Lafayette 148 Pre-Fall 2019
Creative director Emily Smith’s formula for pre-fall was a little bit American southwest mixed with the work of light and space artist James Turrell, who is best known for the Roden Crater, a large-scale installation set inside a volcanic cinder cone in the Painted Desert region of Arizona. The result was a wide range of breezy silhouettes balancing a sense of ease with cool. Smith has been steering the brand in a younger direction the past few seasons, and this collection seemed to mark the full realization of those efforts.
References to the inspirations were light, and seen only through ombré, tie-dye and landscape prints in rich, earthy tones. A buttery camel leather coat with ombré effect displayed the collection’s sleek sensibility, while a gray leather jacket and skirt with the same dip-dye effect leaned more edgy and fun. Dresses were used as a canvas and featured abstract sand dunes and cloud prints — none of which read literal. An elegant chambray dress with obilike belt was the closest thing to Wild West fashion. She focused on silhouettes that lend themselves to easy summer dressing, including lounge-y and chic pajama sets, cotton wrap-front blouses and a great oversized travel scarf created by unraveling and reknitting dyed yarns, providing a sense of comfort women of any age can relate to.
Launch Gallery: Lafayette 148 Pre-Fall 2019
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