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Cheers to the weekend! This week we are inspired by the bright colors of the Resort 2016 collections. What better way to celebrate the end of the week then having a delectable berry dreamsicle? It’s the perfect blend of Belvedere Berry Vodka, raspberry sorbet, yogurt and Combier.
This story was originally posted on the Neiman Marcus blog.
Pieces that endure the test of time and transition seamlessly from morning meetings to evening cocktails are a homerun that only a few designers manage to achieve. Adam Lippes knocks it out of the park. Though his brand in only two years old, Lippes is a fashion industry veteran, having worked for both Polo Ralph Lauren and Oscar de la Renta—the latter for eight years, ultimately as creative director.
His eponymous collection carries no obvious reference to those iconic brands, but a sense of luxury stems from the garments’ construction and fabrics, which are beautiful from the inside out. An art collector himself (there’s a Motherwell in his Greenwich Village apartment and a Dash Snow in his Berkshires retreat), Lippes fills his work with artistic and cultural references. But the collection is effortlessly wearable—from a perfectly tailored pantsuit and sleeveless jacket to a minimalist, tassel-detailed racerback gown and statement-making coat fringed entirely in silk tassels. There’s no defined demographic to his clothes, as they are all about complementing the busy life of the modern woman.
We spoke to Lippes from his New York studio to learn more about his spring collection (now in stores and online) and how he envisions his namesake brand growing in the seasons to come.
Adam Lippes
NM: Tell us about your Spring 2015 collection.
AL: I’ve always really loved North African textiles and fabrics, and at an auction I found a Moroccan rug that has the most beautiful pattern on it. It led me to research more on North African textiles and the culture. We hand-drew the print from that original rug and used it on the striped, mixed-print long kaftan.
NM: Do you produce all your textiles in the U.S.?
AL: All of our fabrics come from France and Italy, and we sew everything in New York. Our embroidery is done in India.
NM: What’s your idea of a modern woman and how she gets dressed every morning?
AL: She works, she’s busy, she has a family, she wants to be dressed-up, and she wants to be refined, but she also wants to be comfortable. She really appreciates the finishing and the luxury of our fabrics, and she knows and really understands quality. From our collection, she’s buying pieces that she knows are relevant today, but also can take her forward.
NM: What did you learn from working at Oscar de la Renta and Ralph Lauren that you are carrying on with your own collection?
AL: I learned a lot from my past experiences, but what I really wanted to make sure to have here, is for the clothes to be very wearable and not at all “costume-y.”
NM: Tell us about the key pieces in your spring collection.AL: I love the kaftan. It’s a really easy piece. But there are a lot of easy pieces, so there’s a great ease in the collection. The flame-red color was really important to me, too, and so was the mix of the lace with the crepe, to create a very dressed-up but comfortable silhouette.
NM: What elements of spring are you translating into the Fall 2015 collection?
AL: Our silhouette stays very much the same. It’s a very soft silhouette, long and easy. A lot of the fabrics carry over from season to season. Satin-back crepe is a fabric that we use again and again.
NM: How would you describe your relationship with your clients?
AL: I do a lot of trunk shows, in fact, I was in one last week in Palm Beach. At least once a month I’m in the stores meeting customers, either for a trunk show or an event. Your best critics are always the customers, of course.
NM: How is your personality reflected in the collection?
AL: These are fun pieces, wearable pieces, but there’s nothing that screams out, and I think that’s very much the ethos of who I am as a person. To me, it’s important that you are in clothes that make you feel good and look good and are comfortable and beautiful. And by beautiful, I mean they fit perfectly, they are luxurious in the fabrics and the sewing. Those are qualities that I appreciate as a consumer, and I really want to give that back with the work that we do here.
NM: They are perfect to transition from day to night.
AL: I think that’s how people live. Even for me, I go to work and go to a dinner directly after work. I don’t go home to do a full change. And the same goes for the women I work with.
See this story on the Neiman Marcus blog.
We've never met a girl without several items on her fashion wish list, and we can all agree one of them is a bigger closet! When we found out Theresa Roemer was renovating her closet at her Houston-area home, we had to take a look inside. This entrepreneur, Mrs. Texas United America 2010, and fundraising gal loves to host champagne parties for charitable causes in her 3,000-square-foot closet. "There's no reason for me to have this amazing, gorgeous closet if I can’t do fundraisers in it, too, right?" says Roemer. A few weeks ago we sat down with Roemer to talk about clothes, handbags and shoes.
NM: How long does it take you to get ready every morning?
TR: It takes me about 45 minutes to get ready at any given time.
NM: What was the idea behind your closet?
TR: My closet is my dressing room, but more importantly, it's my retreat. I like to call it my "female man-cave."
NM: Walk us through this amazing space.
TR: I planned it the way I dress. With it being a three-story space, I have my furs and hats on the third floor, and my shoes, clothes and vanity on the second floor (which is also where I get my hair and makeup done, where the champagne bar is and where I ultimately think about the look I’m going for. And finally, the first floor is where I keep my jewelry and my handbags; those are the last pieces I put on to finalize any outfit.
NM: Do you have particular favorites in your closet?
TR: I have to say, my favorite designer handbags are Hermes. I have over 60 Birkins, even though I love Chanel, Fendi and Dior bags. As far as shoes, it always comes down to Christian Louboutin; I can’t get enough of them! I actually have a pair on right now.
NM: What about flat shoes?
TR: The only time you catch me in a flat is in my running shoes when I’m exercising. In the summertime, it’s always cute to put on a summer dress with a pair of flat Tory Burch shoes, but I’m a high-heels girl.
NM: What was your last purchase at NM?
TF: It was a red Tom Ford dress with zippers all around the back.
NM: Name some of your favorite brands.
TR: Definitely Hermes; it's timeless. And I love Donna Karan and Tom Ford - their clothes fit perfectly.
NM: Of all your shoes, which are your favorites?
TR: I love these Louboutin peep-toes and my Miu Miu sandals, because I love the idea of wearing 'jewels' on my feet. You can put on a black dress and these shoes, and you are set to go. I love how I feel when I’m wearing them.
NM: You have an amazing jewelry collection. Are these gifts from your husband, or do you buy your own jewelry?
TR: Oh, besides my wedding ring and special occasion pieces, I buy all of my jewelry.
NM: What is your most extravagant piece of jewelry?
TR: Antique ceremonial contract bracelets that were used for marriage ceremonies in the Indian culture. They belonged to my husband’s mother and were gifted to me by my father-in-law.
NM: Do you have a favorite scent, or do you mix fragrances?
TR: My personal fragrance would have to be Portrait of a Lady from Frederic Malle. I actually met him a while ago at a luncheon, and he sprayed the fragrance on me and said, “This is your perfume.” So that was it!
NM: Who, besides yourself, has access to the closet?
TR: My daughter always says that she doesn’t need to go to the store; she can just shop my closet! And of course I do let a few, very special friends borrow my Birkin bags.
Photographed by Chinh Phan.
See this story on the Neiman Marcus blog.
A look inside Suno's creative space
It’s not easy to define Suno, the brand founded by Max Osterweis in 2008, other than acknowledging that this is one of the most exciting brands to wear and follow in the U.S. Shortly after founding Suno, Osterweis joined forced with designer Erin Beatty. Together they took the brand from a collection based on Kenyan fabrics, making a statement about the “post-election violence in Kenya,” to one of the coolest, it-girl-must-have collections of sophisticated flowery prints and bold jacquards. As the brand expands into accessories, fabrics continue to be as important as the interesting silhouettes, which are already recognizable for their tomboy femininity.
It’s no surprise that after Suno arrived in select CUSP doors last season, we were thrilled to visit Osterweis and Beatty’s studio and see up-close where their creative process begins and what their work environment is made of. We were completely beguiled.
NM: We love Artistic Prints this spring. Does your design process start with fabric choices? Describe the design process.
SUNO: You never know where the initial inspiration for a collection will come from. Sometimes it’s a fabric, a print, a painting or a photograph. Wherever it comes from, we then have to meditate on who that girl is – how to make her feel individual for that season.
NM: Do you continue to source fabric from Kenya?
SUNO: No, though we still continue to find print inspirations from some African textiles – but then, rather than using basic cottons, we use them on unexpected fabrics and textures to make things more interesting.
Moodboard
NM: In your Spring 2014 collection it seems like your girl is as ready for an African Safari as much as the urban jungle. How would you describe Suno’s DNA?
SUNO: Our DNA comes from our first collection – consisting of 1,000 one-of-a-kind pieces made entirely of vintage kangas. From that we extracted mixed prints – and quickly evolved to incorporate different textures, fabrics and colors. Our most recent spring collection definitely felt like a return to Africa – but on a whole other level – with wild textures and mixtures, in addition to African-esque prints.
NM: How has the Suno girl evolved in the past few years?
SUNO: I think she’s a bit more sophisticated, while still playful.
NM: What are some Suno essentials for spring and summer?
SUNO: The oversized trousers, the Zebra Kanga Jacket, the cutout faux leather, and the Nicholas Kirkwood shoe collaboration!
NM: Do you have a favorite piece from the collection?
SUNO: Maybe the white pleated top with the printed cargo pant. It’s very hard to choose.
NM: What can we look forward to from Suno in the fall season?
SUNO: A modern gypsy girl. She’s a bit eclectic, a bit techno and still refined.
Photos by Laura Acosta
See the original story on the The Blog