Mixing and matching is key to a graceful transition from your summer to fall wardrobes, and luxury designer Stacey Bendet of Alice + Olivia knows how to do it right. For the brand’s Pre-Fall 2012 collection, Bendet provides us with pieces that will help in the progression from the warm to colder months— which nobody said had to be boring. This line, inspired by the Parisian gamine in a Café de Flore, is complete with modern-vintage separates that are playfully bold and will make your wardrobe transformation both fun and stylish.
Alice + Olivia was created in 2002 after the company’s designer, a denim diva, couldn’t find the perfect pair of pants that both fit correctly and were unique. Stacey Bendet made a name for her new line by wearing black and white striped bell bottoms from her first collection while rollerblading through New York City— the same pair of pants, in fact, that are now a symbolic piece of the Alice + Olivia brand.
The line was an instant hit upon its launch at Barneys New York because of the interesting fabrics, ultra-flattering fits and stylish retro vibe that Bendet channels in her fashions. Over the years, Bendet’s business grew, and with it, a full women’s line, as well as additions of menswear, children’s clothes, shoes, and even a yoga line. But throughout the large expansion of her business, Alice + Olivia’s collections have stayed true to the original style that garnered it so much support at its beginning.
Alice + Olivia’s Pre-Fall collection consists of pieces clearly inspired by effortless Parisian class, a theme that will never get old in the fashion world. Emphasized waistlines, slim-fitting skirts, touches of fur, and even berets make an appearance in this collection, but Bendet takes the classic idea a bit further by incorporating what seems like a montage of the romantic city’s fashion through the decades. Retro floral corduroy pieces, seventies trouser silhouettes, and graphic sweater dresses stay true to Alice + Olivia’s modern-vintage feel and are perhaps the focus points of this line.
To view the full collection, visit AliceandOlivia.com.
