Skins

We’re feeling oddly aquatic lately, most likely because we’ve just received a true spring/summer delivery of…swimsuits. Those skimpiest members of the ready-to-wear category in all of their strappy, bandaged glory.

Being début, these would not be just swimsuits though. These are from one Lisa Marie Fernandez, a designer who surely believes that swimwear is as integral to a woman’s wardrobe as a little black dress. The aesthetic and execution is that meticulous. In fact, Fernandez’s pieces often walk off the beach and in for a drink.

The collection we’ve assumed is a tight edit of the classics, ranging from the playful, to stealth Bond girl-like. A scuba-inspired racerback in color-block black and yellow; a seamed spaghetti strap number in palm frond green; a bi-color triangle top in cool Hockney blue and khaki, and our favorites: the simplest zip front bandeau bikini and bodysuit, both in all black.

You’ll feel like a regular super hero regardless of which style. Don one, and it molds to you, creating an insta-perfect second skin.

 

We Are Golden

At début, we like to surprise everyone – even ourselves! And it happens frequently. Fashion is better seen first-hand, like 3-D movies in theaters. But, if you can’t make it to a runway, you can still dream up your seasonal wish lists. When the time comes, you’ll venture forth, expedition-like, and seek to lay your hands on the object of your magazine affections. And it will be shinier, and more perfectly-rendered than imagined.

This makes the new season’s receipts that much more anticipated – they aren’t just new, they are better than our original impressions. This is precisely the case with Esquivel. We knew Esquivel, with its twisted-traditional aesthetic and hand-made integrity would be a jewel of a collection for the store, but we didn’t know we would want to wear it NOW.

Clean-cut, sharply styled, just on the farthest border of androgyny – the shoes are true “kicks”. Only the softest, lightest leathers are employed, and the workmanship is evident and charming. It seems possible the shoes came to existence organically – as opposed to being pieced together in a studio.

Zeus flashes of gold trim oblong cutouts on a pale, caramel leather brogue boot. A lace and zip front toughens the exterior. Slick, jazz-age white patent oxfords are light as air with similar cutouts. Then our favorites: 24 karat gold metallic oxfords, with raw edged will give flight to your transitional wardrobe. Come summer, on Governor’s island, you’ll lie back, cross your ankles and your shoes will glow in the sun. How perfect.

Sense and Sensibility

Welcome back readers! We know you’ve just unpacked the old T. Anthony from your travels near and afar, but it’s time to gear up again. With the advent of a New Year, we have a new collection: Lost Property of London.

The collection of totes and carryalls is composed of recycled materials – namely, coffee bean sacks. Stay with us now – it’s not just another eco collection-cum-gimmick. The fabrics are light as air, and laundered to a high degree, rendering them silky to the touch. And there is something about the colors and remaining markings on the bags – “MERCANTA: The Coffee Hunters, May 2009” or “Cafés do Brasil” – that hint at important and exotic beginnings.

Lost Property Founder, Katy Bell, finds a story in each material and tags her designs with notes from the former incarnations, “I started life as a coffee sack, full of beans. Places to go, people to feed. But then I was empty, lost. And now? I am found. Transformed into a beautiful bag.”

This Velveteen Rabbit quality is one that appeals. The need to swoop these neat totes and duffels up is strong. And they are quite useful too. A flat messenger is backed and trimmed in soft, durable leather to lend stability and longevity. Top handles give it dual carriage potential. Cheerful red and white ticking cloth lines the interiors.

A jaunty back pack with leather straps will be a perfect springtime in Central Park compliment – pair with a lightweight Whit dress (coming soon), or bring it on your next voyage South.

The piece de resistance is a surprisingly oversized duffel. We laughed when we unpacked it – where would it go in the store? For the intrepid traveler though, it’s the only thing you need. People will wonder on what distant excursion you are embarking…a sensible and intriguing individual you will seem.