Stacey Bendet's Alice + Olivia collections and her entire presentations tend to start with a theme or story. Spring's was a timely ode to Truman Capote's The Swans ahead of the launch of the hit new series, “Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans”; Previous seasons intertwined the works of celebrated artists focused on pop culture, leading to her fall inspiration: American artist Tom Wesselmann.
“He is considered the 'father of pop art'. After Basquiat and Keith Haring [collaborations]the Wesselmann heirs came to us and asked if we would do something,” Bendet said of the Alice + Olivia x Tom Wesselmann collaboration during a preview, noting that the Louis Vuitton Foundation will open a retrospective exhibition dedicated to the artist later this year.
Inspired by the artist's works in all media (collage, painting, drawing, sculpture), Bendet named his collection and corresponding presentation “Art Core”, to showcase the intersection of art and fashion.
The presentation transitioned from a large-scale, highly decorated vignette, beginning with Bendet's own pop art-minded, beaded, embellished “Stace Face” draped over a jacquard skirt; matching sweatshirt and two colorful, collaged and embellished looks within her abstract art supplies set. The other rooms displayed the art of fashion (large fabric walls adorned with bows); AI (clouds and glitter); sculpture (a moss-covered garden); floral (extended walls with prints from collections); graffiti (by artist Dirt Cobain); photography (90s collage walls) and of course Wesselmann's American pop art.
The overall fashion vibe was a continuation of the 60s influenced youthful spring look (both mod and chic) with a contemporary twist. Bendet checked all her signature boxes with little knit ensembles of tweedy and bouclé; a “Twiggy vibe” faux fur coat; Feminine jackets galore (designed in new, rock 'n' roll-embellished denim or new polished double-pleated pants, and plenty of chic capes, slouchy coats (very fun with ombré sequins), party dresses, and feminine dresses with distinctive pearls . , bows, sequins, crystals, colors and Pop Art flowers. Her collaborative designs with Wasselmann's “Limitless”, “Still Life” and “Natural Beauty” paintings were presented as colorful prints based on form-fitting black dresses that They will undoubtedly be a success.
As always, there was something for everyone in a collection that ranged from jumpsuits, as seen on the Brooks Baldwin model in a voluminous tiered, bow-embellished floor-length skirt, to sleek, '60s-minded bodycon knit dresses in monochromatic tones.
