Resort 2014: Calvin Klein Collection

by The Daily Front Row

(NEW YORK) Perched front row at Francisco Costa‘s Calvin Klein Collection resort show was legendary nonagenarian painter Ellsworth Kelly, who recently collaborated with the designer on a colorblock dress based on Kelly’s painting Red Yellow Blue White from 1952. The original version of the limited-edition dress has been donated to The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The label’s resort collection also pulled cues from the painter’s work; but this time, Costa took inspiration from the hues inside the painter’s studio. 

The result? Costa added splashes of color to the typically neutral Calvin Klein Collection runway, with deep marines, forest greens, and earthy browns in fabrics like ultrasuede, nubuck, ostrich, and silks. Was it ’70s inspired? You bet. Like many resort showings this season, Costa culled from a free spirited era for inspiration. But sticking to house codes, this was certainly one of the most modern interpretations thus far. How so? An ultrasuede earthy brown jacket got nipped with a leather belt and finished with cuffs and flat wide lapels, rounded out with a matching below-the-knee pencil skirt (in lieu of the wide-leg pants seen elsewhere). Meanwhile, denim blue wide leg pants mingled with a simple, long-sleeved top. A black version of the same trou came with an ultrasuede sleeveless top, detailed with a zipper detail tracing the chest. 

But for those not digging the ultrasuede vibe, there were plenty of modern looks and cuts like the boxy jackets and tops with structured bell sleeves. For example? A creamy white, luxurious ostrich trench with rounded shoulders and plenty of straps. The topper harkened back to some of the military influences seen on Costa’s Fall runway, but this time lent a softer feel and paired with a white a-line skirt and crop top blouse. Speaking of crop tops, midriff-baring was a big theme here with looks like brown ultrasuede zippered and belted crop top paired with a a matching skirt or a black halter crop top with straps that crisscrossed around the mid section, paired with a slinky black skirt. The effect: easily chic, yet addled with plenty of sex appeal. The message? It’s ab-solutely time to whip out those Tracy Anderson DVDs!

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