Adam Lippes jetted off to Houston this afternoon to celebrate the launch of his first-ever tabletop collection. His entry into homeware is the capstone of a year that saw him expand his ready-to-wear distribution and move into a larger studio and office space. He said he’s planning his first runway show for February. Things are rosy chez Lippes—which isn’t the case for a lot of American designers of his generation.
Pre-fall should keep his business growing at a nice clip. Lippes spends a lot of time with his customers—he made 20 trunk show visits with his spring 2020 collection—so he’s got a handle on what they like and the practical touches that make a piece work. One of those practical touches is the smocked bodices that hold off-the-shoulder tops and dresses in place without resorting to heavy, uncomfortable corsetry. As for what they really like, he reports that clients have begun collecting the floral prints he makes in collaboration with his go-to florist, Putnam & Putnam. This season it’s a print of a handheld bouquet of anemones. But Lippes also believes in novelty and whimsy—he knows they can make a sale as well. The most charming details here were the delicate white lace butterfly collars that snap on and off his cashmere crewnecks. The napkin embroidery that decorated many pieces, from the waist of high-waist Japanese denim pants to the hem of a midi-length khaki dress, suggests there’s plenty more he could do in the homeware category too. For entertaining at home he designed the prettiest hostess dress, an organza cloud with a big bow in back and smocking on the short sleeves in Colgate green.
