Resort, cruise, holiday, pre-spring. As Ulla Johnson rightly pointed out, this season goes by a lot of names. “It has to encompass so many things,” she said, “but I decided not to be constrained by it, and instead feel liberated.” That’s not a bad motto for life, come to think of it, but how do you maintain a sense of openness in the face of so many responsibilities and in such a volatile environment? Johnson has an answer for that, too. “Ease,” she said, “was top of mind—even for evening.”
She offered up the collection’s delicate lace dresses—a strappy style with a ruched bodice and a long-sleeved version, both in a soft shade of yellow—as party-worthy examples. For daytime, knit dresses (a growing category here) meet similar easy-wearing requirements. Johnson has options for both minimalists in compact knit solids with scallop details on the sleeves and hem, and more exuberant types in ribbed knits with variegated stripes.
Of course, it wouldn’t be an Ulla collection without an emphasis on handcrafts. The most impressive entrant in that category this season was also the subtlest, a pantsuit made from land-loomed chintz mordant painted in a Tree of Life motif by the Indian artist Bappaditya Biswas over the course of many weeks. (The same pattern has been reproduced on crepe de chine dresses and separates that will be more scalable for production as well as more reasonably priced.) Also deserving of a mention are the oversized tunic and flared trousers in black-and-white fil coupé taffeta. That look has its own kind of ease; it’s all dressed-up but feels as good as a t-shirt and jeans.