reed krakoff has worked wonders for coach, taking the label from the bags your mom (or grandmother) would be most likely to have to a multi-billion dollar brand selling not only bags but also jewelry, shoes, accessories and clothing. now coach is investing in krakoff as he looks to launch his own lifestyle line. the brand, which is being positioned as a designer (read: expensive) label, will soon have its first store at 831 madison between 69th and 70th coming in august as well as an eventual e-commerce site.
krakoff’s background reads like a who’s who of american designers (anne klein with narciso rodriguez, ralph lauren and tommy hilfiger), so it’s no wonder that for his namesake line his inspiration was american sportswear. the architecture, design and art lover said to vogue.com that the goal was to “re-embrace design that is unmistakably American,” through textures and utilitarian details.
the collection a bit of everything: chunky knit sweaters, shearling coats, long velvet palazzo pants, leather cargo skirts, wool alpaca military coats, and thin silk wool tops. the lusciousness came in the form of long leather or suede wrap skirts, fur lace up ponchos, long leather gloves, and fur platform ankle strap sandals. the color palette of black, charcoal, ivory, navy, camel and olive complemented the clothing in a simple yet sophisticated way. for a brand starting from floor 1, this was a great introduction and i’m already a fan and waiting to see what will come the next time out.
pics from nymag.com
