Sea’s resort collection started at the movies. What caught Monica Paolini’s fashion eye while watching the documentary Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg were the costumes from another flick, 1970’s Performance, especially the jacket made from a green piano shawl that Mick Jagger sported as Turner. Sea offers one in black, as well as some delectable dresses in ivory sprinkled with a bouquet of colorful flowers. The V-neck with lace inserts is especially notable, as is the titillating opening look, a lavishly fringed tone-on-tone spencer-type jacket with crochet insets covering the breasts and exposing more than the midriff.
As Pallenberg set the template for boho chic, she’s a good fit for Sea, where Victoriana, quilting, rustic embroideries, and cut-work are house specialties. For resort an embroidered shearling vestlet, a calico patchwork jacket, and a blazer with a detachable lace capelet speak to that aesthetic, which remains at the core of the brand. Happily, and healthily, that core is expanding. Every collection now includes some sports-related gear, usually a take on the track suit. Swim-like stretch materials (see the ivory-and black pieced dresses that have a nice weighty hand) have also become part of the design lexicon. As has denim: “I think it grounds everything, and makes everything feel cooler too,” noted Paolini. In the lookbook, a diamante-trimmed black velvet dress is paired with similarly embellished black jeans. Elsewhere, denim is patchworked and washes are mixed. A pants set takes wing with the crocheted bird appliques. This is a high-flying collection that reveals Sea’s growth.