Raquel Allegra began her appointment with poetry. “I start most of my collections by writing a poem,” she explained via Zoom from her studio in California. This season’s poem ended with the following: “We indulge the natural curves of our body/We are landscape paintings/We are memories/We are autumn urns/We are treasures collected along the path/We are the milky way and the garden at midnight.”
Although it is possible to think of women—the titular ‘we’—as both the milky way and the garden at midnight, both these things became an inspiration first through Allegra’s team’s experiments with fabric and processes. “Seeing all the different treatments that we’ve been developing, they’re like romance to me,” she said.
This collection is classic Raquel Allegra. It was characterized by its wide variety of tie-dye methods on different fabrics. The tie-dye used on a quilted rose jacquard coat made the floral print pop out more. It also created a kind of bioluminescent effect, where the pattern stood out against the bright background. However, it was reversible with a more muted palette on the inverse. A long sleeve button down shirt—with optional stand-up collar—was worn with a wrap skirt, both in a vertical striped tie-dye in shades of pink, red, purple, and mustard. A knee-length gown with a romantic gathered neckline, long ties, and loose matching trousers was worn with an ink blot tie-dye in bold aquamarines, mint, and gold tones against a buttery yellow background. Another example is the printing of simple jersey dresses from scanned images. Colorful marled knits showcased Allegra’s passion for indulging her creativity through her use of color.
The faux-leather jacket-style jacket, which has pockets and was paired with loose trousers, had the comfort of pajamas. So did the collarless denim jacket in a bomber shape with a slightly oversized denim skirt that was cut on the bias with an open raw edge. “We’ve played around with so many different kinds of denim, and this one feels the most us; I think it’s because the hand is so soft,” said Allegra. “I’m always striving to make the collection as soft-feeling as possible, so that you have that extreme comfort experience when you put any garment on.”