trovata

Don't the let the recent departure of the three founding members of Trovata allow you to think that the over the top presentations would be a thing of the past. John Whitledge, the sole designer left to carry the brand staged quite the spectacle to unveil the spring collection. Inspired by his Brazilian girlfriend (a source of inspiration you probably will not hear the rest of the week), Whitledge conjured up a dream of breezy nights on the beach with the perfect linen scarf and the ideal stripped top. The clothes were simple and a continuation of the preppy meets surfer duded that Trovata does so well. Chartreuse, white, and navy were on the color agenda, mostly in solids or stripes. The clothes, as a whole, were inoffensive and so wearable that you wonder if any punch exists in them enough to invest pieces you probably already own and like (stripped tops, linen shorts, and sweater vests). Every season I think of Trovata as being everything J. Crew wishes it could be (the chic faux WASP) but without the taint of its availability in malls and bargain outlets. The clothes aren't boring but if they weren't presented with such gusto and showmanship you'd get that nagging feeling about it being two steps away from belonging at Mall of America. This season was no exception with a skinny jeanned Perry Farell, exotic Brazilian dancers, and other finery giving the clothes some drama to absorb. It's a wonder Whitledge decided to invest in such a show for a collection consisting of less than ten looks. Granted, Trovata has made puzzling but fun performances pieces their mainstay (past collections include a an homage to all things Alpine, faux European journalists sporting the latest pieces from the collection while toting an oddly calm cat, and what looked like the home of Royal Tenenbaum) but what do the clothes say if anything when they're competing with the eye candy that envelops it so often? Remove the clothes from a a man and you can see what you got, but when you remove the theatrics of a show to reveal the clothes perhaps something more revealing than a naked body can be seen.

Standouts:
Linen scarf
Two toned cardigan