Alice+Olivia Fall 2016

In one word, Alice+Olivia’s fall 2016 presentation can be described as a cornucopia of color and texture., that consists of every color palette under the sun with a 70’s psychedelic twist.  Or, you might say Alice in Wonderland’s falling down the rabbit hole funneled through the lens of a vintage 1970’s aesthetic.

The extremes of bright colors combined with bold patterns have been seen before—think Missoni and other European brands—but rarely seen stateside. There are garments in bold tones of reds, royal blue, emerald green, and gold—which might only fit into the wardrobe of the truly adventurous fashionista.

The presentation continued with a subtly opened black floor-length coat with over-the-knee suede boots coupled with a color sliced handbag, giving consumers a lot of mix-and-match choices. There were also patterned skirts with solid color turtleneck sweaters and matching 70’s hats. Bright yellow with splashes of black on coats worn with green suede skirts, red suede boots seemed subtle compared to the brand’s long-sleeved, floor-length belted dresses in crazy quilt, kaleidoscope patterns.

There were some solid colors evidenced in red shirts and slacks with again the 70’s–themed hats. Alice+Olivia’s furs also have a unique pattern of horizontal stripes in bright colors.  In addition, there were patterned dresses with denim patchwork jackets, mini skirts with colorful striped jackets.

The Alice+Olivia hot pants—which seemed to pop up in a lot of the fall 2016collections—; however, Alice +Olivia made their 70s hot pant looks in a variety of fabrications and patterns. Touches of pastel color palettes seen in coats and suits calmed the crazy kaleidoscope aspect the collection and also added a bit of a restraint. Still, this collection is not for the fashion faint of heart!!

Still, if there was one drawback to this collection, many of the garments in this fall 2016 collection might be easily in purchased in some upscale vintage store. However, the crisp styling in this collection elevated many of looks from standard vintage store fare!! And many fashionistas should take inspiration from that!!

—Rosemary Ponzo