Kate Spade 2016 Fall RTW Collection

High atop Rockefeller Center, with songstress (and Kate Spade New York campaign notable) Alice Smith belting out jazz/piano-bar classics, Deborah Lloyd paid homage to the sirens of song in her fall collection for the brand. Music references were most obvious in the cheeky, themed accessories for which the brand is known, but perhaps more obvious was Lloyd’s shift to a Seventies mood – the bohemian kind prevailing in fashion of late.

Dresses and skirts were given a longer, flowing length in either peasant ruffles or pleated chiffons. These were all layered with knits and woolens – turtlenecks, tunics and wool topper coats – addressing the climate fluctuations of the fall selling season. There was a sweetness to certain looks, such as a pink eyelet-lace peasant dress, while others channeled a cooler version of an orchestra ensemble: a white poet’s blouse and cropped black pants.

Ballet played a part, too, as pale pink showed up on dresses and shoes, and a black ribbon criss-crossed the bodice of a dress in a nod to a dance slipper. All in all, the collection hit a pleasant note.