Earlier this year I was looking for something to awaken me creatively. I usually get inspired through travel and meeting new people and neither were happening. I needed a new reason to paint and serendipitously discovered the work of Brooklyn artist Ammon Rost. His pieces energized me. He used colors together that you'd never seen combined. Sunshine yellows were next to deep terracotta brown and mint and ochre were painted on a vibrant pink canvas. He painted with a confidence and looseness that felt naive and refreshing. Heavy layers of acrylic next to slick oil stick gestures felt free, exactly how I wanted to feel. I asked to visit his studio and brought our design team; we were in disbelief to see him working on an empty floor of a commercial office tower across from IWTC. Something felt so special to see an artist feeling inspired in the middle of an abandoned and fairly desolate area of NYC, ironically surrounded by the most incredible views of the city. He was alone working and was pouring himself into large scale, expressive pieces. I felt like him, disconnected from the world that usually inspires you and needing to turn inward to find a creative spirit. Through our Spring collection, I wanted to repurpose New York City spaces into creative spaces and look at color, fashion and the city with a fresh eye.

The collection was built around unexpected beauty. We imagined a girl standing in an art studio; layered, creative and a bit sporty. Color combinations bring new energy; kelly green next to neutral tones of sage and rose, craspedia yellows refresh crisp whites while mint, crimson and turquoise add surprise. Combinations of embroidery on rugby jersey. sequins splattered on peached cotton, oversized eyelet on menswear shirting all tell a story of repurposing. I used powder chalks for the first time to create hyper colored florals seen in threadwork, compact knit jacquards and crisp poplin dresses. Feeling the freedom to create with new materials back in our NYC studio brought life to our design process. We felt more creative than ever and there was a freedom we were seeing in our city, life and work start to emerge. Our team collaged mixed materials into embroideries and hand drawn prints that feel detailed with hidden shapes and pops of color. Knitwear, crepes and linens are cleaner, proportions more pushed, more skin bared and volumes exaggerated. Our femininity is modern, artful and liberating. This collection aims to energize our city, our original source of inspiration.