I always trust a designer who starts with a feeling instead of a trend calendar, and that is NICHOLAS. Irene Nicholas founded the label in Melbourne in 2009, after years as a retail CEO and buying director, which probably explains why the clothes look so sure of themselves. Her own history puts the emotional effect of a piece first, with the idea that you should remember how it made you feel.

The design language sits between Melbourne and Los Angeles: expressive prints, tailoring with some thought in it, and clean lines with the ease of the California and Australian coasts. I like that it holds formal polish next to movement. A vivid dress for a wedding, a printed set that travels, a clean blouse under a jacket (all of it, to me, looks easy to live in).

For NICHOLAS, an event dress usually starts with its shape and print rather than decoration. The Valeria Dress comes in a mocha polka dot, and the Cecile High Neck Mini Dress With Godets brings a high neckline and shaped panels to a shorter length. The Arella Silk Dress is the smoother, longer line, while the Viola Dress in watercolour flora and the Embla Mini Dress in mango add color in two very different moods.

I would choose the venue and the shoes first, then decide how much pattern to carry. These are dresses for a dinner, a wedding weekend or a vacation evening, when one well-cut piece is enough. What I would skip: buying for the mirror alone. Sit down in it before you decide.

Swim is where the label's appetite for print gets a smaller canvas. The Malta Bikini Top With Center Beaded Ties and Salina Bikini Bottom With Beads bring a bit of ornament to the graphic zebra and abstract animal options, and the Sirena Halter Bikini Top With Bead keeps a cleaner halter line. I would pair the Malie Bikini Ring Top with the Halia Bikini Ring Bottom in lemon polka dot for a set that looks cheerful.

The Aminta Midi Sarong is what I would add when I want more coverage once I am out of the water, and the Naia Knot Bikini Top gives another color note. Try the fit in motion before a beach day. A suit should stay put when you swim, walk and sit, not only in front of a mirror.

The tops mix print with more sculpted evening shapes. The Skye Top in its spice and ivory scarf print is an easy lead over a quieter bottom, the Solene Long Sleeve Mock Neck Blouse brings a higher, closer line, and the Crina Top echoes the polka dot mood in something more relaxed.

Lou Cami and Flavia Top are the simple bases, the ones I would use under tailoring or with a long skirt. Pick one thing to anchor the outfit, either the print or the neckline, and let the rest stay calm. A tucked-in top changes how pants and skirts hang, so try it with the rise you actually plan to wear.

Here structure meets surface. The Sandra Pant in spice and ivory scarf print gives pattern a tailored shape, the Ellevine Pant in chalk is the quieter counterpoint, and the Lise Wide Legged Pants With Side Slits give the hem some movement.

The skirts go from the Mimmy Pleat Mini Skirt, which is compact, to the longer London Skirt and the Marit Skirt with its lemon polka dots. The Esme Sweater is the soft layer that takes the edge off a dressier bottom. I would keep to one standout print and two supporting neutrals, then let the shoe set the mood.

When a lot of the edit is dresses, I like to look for the pieces around them that stop getting dressed from feeling repetitive. The Beatrix Dress in black and Mara Dress in bark green are two grounded color directions, and the Elowen Dress in prince check brings pattern in. I would choose between them by thinking about where each one is going, not only how it looks on its own. For a relaxed outfit, the Willow Pant in variegated stripe sits well with a simple top, and the Orla Wrap Pant gives me a cleaner line for dinner. I went deeper on a related idea in Benni Dresses: The Ariel Maxi Worth a Look. I went deeper on a related idea in Herve Leger Dresses: Bandage Styles Worth a Look.

The outer layers matter just as much. The Tamsin Military Jacket sounds tailored, the Bronte Bomber Jacket in variegated stripe is its sportier counterpart, and the Mae Faux Fur Collar Coat is the bold cold-weather choice. The Noelle Sweater in charcoal could make the patterned pieces easier to wear on a regular day.

Try a checked or striped piece with one solid layer, and test any jacket over the exact dress or sweater it has to cover. What I would skip is a second patterned layer. One clear pattern is plenty.

NICHOLAS makes the most sense to me when occasion dressing and travel dressing share one closet. A strong gown, a clear print or a tailored bottom carries enough presence without a pile of accessories. I would start with the setting, then leave room for my own mood: a low shoe instead of a heel, a simple layer over the swim set, a small bag against a bold dress. Although I suspect the heel wins at least once.