For the past two years, Lafayette 148 has been building its partnership with the nonprofit Save Venice by sponsoring the conservation of the early 18th century painting “Madonna in Prayer” by artist Giulia Lama.
Coming full circle with the painting set to return to the Venice church in July, the restoration became the starting point for creative director Emily Smith's resort collection.
“We go on a journey of celebration of painting itself; the time in which it was painted, which is the baroque period; the place, which is Venice; the painting process and the painter herself,” Smith said during a preview.
The result was an exclusive collection driven by craftsmanship and art that subtly transformed its inspirations into a line with thoughtful, referential details and capsule-like groupings.
Paying homage to the painting, as well as the city of Venice, was Smith's overall warm palette and rich textures, such as head-to-toe burnt sienna and copper-toned looks in cashmere, merino or leather; a deep malachite green lambskin trench coat and wide-leg trousers, or a stellar Venetian blue-green “Laguna” draped pleated dress. The dress also alluded to the idea of the deep brush strokes of oil paint, which were then seen through the collection's textural painter's palette print, which mimicked the idea of spreading paints with a palette knife (taken from a work hand-painted painting that took “about three weeks to dry,” Smith added.)
Also nodding to the painter's process were a pair of limited-edition ecru jeans and canvas and leather L-Tote bags with “palette effect” splatters, hand-painted in Los Angeles. The duo was paired with a fresh take on the brand's signature white shirt, similar to the embroidered style actress Emma Stone recently wore in Cannes, featuring an elongated, slouchy silhouette, high collar, and front and back buttons.
To top it off with baroque inspirations, Smith highlighted pearlescent trim, trim, and real pearl buttons, as seen hand-glued to the pleats of an elegant white straight shirt and matching midi skirt. He continued to balance the era's decadence with restraint through metallic skirts inspired by Venetian mirrors (a matching silk-blend fleur-de-lis jacquard vest and skirt); Simple, portrait-inspired lattice details (on a black handmade macramé fringed dress), or countless elegant black and white layers in outerwear, cocktails and suiting.
“It was fun to take something so over the top and turn it into our version. It’s inspired but not literal,” Smith said. “Our wife wants to be taken seriously and she doesn't want to look crazy. We say that she cannot wear her clothes, she is wearing them.”
