Detroit designer Tracy Reese found plenty of inspiration for her Hope for Flowers fall 2025 collection. A brown corduroy blazer paired with a pleated A-line skirt? “It’s like you’re heading to Spelman College in 1952,” she remarked during her New York presentation. A floral ruffled blouse? “We used to design bedding, and this is exactly the kind of print I’d put on a sheet set,” she added. “I’ve always adored woodblock florals—I’m constantly researching them, then redrawing and reimagining them.”

A color combo from an Instagram photo of Kenyan artist Velma Rosai-Makhandia’s studio also caught her eye. “There was a pink metal sculpture against brown hardwood floors. While this piece isn’t directly inspired by her work,” Reese said, gesturing to a tiered striped cotton dress, “the colors in that image stuck with me. Pink, orange, and brown together just feel delicious right now.”

The collection stayed true to the brand’s staples—smocked shirts, shift dresses, and midi skirts—but introduced fresh details, like fringe along wide-leg trousers and bubble hems on embroidered dresses. Reese’s dedication to sustainable textiles sometimes calls for clever workarounds. A sleeveless leopard-print dress, for instance, appeared to be denim but was actually framed with stretch cotton poplin. “You’d have to feel it to believe it,” she said.