Part of the fun of Zoom meetings is seeing the inside of people’s homes. As working relationships have turned virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic, meetings and appointments with colleagues and clients are now much more than a task on our calendars—they’re a window into someone’s personal life. This is something that really bodes well for designer Chelsea Hansford.
Simon Miller, the brand she helms, represents her ongoing love affair with L.A., where she lives and works and produces the line. On a Zoom call yesterday, Hansford showcased her resort collection “Casa,” the contents of which were neatly lined up on racks around the perimeter of a pool in the backyard of her mid-century Studio City abode. Wearing pieces from the lineup, Hansford walked through the collection barefoot and with ease, making sure not to disturb her bulldog Marcel who lounged in the sun on a white outdoor carpet amongst the array of new platform slides and thong mules.
Hansford has evolved Simon Miller into a brand that encapsulates everything she adores about Hollywood, both the old and new eras. This season’s tightly edited ready-to-wear includes a very cool 1970s-esque jungle wave print and a sleeveless turtleneck with groovy cutout circles at the bodice. Hansford has further developed the Simon Miller capsule collections, including the versatile rib knit separates and a new “Stretch” category featuring tight, square neck dresses and tops. She’s also been pursuing more vegan leather pieces, like patent versions in fuchsia and paper-bag styles in black.
Overall, Hansford seems to be most keenly focused on these capsule ideas, which is smart for a brand like this one. For Simon Miller, she has crafted her own lifestyle language, one anchored by its must-have accessories but built for a full, approachable wardrobe. The more versatile, wearable, and less novel the clothes, as in this resort collection, the better to bring home that finely tuned California cool-girl aesthetic.
