Adam Lippes took a trip to Japan last December, visiting Tokyo and Kyoto, and staying at a ryokan in Shuzenji. He came back raving, as so many do, about “a culture continually in search of a higher form of perfection.” Travel has been informing his recent collections; a trip through Sicily was the starting point for his pre-fall outing, for resort it’s naturally Japan.

Pointing to the geometric mosaic print of a shirtdress in shades of navy, chocolate brown, gold, plum, and persimmon, Lippes namechecked Robert Motherwell’s Lyric Suite, a series of 600 ink paintings. Motherwell used rick paper, rather than traditional canvas, which gave the paintings their “delicate, translucent quality.” Japan’s influence on this collection was indeed subtle. The references were present if you looked for them, in the relaxed shape of balloon pants, say, which are a nod to construction workers’ uniforms, or the loose sleeves of wrap shirts, which are cut along the lines of a summery yukata. There was also a floral print inspired by a Meiji period lacquer box.

But you don’t have to be a Japanophile to take pleasure in these clothes, whether it’s the shine of a lacquered wool trench in a deep shade of burgundy or the brushed mohair of a boxy jacket. One wear of his “sweatsuits” in luxurious double-face merino knit and you’re never going back to standard issue cotton again. “It’s really sporty. Less dressy,” he said, riffling through the racks at a photoshoot. “We’re moving out of a sort of dress phase into separates—it feels right. A sheath dress is the easy thing to design and make, but she’s wanting more interesting shapes.”

That goes for evening, as much as day. The quilted silk and lurex of a bandeau top and slim line skirt felt nearly weightless, and a simple yet striking v-neck gown that glides over the body was cut with a single seam using a Japanese pattern-making technique. He pulled out a tank dress in a crinkly fabric made from silk and metal. “It’s a little bit pushed for me, not to be pressed,” he laughed, his own search for a higher form of perfection yielding an unexpected, captivating result.