For Spring ’07, designer Tracy Reese said she wanted to do something a little sexier, to "pump up the sensuality."
But with volume being important in current looks, Tracy knew it would be a challenge to make voluminous look sexy. The key? Controlled volume. “You can’t be full all over. Go full on top, slim on the bottom,” Tracy said. “Work with proportions.”
Tracy Reese’s inspiration for the Spring '07 line -- which will debut September 10 during Fashion Week -- was organic items like cotton and the colors of South America.
Pretty Chic
Known for her pretty details, great color and interesting prints, Tracy looks to fit and proportion to make an outfit chic. “Nothing too traditional or expected,” she said.
Elements that are important to the overall look include the neckline – she recommends details like a deep V neck (“nothing sleazy,” she warns) – and skirt length, which she said “should be based on the garments themselves, instead of trends.”
Shoes, Bags, Nail Color
In addition to the namesake line, there’s also Tracy Reese’s secondary line, Plenty, and accessories. Tracy Reese shoes are in the second season and will feature a pointy, rather than rounded toe, and a less embellished look for spring.
She’ll also be launching a handbag line for Fall ’07: “Cool clutches, oversized saddle bags in great colors with beautiful linings,” Tracy said. The Spring ’07 show during Fashion Week will feature a teaser of the new bag line.
Tracy Reese’s great color palette is even available for your nails, via a collaboration with nailcare line Sally Hansen. Ten colors are available – like garnet – that work back with the colors in Tracy’s line. Sally Hansen will also have Tracy’s Spring colors.
Tracy Reese, the Store
At one point Tracy Reese was on the line deciding whether she wanted to be an interior decorator or a fashion designer. Now, with the opening of her namesake store in the Meatpacking district of Manhattan, she can experiment with both by also trying things like translating her great prints into a bedding line. The store also carries Plenty and Plenty Home.
About the Biz
Tracy Reese is not a newcomer to the fashion business: she started her own company at the age of 23, when she was fresh out of Parsons School of Design. Still, she finds that one thing that could be improved in the fashion world is the attitude. "There are so many great people in fashion," she said. But then there are some with a "grand attitude that make the day long and tiresome," Tracy said.
Where to Find Tracy Reese Collections
-Tracy Reese Website
-Tracy Reese Store - 641 Hudson St.; 212-807-0505
