For her inaugural New York Fashion Week presentation, Californian designer Raquel Allegra drew upon vintage designs and a laid-back west coast vibe for her Spring/Summer 2016 ready-to-wear collection. Presenting a lineup of loose-fitting, unstructured silhouettes, the collection was a reflection of Allegra’s design aesthetic which includes deconstructed textiles and ‘60s prints. Shredded fabrics, raw edges and worn patches left the collection feeling less like a contemporary line, and more like decade-old finds from the back of the closet. “Some of these silhouettes are inspired by pieces I’ve had since ninth grade,” Allega told WWD. Sounds about right.
While cohesive in shape and structure, it felt forced at times and fell short when it came to direction and storyline. That’s not the say the collection was lacking in style—it was just hidden under layers of mismatched fabrics and gauzy textiles. A few pieces that stood out on their own included a gauze-lined, tie-dye maxi dress, a short-sleeved, fringe blazer and a pair of striped palazzo pants. It wasn’t a collection made for the fashion-forward trendsetter, but rather for her free-spirited, sun-worshipping counterpart.
