Maryam Nassir Zadeh has a knack for bringing out the aspirational side of a person with her Lower East Side oasis of a store and in-house line—and chic personal style to match. A certain kind of effortless, offbeat sophistication has become synonymous with her brand. Inspired by a handful of iconic beauties, she produced a Fall lineup for the woman a lot of us wouldn’t mind being. Indeed, it was one of the label’s most persuasive offerings to date.
Among Zadeh’s muses were Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Isabelle Adjani, and Lauren Hutton. Riffing on their respective
aesthetics—the spare, immaculate WASP, the heady Euro sophisticate, the playful all-American—she married those qualities with touches of the ’70s and ’80s. Fashion has embraced those decades full throttle, but Zadeh is taking a nicely understated tack. Woody Allen women, those of Interiors in particular, were another point of reference, lending the collection plenty in the way of lush neutrals. They came punctuated by a handful of luxe flourishes: luminous, metallic leathers, periwinkle faux fur, and even orchid-hued astrakhan. Print is a new frontier that Zadeh is charting to winning results, with an abstract leaf pattern and big, sweetly off-kilter polka dots.
The designer’s deconstructed denim, which made its debut last season, has multiplied. Here there was a terrific pencil skirt, as well as patched 501-style pairs of jeans destined to be popular. They’ll pair equally well with Zadeh’s Victorian-inspired organza tops or a ladylike, tie-neck blouse in acid green.
