Batsheva’s big news for Pre-Fall is the arrival of soft cashmere knits with floral prints in burgundy and cornflower blue that evoke vintage wallpaper. “It’s cashmere from Nepal, it’s so beautiful, isn’t it?” I’m going to keep growing it. These are just pieces that were created in time (for this collection),” Batsheva Hay said during an appointment inside the NoLIta boutique.
Hay spends a lot of time in the shop, and it’s clear that it has changed her creativity. Since opening in March, she’s been doubling down on her most Batsheva-esque instincts. “I really just make what I think it is. This is perfect and classic. No other brand makes this,” she added. That means Victorian blouses with high necks, peplums and ruffled sleeves are back, as are the popular Raquel A-line shifts and mini prairie dresses.
There are also other pieces created to change the way she wears her core products. These include Carrie Bradshaw-inspired capris with banded hems and straight-leg pajama-style pants in cotton floral prints (long and skater short versions). She emphasized handmade here. A kilt made in the “Sunbonnet Sue” pattern was transformed into a skirt (with a little blouse to match). For the dress and skirt, I made a patchwork of fabric scraps held together with safety pins. She also showed off a shimmering pink elastic ruffled tube that can be worn over the shoulder as a mini-cape or as a skirt/peplum layered over a dress (she wore it in one of the prairie styles in the lookbook). (combined to great effect). Further underscoring Hay’s commitment to doing things his own way, some of the collection is available now, with the rest becoming available next summer when the collection typically ships. It’s a fact.
