Calvin Klein Resort 2015 Collection

Resort marks a timely reversal for Calvin Klein Collection. After two seasons of cozy, even crafty shows, designer Francisco Costa has embraced a more linear, streamlined silhouette. Backstage afterward, he claimed Matisse’s collages as an inspiration. "Fall was very organic; it was time to offer women something else," he said. That something else boiled down to a vaguely late sixties, early seventies silhouette-sleeveless A-line dresses, cropped zip-front jackets, and flares chopped off above the ankle, their retro associations heightened by the see-through plastic Chelsea boots with which they were paired. Brushed-metal bibs built into some of the shifts added to the space-age vibes. Where last season’s materials were furry or fuzzy, Costa’s technical fabrics for Resort were flat, exuding a modern cool. The palette was equally precise in shades of black, white, blue, and sand. Curving plastic zips inset at the hips were among the collection’s few embellishments, save for the flat Lucite flowers embroidered with grid-like rigor on the hem of two dresses at the end.

These developments situated Costa in Resort’s developing story line-a good place to be. Clothes are getting leaner. Round, enveloping shapes are fading away and sharp angles are taking their place. The Calvin Klein legacy is a sensual one. In the end, fashion that obscures the form probably doesn’t make as much sense for the brand as form-fitting pieces like these. Costa also pointed out that short, above-the-knee lengths sell well for the company. "We imagine the average height of an American woman is 5’10". Well, it isn’t, it’s 5’4". And short lengths work for her." Short or tall, the collection’s best look was a tunic-length top layered with a tank and teamed with cropped flares.