Kate Spade New York Spring 2016 Collection

Kate Spade New York’s Deborah Lloyd felt like mixing things up a bit. With the launch of a new label, Broome Street, which made its debut at her spring presentation Friday, Lloyd proposed to “cut the sweetness,” which is likely a good thing to move the label forward.

Broome is focused on everyday basics meant to carry the customer through many seasons: the perfect mariner sweater or perfect leather moto, for example. Lloyd paired these lower-priced items (they are the house’s opening price points) with the Madison Avenue limited-edition high-end pieces. The Kate Spade collection maintains the middle ground, giving a new balance to the cheeky playful aesthetic for which the brand is known.

Lloyd’s love of flowers and escapism grounded the core collection. A bevy of floral prints set among 30,000-plus flowers – brought in to both decorate the set and give away to guests – set the mood for a rose-print poof skirt, a daisy printed pleated full skirt and a layered organza “popcorn” floral-print dress in beige worn with a new Broome oversize cotton sweater emblazoned with “Ooh La La.” Other standouts included a pleated white dress with black accent belt with red organza flower bow, a yellow laser-cut fit and flare dress, a sequined multicolor striped short and a black-and-white pencil skirt, the latter two paired with oxfords. It was a fresh take on the house’s formulaic approach, which in recent seasons had begun to slightly wilt.3