Adam Lippes said he looked up ease on Thesaurus.com and was surprised to find its synonym was luxury. And also: peace, quiet, and a lack of difficulty. “I loved that,” he said. “I hope I’m able to translate that with these clothes.” He presented his Pre-Fall lineup in his sunny new NoMad studio, which is lined, unlike most such designer spaces, with antiques he handpicked himself. Multi-ply cashmere sweaters were stacked on a vanity in one corner, and others were neatly folded on a low-slung credenza.
Lippes has a great eye, and he brought it to bear on a collaboration with fashion’s go-to florist Miho. She designed a bouquet, and Lippes and co. photographed it and cut up the image to rescale the print. It appeared in micro form on a leather skirt that he spliced with lace, a style that’s been popular this week, and in macro form on a jacquard coat he threw over a silk-lined travel sweatsuit that was decadent and practical at once.
Come to think of it, that’s a good way to describe Lippes’s overall approach to sportswear pieces with a special touch. Take his undyed shearling coat. It’s decidedly not inconspicuous, but nothing would keep you warmer. Or the blouson jacket in a look-at-me tiger print that was actually cotton jacquard. So how’d he do on the peace, quiet, and lack of difficulty front? We’d say he’ll have very little trouble finding customers for these clothes.
