. A saffron T-shirt dress was a particular highlight; it packed a punch without skimping on practicality.