Westbeth Artists Housing, the creative enclave of the West Village, not only It also served as the backdrop for Tanya Taylor’s Spring Lookbook and also inspired the collection in a number of ways. For example, she translates the “graphicalness” of the brick-concrete building into the semicircular cutouts in the skirt, but the overall direction of the lineup comes from the residents. “It’s inspiring where people are; they’re creating something that’s free,” says Taylor, who is also a painter herself. They “felt like a place for spontaneous art that I wanted to start collecting.” So the designer started creating prints, which, in her words, were “a mess.”
There has always been a dichotomy between her and her in Taylor’s work. Expressionist art and the more traditional silhouettes of women she tends to design, and clients who want to look good and fit have come to rely on these. However, just as Westbeth feels like a city within a city, a kind of free space for Taylor, so there are some signs in her collection — and its style — that things are loosening up and moving toward positive new direction development. This can be seen in the way some facades are constructed. “I love the combination of structure and fluidity,” the designer said enthusiastically, showing off several looks that combined knit and woven in one garment. The layering of colour and separation seems to mimic how paint and shapes overlap and interact on the canvas and allow the wearer to make their own.
Taylor is particularly interested in mixed textures for spring, and her fabrics include sheer scuba crepe, nylon and hammered silk. The polo-style cardigan featured lash circles, paired with a leopard-print skirt, both in the softest shades of green. What evokes emotion in this collection is Taylor’s insight into color. The yellow cuffs of an open cable-knit sweater, as if dipped in paint, complemented the sweater-matching trousers. A long rib-knit merino dress in a deep persimmon hue with bra-like detailing and a plump hem. Elsewhere, poppy-orange tops eased the neutrals of khaki. Layering not only emphasizes color, but a printed skirt paired with a striped sweater paired with a knitted bra top reveals a welcome playfulness. The world needs a reason to smile.
