It was looking at “prisms and reflective fabrics” which sparked Christopher Kane into a resort full of popping color, metallic sun-ray pleating, and mouthwatering separates. “This one crosses the spectrum,” said Kane with a mischievous nod, surrounded by ombré-hued prints, little embroidered dresses, showstopping lamé, colorful cashmere, and vibrant tailoring. “Forgive the pun.” Collaborator Tammy Kane, who frequently finishes her brother’s sentences, elucidated: “There’s something here for the fashion girl, for the office girl, and the older woman. We’ve really had a chance to think about doing all of that now.”
In a way, resort is an extension of the fizzy spirit that made Kane’s neon-bright spring collection such an influential hit. Putting a finger on the look of it is, as ever with him, the tricky thing—though some pieces might skew a bit sixties (geometric-patterned shifts) or, then again, seventies (an outrageous Elvis in Vegas lace jumpsuit look). But the going-out dresses are fantastic: from super-special pieces, like the one that combines matte white, lime, and brown sequin, and lamé in a bodice, and his signature cupcake-wrapper pleats in the skirt, to simpler, more accessibly priced ones, like a pink crepe dress with white lace sleeves. Still, this time around, there are pants and pencil skirts, sweaters and shirts to buy into as well, a sudden increase in variety which puts to bed the notion that Kane’s ambition might be limited to designing killer party-wear. Clearly this is a designer who’s maturing into someone who can combine creativity with real commercial clout. Why is he making the leap forward now? “It’s the money from the British Fashion Council/Vogue award,” Kane said. “Winning that has enabled us to expand the design team and take on someone to help on the business side. So Tammy and I are more freed up to go out, get inspired, and really start doing what we want to do with this collection.”