At Collina Strada, Hillary Taymour was in a fanciful mood. The actress Hari Nef opened the show, wearing a dainty lace-trimmed slip over wide-legged plaid trousers, her arms fluttering up and down like so many butterfly wings. BBedazzled on the front was the phrase “Got Milkweed?” an environmentally friendly take on the classic Got Milk? Campaign of the ’90s, which also happened to be the name of the collection. (Milkweed is the only plant monarch caterpillars will eat.) Fittingly, the show took place at Brooklyn Greenway, a former cemetery turned monarch butterfly preserve that’s not open to the public. Taymour’s signature playfulness and y2k influence were certainly present, but there was also a tender touch (some of the models wore extra-long braids that dragged on the floor behind them as they walked, like a Rapunzel that never had to cut her hair off to find freedom), and a mix of romanticism that resulted in some truly elegant eveningwear options.
A floral lace crochet long sleeve gown was worn underneath a structured mini bustier mini dress with an exaggerated balloon skirt—a fantastic continuation of the exploration of pannier skirts and bustles that Taymour has embarked on for the last few seasons. A different version, in a printed floral organza and accessorized with flowers made out of shredded chiffon, was also a standout. “I just feel like now that we’re a ‘trend,’ I really wanted to push it and be like, ‘we’re not just [the sportswear],’” said Taymour after the show. “I can make these dresses for you and elevate it.” A carnation pink dress made from deadstock chiffon that hung from bent wire flowers that attached to matching airbrushed pink breasts and nipples proved she could be both. She added, “I just wanted to push myself to do that.”
There was no shortage of beautiful dresses, including a delicately gathered and pleated one in a floral organza with an asymmetrical hem in tones of wines and reds (its toile version also made an appearance, and the sheer white fabric brought to the forefront all the details of Taymour’s handiwork). Another slip dress with an empire waist and spaghetti straps was worn with a matching shrug (real millennial heads will remember the shrug!) under mint green jeans—complete with a tri-row studded belt. It was a great example of Taymour’s signature silhouettes and layering.
But lovers of her signature pants should fear not, there were plenty of good pairs to be found. Big cargos came in hand-drawn floral prints, crushed velvet, and even organza. Decorated jeans were part of a collaboration with Unspun, a company that 3D scans your body in order to create made-to-order denim. “I really wanted to make it for all body types, it felt really important,” said Taymour. She also debuted a collaboration with Virón featuring shoes made of upcycled materials like ruffled velvet oxfords, and chunky silver metallic boots; and a collaboration with Melissa, on a super cool and weird puffy sandal, which she paired with a satin “ballerina” style tiny sock that perfectly encapsulated the spirit of the collection. In the show notes, Taymour describes being inspired by “the butterfly’s symbolic cycle of life, death, and rebirth,” but with collections like this, Collina Strada will live forever.
