Nanette Lepore Spring/Summer 2013

Nanette Lepore has always showed a knack for defining fresh femininity for grownups. This is a designer who understands the difference between dressing with youthful vitality and dressing like a kid. With her spring/summer 2013 collection, Lepore also found ways to bring a classic inspiration forward into the now while still retaining the beautiful essence of the original.

The collection opened with a series of looks that celebrated the lush greenery and spirit of Brazil (the show was accompanied by a live performance by the band Brazilian Girls).  And green played a key role throughout the collection in solid pieces as well as a delicate floral.

The floral patterns were inspired by antique china from a museum exhibit but Lepore found many ways to keep the collection fresh and fashion forward.  Several pieces in a coral floral shifted from black flowers on a deep coral to white flowers on a faded coral, teasing the eye to look and then look again. Silhouettes remained simple, such as a lovely coral print v-neck dress.

A green clover print was given a contemporary edge when combined with a black and white check, a fun way to turn the traditional on its ear. The combination of two seemingly disparate patterns somehow worked beautifully as with a clover raffia jacket Lepore paired with check shorts.

And one of the most striking pieces, a simple strapless dress, was made anything but simple by starting with the dark floral on coral pattern at the bodice, shifting to an aqua floral on pistachio print at the center and ending with the coral on green clover print. It was the perfect embodiment of Lepore’s tropical classical mashup.

—Karyn D. Collins

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