In Deveaux’s new look book the model wears creative director Tommy Ton’s rubber Tevas. The point, Ton said, was as much about endorsing comfort as it was embracing uncertainty. The pandemic has been challenging on independent brands. Ton and Andrea Tsao, Deveaux’s designer, have managed by being responsive to customer feedback and getting behind the notion of simplicity. “That’s the lifestyle we want to live, Ton said over Zoom. “We didn’t want anything too over-the-top.”
A cropped cardigan, for example, has been cut with a half camisole attached because Ton and Tsao discovered that their client prefers not to expose her midriff. The Deveaux woman also likes a two-in-one, so they designed a double-layer dress featuring a floral slip over a black shift that can actually be worn three ways. Ton said he worked hard on getting the cut and fit right on the collection’s straight-leg white jeans and the cool results reflected that effort.
Tsao is expecting her first child, so her wardrobe requirements are newly specific. You’ll notice several cotton popover tops that can accommodate a pregnancy while still communicating that the woman who wears them likes fashion. That juxtaposition is what made this collection feel timely. It was stylish, but rather effortlessly so; clothes shouldn’t be hard work in this moment.
