Rachel Roy Debuts Her Fall 2011 Collection And Premieres The Modern Woman (PHOTOS)

Today, February 15th, Rachel Roy presented her Fall 2011 collection at New York’s Lincoln Center. Over the past week, in hushed whispers many fashion insiders and enthusiasts have been lamenting over how uninspired designers’ fall 2011 collections are.  Finally we get looks from someone who gets it—and who gets us. She offers sophistication in the form of cinched waists and her signature, polished trenches. However, both whimsy and modernity are abound in subtle, simple prints and layers of luxurious and unexpected fabrics. Rachel Roy’s Fall 2011 collection provides pieces that women (of all ages) can actually wear and a sense of style worth emulating. She achieves a sense of refinement without being stuffy and boho without being sloppy. Likely, Roy's understanding of what works for women has to do with her upbringing, “Being raised in Northern California, right on the water, has instilled me with what I like to refer to as a chic hippie vibe,” Roy tells GlobalGrind, “the balance of that, with growing up in a very urban setting is what I try to bring to my designs.” It is this balance that distinguishes Roy from many others in the industry. 

Roy’s Pre-Fall collection was inspired by an iconic photograph of Gloria Swanson, in which the designer found a very specific sense of balance: “The balance in that was the lace with that very penetrating look. The woman was clearly glamorous but behind, the eyes, there was so much more going on. And I think that’s a reflection of modern women today. So it is a story that is always interesting to me and fascinating. From there, the lace came into print and into textures, feathers, were inspired from that photograph as well.  So, for fall, it’s definitely layered. There’s a lot of rich layering, very bold colors.  There’s always just a tiny bit of glamour in the collections I do, because you’re paying a higher price point and I just want the customers to really get a lot for what they’re paying for.  But there is a lightness to this collection’s mood and there’s definitely a bit of a tomboy in her. But there’s always a mix, there’s always a mix of uptown and downtown.  But right now she’s interested in different cultures and with lots of layers.”