Devi Kroell built her business on accessories, and judging by her fall collection, she’s sticking to her roots. Her show played off her handbags and shoes, both with texture and color — a decision she made purposefully while creating the prints. “They do reflect the accessories because I really love to work with colors,” the designer told us backstage after the show of the red, yellow, green, and blue watercolor-like prints seen on blouses, dresses, and pants in her collection. “Coming up with textures is really something that I love doing. It’s really important to me — that’s where it all starts and then the materials inspire me to do whatever garment comes out of that material.”
The mix of textures was evident, from knit tops and silk blouses to chinchilla jackets and pleated gowns. “It all starts with this idea of cocooning that I have for this season — outside it’s cocooning, but on the inside it’s all transparent,” Kroell said of her inspiration, which was reflected with lace tops layered underneath thick outerwear and other lace sprinkled throughout the collection. “I really want to narrate this aesthetic with colors that really catch your eye, but then flows into black.” Her accessories also featured eye-catching colors, including a yellow printed satchel, a red leather hobo, and a purple snakeskin-like clutch, all with accents of black. And her footwear syncs with her idea of women as cocoons. “They’re all bondage-cut style shoes, and that’s really what I wanted to do,” she explained. “I wanted to have a very strong woman — a strong cocoon on the outside, and that sexiness on the inside.” It builds off the idea that the sexiest thing about a woman is what she’s got underneath her clothes — though when you’re hiding behind them, you may as well look damned good doing it.
