Especia is a Medellín story. The label was born in 2010 from three friends, Angélica Gallo, Lina Vélez and Luisa Nicholls, who describe themselves as friends, moms, wives and dreamers. The name is Spanish for spice, and the idea was that a garment should have a special touch, the way spices change a dish. The brand calls its point of view modern romanticism with a sophisticated touch, and its archetype is La Coleccionista, a powerful, eclectic collector of textiles with a bold maximalist style. You can see that spirit in the dresses, which are mostly long and named like characters: Micelia, Napali, Kim Neel, Galene, Kotiya, Soleura and Coulis. Color gets its own names too, from the Aneta Mauve and Galene Mauve versions to the Radiant Peach and the Mai-tai. The Java Tropical and Moonflower Gio dresses lean into print, while the Aneta Maxi, Aneta Mountain, Ainaloa and Lim Puhi are more of the same long, flowing family. For shorter days there is the Olinda Short Dress, the Safran Midi and the Adair Jumpsuit. If you are shopping for a long dress that moves, maxi dress season, with florals, slips and long knits is a good place to compare shapes, and wedding guest maxis and midis covers the invitation side.

The second group is where the collector idea gets a little more flexible. The Ambrosia Long Skirt and Sophie Maxi Pants are the separates, and the Margarita Crop Top and the Aryana Bloom Blouse are the tops. The blouse name alone tells you the mood, floral and soft rather than sharp. A simple test for any print: stand a few steps back and see if you can still read the pattern. If you can, keep the other half of the outfit plain. What I would skip is wearing the Bloom blouse with a busy printed skirt from a different story; let one piece carry the print and let the others be quiet. For the romantic mood, gothic romance, lace after dark and moody florals has some good ideas, and birthday dresses, minis, midis and gowns shows how far a single occasion can stretch.

If I were building around Especia, I would pick one dress with a print I loved and wear it to every dinner I could. Maybe the Napali, maybe the Soleura. In our fashion dreams she is walking into a garden party in the Radiant Peach, slightly overdressed in the best possible way. That is the point of a label that came from three friends in Medellín in 2010 and still talks about romance, textiles and a special touch. For a garden formal invitation, a garden formal wedding guest dress is where I would go next.

For more in the same spirit, take a look at Especia Dresses and Roberto Cavalli Dresses and Swimwear.