Abstract expressionist artist Robert Motherwell’s “Open” series of pared-down drawings informed the palette of Reed Krakoff’s resort collection. Charcoal black, cornflower blue, grass green and white evolved the designer’s utilitarian, uniform proclivities with a softer, more feminine touch. There was still a sense of geometry — prints bordered with white panels and leather perforations — but the silhouettes were less architectural and more curvilinear for a refreshingly light effect. Case in point: a soft tulip-shaped dress with a structured bustier top, and a white trenchcoat done in a hand-drawn floral pattern. “It has this sort of sensual, artisanal quality,” Krakoff said of the print. He acknowledged a shifting mind-set as well. “I’m able to relax a bit and let things happen,” he said. “The biggest difference is to kind of let things evolve.”
