Every resort season, Apiece Apart’s Laura Cramer and Starr Hout say they view designing their assortment of easy, wearable pieces as a new “fashion challenge.” The task at hand? To create clothes that can not only work for the holidays, but also pieces that can be sported on vacation, or transition into the spring. “Our mantra is clothes you can wear at least once a week,” says Hout. “So it’s a good design challenge: What are clothes that you can wear during this time, but also in the spring-summer?” The focus, then, was not on innovating, but rather on creating hero items for any and every occasion.
The new collection includes both cold- and warm-weather staples. Inspired by a poll in which they asked friends and family what they enjoy wearing in November and December, they emphasized knitwear. A wool turtleneck, in a subtle waffle-stitch finish, was hefty without being too scratchy. They also experimented with autumnal separates like a washed chino jacket with oversized pockets, hunter-green leather pants, and new colors of their best-selling Meridian pant—which has a high-waisted, slight barrel shape to it—in a fresh, rusty red.
For the vacation wear, Cramer and Hout used more upbeat colors like zingy oranges and blues, and lightened up the fabrications. There were breezy, oversized striped shirts, and a cotton robe with two-toned stripes, but the standouts were the lightwear tops, skirts, and dresses with smocking; a long, sleeveless smock shift dress even had a graphic shibori print all over it. “It’s insanely packable,” said Cramer.
