For his new resort collection, Frederick Anderson had Mexico on the mind for design inspiration—but not just any part of Mexico. Rather, Anderson recently became smitten with the exclusive community of Careyes, and he imagined a lavish wardrobe that could be worn in the chic, if-you-know-you-know coastal town. “You can only rent houses or condos—there are no hotels,” says Anderson. “There’s so much noise in the world right now, and I loved this idea of exclusive glamour there.”
This was not a season for Anderson to dial things back. Instead, he felt compelled to lean into statement getaway style, crafting pieces that echo the vibrant, upbeat feeling of Mexico without feeling too beachy or too formal. “I’m Mr. cocktail—I’m not super evening, or super casual,” he said.
Dresses, naturally, were a big focus. His chiffon, black and white floral-print pieces were screen-printed eight times, to give them a rich sense of depth. “It becomes three-dimensional, because it has so many layers,” said Anderson. The designer also created black crochet styles with built-in leather strips at the bust and brief area—almost like a built-in bathing suit over a cover-up. “The shape has a 1950s swim reference, but a little edgier,” he said. (There was lots of leather in the collection, like his vegan leather tank dress, covered in white laser-cut floral embroideries.)
Separates, meanwhile, included Anderson’s new take on tweeds (one can’t deny the impact of Chanel on this season in general—tweeds have been everywhere.) His were in dusty pink and had a metallic sheen to them. “When you’re on vacation, you just want to throw things on,” says Anderson. “I wanted it to feel cool and young.” His real showstopper, though, came via the finale, when Anderson showed a fringe black gown made of long sequins. “It’s cut on the bias, and the sequins are swirled around the body,” he said. It twirled and grooved with each step—precisely the kind of frock you want to wear while making an entrance into a chic seaside restaurant.
