Rosie Assoulin is off to the races this season.
For her latest collection, Assoulin mashed up “tweenage dream” nostalgia with her signature meld of whimsy and polish. The lineup, which included a combination of pre-fall and fall for the first time, was fittingly photographed in New Jersey’s giant RPM Raceway indoor go-kart and arcade, which the designer frequents with her children.
“I called it our ‘Tweenage Dream’ collection, which I said we were revisiting that in-between age, where you’re, ‘not a girl, not quite a woman,’ to borrow a philosophical term from one of the greats,” Assoulin said. “No, my kid just got bat mitzvah-d and it got me thinking about that time.”
Speaking of that time, Assoulin recalled two distinct memories.
“This dress is an ode to Delia’s, we call it O’Delia,” Assoulin said of a two-piece blue halter cropped top and matching lengthy skirt, plucked directly from Assoulin’s memory of a boyshort bathing suit from the popular shopping catalogue. The look’s bright colorblocking and swim trunk-inspired waistbands were dotted throughout the collection’s surf-inspired garb alongside cheery tropical prints and bathing suit-inspired details on a variety of silhouettes that spanned day to evening. Assoulin also peppered in a “swoosh swoosh” vibe with upscale track and skate pants and retro sportif racing stripes inspired by time spent walking with her grandparents, donning their athletic jumpsuits, down Ocean Parkway.
The key to the lineup was her balance between cheeky novelty and wearable, intriguing silhouettes from day to night. For occasionwear, the idea spanned from a silk faille color-blocked mermaid dress with soft, sculptural hips to fall’s less-thematic, but equally strong, “Venus” eveningwear looks, which the designer described as having “gestural, draping details. It’s not a lot of ruching or a heavy pleat, but rather looks as if you pushed the fabric up with your hand.”
Assoulin certainly had fun this season, and it showed through a delightful ensemble of joyful fashions.