New York Fashion Week: Clover Canyon universe growing
Los Angeles designer Rozae Nichols is expanding her Clover Canyon universe this spring. At her New York Fashion Week presentation, in addition to her colorful women’s wear, she added menswear and footwear to the collection for the first time.
Set against a projection of a giant waterfall, Nichols’ models appeared to be in a tropical garden, dressed in lush prints and Asian-inspired silhouettes.
The inspiration: “A journey through Southeast Asia, one of my favorite places,” Nichols said. “I’m also a fan of martial arts, and have lots of acupuncture. I wanted to capture the sense of those spiritual guidelines through color and print.”
The look: Lush but sporty and wearable, with prints incorporating motifs from indigenous clothing, origami and X-ray orchids, juxtaposed with crisp denim, metallic gold foil printed cotton, taffeta and mesh panels.
There were cropped karate pants, A-line utility jackets and kimono-inspired dresses for women; bomber jackets, narrow-lapel blazers, board shorts and sweatshirts for men. “After seven seasons, we’ve had a lot of requests for menswear from our stores,” Nichols said. “Buyers were asking for more gender neutral styles, and selling them to male clients. So we’re really excited to be offering a full range now.”
The new shoe collection includes vibrantly printed lace-ups with cork soles, platform sandals and espadrilles.
The verdict: There is such artistry to what Nichols does with print. For example, one dress made of a tromp l’oeil origami-folded-paper print, was engineered so precisely to the body that it flattered every curve. It’s exciting to see her universe growing. Next stop, Clover Canyon home?
