Tracy Reese’s Feminine Chic – Fall 2008 Runway Review

Tracy Reese’s Feminine Chic – Fall 2008 Runway Review

Born in Detroit, Michigan, designer Tracy Reese as a child used to sit with her mother at the sewing machine making clothes.  She later moved to Manhattan and attended Parson’s School of Design.  After graduation, she worked at a small contemporary firm called Alequin, designed by Martine Sitbon, Perry Ellis, etc.  Years later, Tracy launched Tracy Reese and a second line, plenty by Tracy Reese.  Now almost a decade later, the label epitomizes “feminine chic.”  These creations are timeless, wearable looks that Tracy pulls from vintage and bohemian influences.

Tracy Reese and Tracy Reese plenty have been featured in Cosmo Girl, New York Post, OK, Vogue, InStyle, Lucky, Essence, and marie claire.  Celebrities, including Paris Hilton, Mya, Jamie Lynn Dyscala, Beyonce, Mira Sorvino also wear Tracy Reese.

Tracy Reese’s fall 2008 collection featured a variety of animal prints, pleated skirts, sequined pencil skirts, and a combination of oatmeal crew neck sweaters matched with gold sequined skinny skirts.  A gray paisley print on a jacquard raglan coat and a russet striped turtleneck over a gold slim skirt go surprisingly well together.  Other surprising combinations included a green ruffled shirt paired with a gold animal print pleated skirt.  What was common on the runway in New York was the high waisted, wide-legged cuffed pants that seemed to pop up in a variety of collections.  Her unexpected combinations of colors wove a cohesiveness throughout her 46-piece collection and screamed “unique.”

I was really into nature and the elements—just how weather can affect our emotions.  And we wanted to do some florals, but we didn’t want to do them the same old way. How can we expand on that?  And we literally expanded them into dramatic proportions so they became abstractions—just not the typical thing, but when you put it on and layer it all together, it had a dreamy effect.  I was really happy with that effect.

-Tracy Reese-

To learn about Tracy Reese, visit her website www.tracyreese.com.

By Kaylene Peoples