NEW YORK, N.Y. - Feminine beaded tops over boy shirts were paired with punky skinny pants adorned with zippers on the New York Fashion Week runway of Rebecca Taylor as she explored Frank Lloyd Wright and the Lower East Side of the 1980s.
"I had been reading that book, 'Loving Frank,' and I wanted everything to feel a little bit more architectural," said the New Zealander based for years in New York. "It inspired me to look at his work because I hadn't been terribly aware of architecture, really."
A black tweed and leather T-shirt was shown with an olive green stretch leather pencil skirt to capture both inspirations. Taylor paired a black, box-pleat top with a girly peplum and a frayed design in a tweed skirt done in wine red.
A black pleated leather skirt was trimmed in a mesh-like lace and worn with a pleated top in plum.
The collection for fall, Taylor said, was definitely more structured and tailored than her work in the past, with help from a bonded stretch knit that created a delicate texture.
She patched colours together in an ode to Wright's famous stainglass windows, relying on petrol blue, ruby, lavender, violet and camel.
"But I also wanted it to be a bit punky, to have a bit of a rock 'n' roll attitude," Taylor said. "My customer really is identifying with a little bit more of a punky element, which I find really exciting."
She said she likes to dress "tomgirls like me. I'm a very feminine person but I dress in a tomboy manner."
A cream stud silk shell under an olive twill biker jacket was a good example when paired with a wool gabardine pleat skirt with chiffon.
She put leather sleeves on the frayed-pattern tweed for a dress in blue that fit the model closely. A motocross pant in blue stretch went with a double-breasted tailored jacket in oxblood red.
A motocross pant in stretch olive green leather was quilted at the knees, while some of her dresses were fitted on top but flowed freely below the waist, moving with her models at a downtown venue.
One violet sweater was cropped to show a bit of midriff above a peachy, hip-snugging skirt adorned with beads.
Would Wright have approved?
"I think he definitely would," Taylor said. "He liked his ladies."
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