Rachel Comey broke with tradition this season and showed her fall 2017 collection in LA last week instead of in New York, but we caught up with Nordstrom buyer Joyce Lin on Monday morning as she visited the brand's downtown showroom to choose which pieces we'll be offering in our stores this fall.

Shown here: a topper made in the very same wool, by the same very mill,
as the coat Audrey Hepburn wore inBreakfast at Tiffany's.

In a happy stroke of luck, Rachel was there and we had the chance to chat with her about her inspiration, the collection's fabrics and textile, and her pretty much legendary sense of color.

Like so many designers, she says she's been affected by the state of world affairs; the fall 2017 collection is "really emotional for the first time in many years." She talked about feeling that she and her customers want to be with people they love and trust right now, and she said she made clothes that are about the duality of "protection and vulnerability."

Joyce said she's really been feeling the menswear elements that are so prevalent right now, and she loves the way Rachel's strong, classically chic trousers work with her softer, feminine elements. That's that protection and vulnerability in action-and in silhouette and tactile application.

"Her proportions are always so interesting, and our customers love the fabrics and textures ... the way the clothes feel in your hand and on the body," she said.

And then there are those colors. We got to talking about Rachel's sense of hue, and I asked her if her home was as richly imagined.

"Yeah, I think so," said the designer, and described a lifelong habit of owning vintage-patterned sofas. Taisa Skulsky, who does sales for Rachel, remembered the designer's studio 15 years ago, where one standout wall was painted half chocolate brown and half teal blue.

That whole-life approach might not be something we're always aware of as we shop Rachel's perfectly cropped denim, supremely wearable dresses and cozy knits, but it probably has a lot to do with the ineffable draw we feel. It's a brand that feels like a friend-and Rachel is a designer who feels like an ally.

Stay up to date with all our Fashion Week coverage and shop curated collections of our favorite designers at Go where we go, see what we see: Nordstrom's Fashion Week Central .

-Laura Cassidy