By Alex Wynne
It was a medley of music that inspired Sophie Mechaly’s spring collection for Paul & Joe — think Elvis Presley, Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock and Liberace all rolled into one, with a bit more thrown in.
Country and Western influences mixed references with patchwork liberty prints on cowboy-style shirts, while pants had a distinct boot-cut shape that harked back to the Seventies. Colorful checks, stripes, floral prints and embroideries all fought for attention, as did safari-inspired animal prints like a repeat tiger motif borrowed from a vintage Japanese fabric.
Highlights included a silk twill shirt designed to look like a vintage scarf and a rough blue jacket embroidered with flowers in a collection that had a swagger all its own. For the first time in many years, the line was designed hand-in-hand with the brand’s women’s resort offer, making for an androgynous ensemble.
