Organic by John Patrick - Resort 2015

Review by Kristin Anderson
John Patrick knows what women want. Or more important, he knows what his woman wants: sustainable, modern separates for layering and mixing and matching. At a showing of Organic by John Patrick's latest Resort fare, Patrick spoke a bit about the discipline required to deliver his consistently streamlined collections. "The way that you get into that closet is by making things that are forever, not by making costumes," he said. In a collection primarily comprised of solid whites, blues, pink, and orange (as well as a Breton stripe in lusciously substantial Japanese cotton), Patrick did afford himself one indulgence: gold lamé, spotted in shorts, slouchy trousers, and a boxy shell. But the fabric didn't feel splashy; it was a surprisingly cohesive addition, especially when teamed with an oversize top in raw-edged white cotton, a piece Patrick pointed to as the collection's takeaway. Lamé with retail longevity? Indeed.

Patrick balks at the notion of "Resort," with its connotations that skew toward the starchy and socioeconomic. He prefers Pre-Spring, which shouldn't come as a great shock. Organic by John Patrick has made its name offering up investment pieces that don't require too much of an investment from customers: Most items in the line come in under $100; only a few top out above $500. Pieces like a crisp navy A-line skirt with a nicely unfinished hem will likely tend toward the higher end of that spectrum, but a combination of the timeless and the unfussy should please an array of women (and their bank accounts). Patrick spoke of his biggest creative challenge: "The hardest part is making something relaxed." Happily, he makes it look easy.