Spring/Summer 2016 Collection
With the SS2016 collection Replay reasserts in full the brand’s new soul. Classy, contemporary, exclusive. Alluringly luxe and mature, at once versatile and coherent, it talks about five edgy-cool influences: Glam Biker, Army Pop, Sport/Athleisure, Contemporary Bohémien, Venice at the Beach.
A smooth and harmonious flow of smart fashion concepts, the collection consists on the one hand of unique items that project a distinct personality and on the other of complementary pieces that make the most of contrast to both temper and heighten the effect. A similar structural setup marks the palette, featuring a wide gamut of white and black tones offset by fresh indigo hues, gorgeous greens, pop shades of orange and pink, lovely pastels, novel takes on camou colors, plus a fine array of gold, silver and lurex glints. Fits become softer as they play with different fabric weights, while materials reflect luxury and eco themes. This translates into an appreciation for silk/cotton blends, nylon and fleece fabrics, tech mesh, lots of leather (smooth, precious, soft touch), all the way to hempen cloth, linen and bamboo. Adding to the appeal are decorative elements: fringe, studding, sequining, patchwork appliqués, cloth patches, raffia embroidery, multiple prints (floral, phytomorphic, biker, geo). Then for an extra touch of sophistication there are the Pollock drip painting-inspired designs printed by hand on sweaters, T-shirts, pants and shoes. Working techniques alternate between pushing toward the future with new textile coating/lamination treatments and ultra low environmental impact denims and returning to the past with once-upon-a-time craftsmanship in the Hand Made capsule and in the Broken Age series.
Glam Biker is mostly a matter of opposites as the modern motorcyclist trend goes super glamorous, revving up with bolder notes for daytime, slicker & smoother ones by night. Strong on oversize and slim fits, leather and silk cady materials. Army Pop narrates a luxe evolution of the military look, as in lots of camou watered down by white hues, brightened up by flashy accents of color complete with metallic glints. Sport/Athleisure takes tech mesh, athletic shorts, sweatshirts and nylon prints, then rethinks the same in recherché urban mode. Contemporary Bohémien is very much about working wonders with color, exclusive mix & match prints, fringe and Broken Age rips. Eclectic, free-spirited, no rules. Venice at the Beach: here setting the agenda is the relaxed appeal of soft pastels and fresh indigo blues. All the perfectly carefree way, L.A. beach style.
The women’s line presents dark black biker jackets with aggressive prints to sport over white silk cady plisse skirt with slit. And then lightweight phytomorphic print silk bombers counterbalancing tees and easy minimalist white jeans; outsize linen shirts with raffia inserts accompanying soft low-crotch jeans with patchworks in shades of indigo. Other items include: white overblouse & print maxi skirt, long fluid pure white casual dresses, tech mesh sweatshirt with tulle rose appliqués, metalized leather motorcyclist jackets, long baggy tees and metallic knits. The men’s line experiments with jackets, inventing new inflections thanks to coated cotton fabrics, camouflage prints, smooth leather, jersey interlock, plus studding on lapels. All to sport with white print tees and destroyed jeans. A total black look features a leather jacket with contrast biker prints, while a total white one is offset by a sweater with Broken Age rips and Pollock drip painting designs. Other ideas: colorful print nylon bombers, exclusive-print shirts & print bermuda shorts. Floral, foliage, geo and paisley patterns tell the story. Capping the range are pastel 50/1 jersey tees in bamboo, hemp and cotton fibers. Simply rich.
Denims make a statement with hand workmanship and a strong eco-aware spirit. The former is all about Broken Age: namely, 5 women’s jeans and 5 men’s (plus a few jackets) where a fully manual destroyed treatment results in wide, open rips. The latter underscores the brand’s constant pursuit of green production processes so as to reduce water consumption to the max. A highlight on this front is Iceblast technology (using dry ice). Washes focus on the lightest and most summery hues of indigo, as well as on black and on white. Against this backdrop various treatments, glossy patches and prints figure prominently. Mostly low-crotch fits find extra softness in the denim’s ultrasoft texture, while skinny jeans offer an increasingly comfortable stretch factor.
Emotional hub of the collection is the Hand Made line of exquisitely artisanal items for a select distribution. It’s a small capsule of important, precious pieces. For women: all-white jacket and maxi T-shirt with pop graffiti & tags from L.A. streets; maxi dresses and lightweight jackets with denim edging. For men, three jackets: one in destroyed denim with metalized leather sleeves; another all in gold lamé leather; the last in leather with extraordinary metallic ribbon accenting.
