There was no overarching theme or inspiration with Partow this season; just a rack full of sturdy wearable clothes. “I feel like the world is in a very sensitive place, so I always think about how people feel and what resonates – whether it makes your life easier so you don’t have to make one more decision a day, or that you find something that you feel empowered in,” designer Nellie Partow explained in her Manhattan showroom. To wit: an elegant single-breasted ‘olive’ suit in a merino wool twill that is soft to the touch yet sturdy; and a classic light brown bonded cotton trench coat with hand-cut buttons.
Empowerment does not necessarily mean the absence of softness, and this was a collection full of lightness. There were springy knit skirts with “dropped stitches” that created a kind of phantom pleat while recalling the subtle sensuality of running in someone’s stocking, and tonal floral jacquard button-down shirts and midi-length a-line skirts in shades of cream, dusty pink and black, with each color completely changing the mood of the pieces. (In black, a metallic thread running through the fabric became more apparent, lending the casual silhouettes an air of understated glamour.) A white poplin dress with a modest cutout at the ribcage had the same ease and utility as a shirt dress, just a little higher up.
