Earlier this summer, Jade Lai stayed at La Cité Radieuse in Marseille, France, a Le Corbusier-designed building comprised of 337 apartments often cited as the inspiration behind the Brutalist architectural style and as one of his most famous works. For her smart spring lineup, she drew from the structures, textures and colors of the space and also created four abstract prints based on Corbusier’s artwork, saying she intended the collection for the woman who is “modern and forward-thinking.”
Lai offered up relaxed suiting, airy dresses and oversize jackets in vibrant silk linens and cotton tweeds in shades of green, red, orange and blue, but there were also more muted tones, as in a series of camel-colored wrap blouses fit for a safari. Shimmering, off-the-shoulder cupro tops with floaty skirts and a few longer gowns took the brand into a decidedly more feminine direction than her men’s wear inspired efforts of recent seasons.