Women's
Conversation With: Tracy Reese
Spring 2012
Optimism and retro glamour radiated from the Spring runways in New York, Milan and Paris. Designer Tracy Reese captured the spirit, in New York, with her signature feminine romance and dressmaker details. Then she dropped by the Neiman Marcus at Dallas NorthPark to showcase her Fall/Holiday collection. Tracy Reese offers go-to dresses regardless of the time of year. Who wouldn’t want to don a pretty patterned frock for a holiday party or springtime wedding?
NM: Your spring collection was a colorful nod to retro glamour with a sporty, easy feel. How did this evolve?
TR: I love retro. We always temper with how we use it because I want the clothes to look modern. Spring was inspired by French Vietnam in the thirties, tons of gorgeous prints and vivid colors (turquoise and pink) shown with longer silhouettes (jumpsuits and dresses). It’s fun to tap into the romance of the past; the Thirties always inspire me.
NM: Where does the design process start for you?
TR: It starts with fabric. After our show in New York, we go to Paris for the huge fabric fair Premiére Vision, which literally means first look. All the great fabric suppliers are there. We go from booth to booth and look at everything, for inspiration, even couture fabrics and tons of other things we can’t afford. Then we search for things we can afford that have the same mood or feeling, we take notes, shop all the stores in Paris (to see what the French are buying) and if we have time, we do the same in London. It is a nice time to transition from the season you are working on into the next one. It’s really the tipping point. Then we come back to New York, sit down and talk about everything we saw, what we want in our own wardrobes and talk to the sales team to see what the stores are asking for and what is performing well. We take all that inspiration into consideration and begin building the new groups for the next season.
NM: Speaking of fabric, your Spring collection was full of gorgeous transparent fabrics, specifically gauze and lace. Did you intentionally choose these fabrics to express something new?
TR: There is an easiness coming to clothes. I think after seasons and seasons of fitted and shorter clothing there is a shift to a looser and softer silhouette, which I love. We found several of these gorgeous sheer fabrics and wanted to make them work for our customers. Several of our dresses are sheer but they have a separate slip inside that snaps into the shoulders. For the show I decided to put Thirties lingerie (tap pants and bandeau tops) underneath some of the dresses. We decided to keep it this way for production so the customer has options. Most of the customers will likely choose to wear the slip that comes with the dress but there might be someone who wants to mix it up. So we made them convertible.
NM: Who is the quintessential Tracy Reese woman?
TR: It’s a real woman. I want real women to wear our clothes, be flattered by our clothes and have a need for them. It’s someone who is optimistic, loves color and beautiful patterns. You have to be a bit of a dreamer in order to understand our clothes. It’s really an attitude rather than a type of person.
NM: What does it mean to you, to be a part of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)?
TR: CFDA has been really important in my career and my position in the industry. I’ve been on the board of directors for about four years now and it’s been an honor. During this time I’ve been able to serve on the AIDS Fund subcommittee. We distribute all of the funds from Seventh On Sale to various AIDS organizations in New York. It has been such an eye opening experience for me. People don’t realize how many people are still being infected with HIV and AIDS and there has been a spike in the diagnosis of African American woman with AIDS, which is obviously important to me. We have to keep fighting by educating everyone, especially children and young people.
NM: What is the best advice you’ve received and who was it from?
TR: My dad worked for Chrysler for 35 years, and when I started the business he said, “Quality is number one.” That has been huge advice.
NM: What is your favorite…?
Hotel:
TR: I haven’t been here yet, but I want to visit Jade Mountain in St. Lucia. The pictures look amazing!
Restaurant:
Artist:
TR: Amedeo Modigliani and Lorna Simpson
Author:
TR: Jane Austen
Shop Tracy Reese at NeimanMarcus.com and Neiman Marcus stores.
