Saturday 10.28.23
Happy Saturday!
WHAT’S ON:
The leaves finally begin to change in New York and our Fall collection has arrived! I’ve said many times here, every year you learn something new about every season - what works and what doesn’t. Fall is particularly challenging because everyone has a different idea of when and what it is… And I know for certain, similar to Holiday clothes, no one is purchasing new tweed jackets and under the knee wool skirts year over year, just like no one is purchasing dressy tartans year over year…. Don’t expect a MM Blackwatch collection in the coming weeks! ;)
So this year, it was really important for us to take a pulse on what you all wanted from October/November clothes… women have BIG opinions about fall style, and they don’t always necessarily relate to sales. But what we gathered (the beauty of an instagram Q&A!) was feedback I already had a hunch about… lighter weight fabrics for increasingly warmer seasons, easy silhouettes (Sylvie adjacent, let’s say), beautiful prints. There are plenty of places to get solid camel wool/cashmere blends of any variety.
So we put our heads down and worked to really change up everything about the process for Fall. It’s part of the reason I love having this fresh batch of web stock available just before our Fall launch. Our wear now web stock styles deliver the gutsier punch to the ease we can look forward to with our Fall styles.
I was also thrilled to debut two new prints - Palampore & Doge’s floral. When we were sourcing new base cloths this Summer for Fall at an expo, I also ran into an old print vendor I had worked with at Ralph from Paris. Where our team of artists usually paint characters on paper and manipulate them into repeats on photoshop, this team does it the old school French way. It’s truly an experience that makes this business worth it, and that doesn’t happen often.
They paint hundreds of original artworks on about 20”x36” paper, organized by theme, and you simply sit while they show you board after board of beautiful artwork. They are exclusively yours after purchase and the files are sent to be printed. I knew these two would be the perfect switch up for a gorgeous Fall collection, and when you receive the garments you’ll see how special the “hands” (the way they are painted) are. I’ve tried for years to get a great ikat in the mix, and Palampore is finally the one. The hand painted dots on Doge’s Floral have a charming nonchalance that makes me smile.
So we whipped these lovely prints up into a streamlined three styles (much, much harder than you think, trust me). I think of this collection not just as perfect clothes for “Fall”, but really for all the cool weather months, April included. People really don’t wear their true Spring clothes in March, except if that Easter Sunday falls in the month. And how perfect would Marcie or Piper be then? It’s a great investment in the cold weather wardrobe that I find people are less likely to buy in, say, February, but are perfect for wear-now at that time.
Piper is our first new top in over a year. I used to think for us to design a top it had to be a big statement, something only worn with trousers, etc. Not only did I hear that customers wanted something more wearable, I too found it difficult to navigate sleeves and linguine alle vongole. So we really wanted to conceive of something streamlined enough for everyday, able to tuck in or wear loose, but with some signature MM polish. I designed a gown for an event that ended up being cancelled that had a wing tip tuxedo shirt bodice that I loved and always had in the back of my head. I thought that was the perfect detail to add to this top. We made sure the stand was stiffly fused & the tips were seamed so it never falls. The perfect blend of everyday and special. And when I threw my favorite blazer on over Piper for the first time, I instantly felt sharp but comfortable. It’s perfect for carpool or your favorite indulgent dinner on the town.
Marcie is a new favorite and a standout for this preorder so far! I have been dying to do a really good short sleeve… I’m extremely picky about them. And it’s always great to do something that has lots of detail that is also extremely easy to wear. I’ve been waiting for the perfect next round for a drawstring waist. I saw this as a simple cinched waist initially, but knew it was a perfect extra detail to make Marcie easier to wear and a bit more special. We did a lot of work in fittings to ensure the shirring, ruffles, and shirt front were perfectly balanced - a dress that presents “effortless” to great effect, that is in fact quite considered.
Finally, Sabine simply speaks for herself in my opinion. Everyone loves a Sylvie shirtdress - easy, classic design for all day and night. Sabine is Sylvie’s exotic, wanderlust cousin. She’s a simplified silhouette, similar to our Lorena, with a full sleeve (with an easy elastic cuff), a small stand collar and a tunic-y V notch. And cut in our fabulous new PRINTABLE linen-silk (again, I’m thrilled to find a linen option we can print on), she’s an easy, breezy option that transports you to a far flung location in Palampore floral. To me, she’s a perfect dress when anyone comes around for a last minute catch up or cocktail, and you want to pull yourself together just enough.
I hope you agree, there’s something to love for everyone in our Fall collection, and let’s make this the best MM Fall yet!