Tanya Taylor Pre-Fall 2020

Emily Mercer

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“We always love a woman who colors outside the lines,” said Tanya Taylor in her delightfully quirky and vibrant showroom space. An acidic green custom-made sofa centered the room, other inviting pops of color hung on the walls and, of course, along the racks within her new pre-fall collection.

Approaching the season, the book “Ninth Street Women” inspired Taylor to delve into the world of fellow color enthusiast, and wonderfully unique artist, Lee Krasner.

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“We ended up going to her house and studio in East Hampton, in the Springs,” the designer recalled. “You drive off of the main road to Sag Harbor and it’s a pond and a totally natural environment with wheat fields. So dreamy…in the barn they hadn’t taken off any of the paint splatter from her and Jackson Pollock. So, you walk in and there’s crazy color, the light had this weird, special energy. I liked the idea of playing with neutrals that felt like that environment with the super saturated art.”

Taylor’s tour (given by one of Krasner’s friends) inspired the designer’s palette and prints, mimicking the energy she felt from the vivid art while images of Krasner and artist Hellen Frankenthaler (also featured in “Ninth Street Women”) painting in crisp white poplin tops influenced her feminine-meets-utilitarian silhouettes. A khaki poplin cargo minidress with vibrant, painterly, oversize florals and a hand-beaded poufed poplin top with army green pants were examples.

The ideas of polished-meets-cool ran throughout with retro striped knits, a soft puckered silk floral jumpsuit, a poplin baby-doll dress with oversize collar and abstract printed, slinky silk jersey offerings. Suiting was even given an energetic punch in head-to-toe looks in lime and lavender, complete with cheeky hand-painted Jordans.

Launch Gallery: Tanya Taylor Pre-Fall 2020

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