Welcome to the summer of Staud.
“It’s the one season that has this undertone of optimism,” Sarah Staudinger said of her pre-fall assortment. Her collections continually exude feel-good vibes, but her latest offering did so in playful new ways.
For instance, the collection’s brown satin slipdress — it’s one that Staudinger herself wore to her New York City store opening in October and that ended up becoming the first look of the collection after colorful beads were added to its collar-like beach jewelry. The idea continued with allover bead, shell and resin embroideries on flirty styles (an elevated linen maxidress or cropped top covered in mother-of-pearl shells, styled with poplin suiting trousers), as the trims of cutout and strap accents on saturated monochrome dresses, and on the (removable) straps of sandals. There were also novelty leaf-shaped leather handbags, body-skimming crochet dresses, and plenty of holiday-worthy attire that added to the sweet summery attitude.
“It’s also the season that has to be able to take you everywhere and do everything: from beach vacation to work in the humid city to overload air-conditioned rooms to parties, and back again. So, we really approached this season as this ‘endless summer’ concept, but not necessarily through the idea that everything’s summery. It’s the season you can wear throughout the year, but it is transitional [and] allows you to do everything,” the designer added of the collection’s versatility in silhouette, easily packable fabrications and mix-and-match accessories.
In that vein, she offered a balance of transitional, but still warm-weather-friendly garments, like a crisp oversized men’s poplin shirt tucked into a compact, colorful knit jacquard skirt (said artful, seasonless print was repeated on a z-twill maxi halter dress) or a natural linen and burlap dress with corseting leather ties. The idea also applied to a sailor striped button-down with matching bikini top, mix-and-match textured suiting, cage-style leather bags with interchangeable inserts, and asymmetrical tunics with trousers.
“It’s very Staud, in that it’s artful, fun essentials,” she said.
