Sexy and streetwise aren’t how you would typically describe Sea, nor its signatures of quilting and crochet. The label’s crafty textures and oversized silhouettes tend to hew more arty and feminine, but Monica Paolini and Sean Monahan are wise to keep evolving their aesthetic. For pre-fall 2022, they introduced new, ’90s-ish shapes and unexpectedly sultry details: A puffed-sleeve crochet knit in a swirl of rainbow yarn was cropped to hug the body, while a shrunken sweater vest was styled not with a billowing eyelet dress, but with low-slung, midriff-baring cargo pants. A few other knits came with swim-inspired halter straps laced around the neck, a detail that’s trending with Gen Z shoppers, and tiny keyhole cut-outs down the sternum.
Little flashes of skin turned up elsewhere, too: as cut-outs along the ribcage of eyelet dresses, as lace-up details on puffed sleeves, and even on a quilted midi skirt, where slivers of flowery cotton had been sliced away. A slouchy, wide-leg trouser with cut-outs trailing the seams brought in the streetwise feeling; it will be a departure for women who are more accustomed to the label’s circle skirts and high-rise jeans. Paolini and Monahan styled the pants with an ultra-oversized quilted parka that could easily be billed as unisex, another new direction they should keep exploring.
