“In my head, I always have all these little places and things that I'm obsessed with and it's just a matter of figuring out when is the right time to use them. With the main seasons I like to bring. [the collection inspirations] Back to New York. We've been doing so much about nature, nature, nature that I wanted to mix it up a little. Thinking, 'What can I do to find nature in homes?'” said Lafayette 148 creative director Emily Smith during the brand's fall presentation, which attracted the likes of Beanie Feldstein, Claire Danes and Cory Michael Smith.
Smith added that one of those places she always loved was the Rockefeller Guest House, but she wasn't sure there was more to the story than a beautiful house. However, upon further investigation, she discovered that the woman who commissioned it was none other than Blanchette Rockefeller, a great patron and collector of American art. She ended up becoming the muse of Smith's season.
“It started with the architecture and the fact that it had this beautiful nature inside, but then we came up with the idea of a modern art collector and we built her a wardrobe,” Smith said between the wood-paneled walls and the High Line with mid-century modern furniture. Room at the Standard High Line hotel, which served as the ideal setting for the presentation of “The Collector's House” collection.
Smith's codes emphasized simplicity and modernity, with hints of references from the late '50s and early '60s. While Rockefeller would host donors and artists at the Rockefeller Guest House, Smith knows that today's home entertainment It requires softer, simpler versions of glamour, which she certainly delivered. Case in point: A matte mixed chrome paillette straight skirt, paired with a cashmere turtleneck with a split hem, was divine.
Elsewhere, architectural nods could be seen via a jacquard jacket and midi pencil skirt that showcased the plans of the guesthouse, while a clean, minimalist knit tunic with a high collar and yellow-hued taxi pants and a herringbone coat from “Madmen” recalled the era.
Additionally, fringed moments and “falling leaves on water” prints spoke to the house's interior Japanese pond with broad wood grain-inspired textures that amplified the appeal of the simple silhouettes. The motif was translated through a fantastic wood-grain fil coupe pant (with an angular cropped wool jacket that blends cool with cool); curly fabrics inspired by carob trees; a printed pleated lace skirt and a hand-sewn bugle beaded tree stump Black wool and silk dress.
Rich in textures and soft in mood, Smith's fall collection was a solid display from start to finish.
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