Tracy Reese SS 2009

Demure faces adorned in tawny frames shimmered in a kaleidoscope of colors, dancing to the fancial rhythmus of the spring created under the tutelage of Tracy Reese. For her Spring 2009 show during New York Fashion Week in Central Park, Tracy Reese enchanted the fashion world with her spirited charm, and delivered 45 new looks with her distinct, ultra feminine touch. Reese’s personal homage to ethereal spring was most evident as the catwalk became laced with romantic silhouettes—fitted bodices etched with fine lace, full ball skirts in an array of rainbow colors, oversized blouses, and stovepipe pants.

Reese’s spring collection evoked freedom. Chic, movable, freeform attire with a touch of “Modern Romance,” peplum dresses and high-waisted skirts transcribed the essence of spring bathed in floral rosette appliqués and sinuous leather. Florals collided with soft pastels kissed botanical gardens in “Splendor in the Grass.” This phase of Reese’s vibrant spring collection revealed a marvelous awakening of the lustrous “jade green drop-waist frock” along with loose wrap tops and asymmetrical tie jackets. The transitional portion of Reese’s elaborate spring collection, “Free Falling,” manifested in the form of flirty, capricious gowns that moved to the beat of songbirds dressed in idyllic lilac.

Tracy Reese’s Spring 2009 collection received a standing ovation, which in her case, is not uncommon. The seats were filled with celebrities galore front row—R&B Songbird, Brandy, and actress, Sanaa Lathan, among others. And the after talk of the show was: “Where can we find that peplum strapless dress?” The rave reviews were undeniable, hailing Reese as the queen of the “vintage frock.”

While the praise is now endless for her work, Tracy Reese did not always have the opportunity to have applause resounding in her ears. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Reese always knew that she wanted to become a fashion designer and inspire the world to live bold, influential lives dressed in her luxurious garments. Creating beautiful things was in Reese’s blood, as a child she would sit beside her mother and sew garments from the crevices of her vivid imagination.

In 1987, after graduating from the prestigious Parsons School of Design, Reese gave birth to her first clothing line. It was unsuccessful, so she opted to become a designer for Perry Ellis, (an opportunity presented through her friend and fellow graduate, Marc Jacobs.) But it wasn’t until 1997 that Reese built up the ammunition to take the fashion industry by storm.

Reese joined forces with accountant/manufacturer, Om Batheja, and launched her passionate namesake label, Tracy Reese, and Plenty by Tracy Reese, a high-fashion bohemian line Inspired by her extraordinary travels to Europe and beyond, Tracy Reese established herself as a household name, celebrated for her understanding of the female form, all the while creating garments that evoke pure femininity. Reese’s usage of eccentric colors and fine fabrics has set her apart, as she shapes and redefines the identity of women’s Couture.

The expansion of Reese’s clothing empire—Tracy Reese and Plenty have only lead to higher heights and greater depths for this flourishing designer. In the spring of 2006, Reese opened her very own Flagship Boutique at 641 Hudson Street in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. The spacious boutique is bejeweled in pastel pink, at 2200 square-feet.

Reese not only designs for the catwalk, she also wants to come to a home near you. Recently, she ventured into interior design, offering an exquisite home collection along with candles under her Plenty collection. The Tracy Reese Collection, unlike Plenty, offers footwear, in addition to belts and handbags.

Acclaimed “magnificent” by Vogue, hailed as “the regal innovator of the frock,” Tracy Reese has no intentions of slowing down. With the launch of her new dress collection, Frock!, to her fierce presence as one of the first African-American designers to showcase in New York Fashion Week, there is no doubt that Mrs. Reese will keep the girls in line—Beyonce’, Alicia Keys, and Jessica Simpson, can’t seem to get enough. And we can’t either.