Lafayette 148
we had gotten much more into a transitional buy now, wear now, but we wanted to go more with the luxury cadence and have a true precollection,” Lafayette 148's Emily Smith explained during the brand's pre-fall collection appointment. As the brand's ready-to-wear and accessories continue to evolve with luxe, modernist appeal under the creative direction of Smith, so, too, do its look book imagery and collection positioning.
“It was important to think about that time period — products that can live and be a prequel to what will come for fall, live on
Cross-seasonal wardrobing with fresh pops of color and a juxtaposition on playful femininity and boyish tailoring with a 1990s undercurrent.
“It's a little bit of layering and things that can be mixed and matched — fibers and materials tend to be more cotton-based or transitional weight so they're appropriate for that time period, and also coloring is also transitional with pops that work for that time period,”
Smith noted, adding, “Getting into styling, proportion and silhouette, I'm always a fan of the ‘90s. These minimalist silhouettes and simple shapes, but done with a continuation of our workwear kind of detailing that we did for spring.”
1990s-inspired polished yet playful daywear: a shrunken, boxy lavender blazer with copper dust-toned turtleneck and cropped red miniskirt (complete with new tassel loafers and chunky socks); knit dressing (a ballerinainspired dress with scoop-back, openneck or cool retro football jersey-inspired silk yarn jumper); long skirts and easy slipdress (with stellar lug-sole Chelsea boots and colorful integral ribbed cashmere pops); a signature button-up, with slightly oversized proportions in a fresh green hue. Also, men's wear-inspired sharp, youthful tailoring, true outerwear (waterproof trenchcoats, a fall-forward cashmere cape with fringe and signature leather trim) and a few novel, artisanal and workwear-inspired pieces that brought forth the brand's continual references from its Navy Yard headquarters.