The process, not just the outcome. Spring 26

I share it all here.

At the beginning of each new season, before any sketching commences, I start scribbling an outpouring of thoughts. I do this hoping I’ll be able to move above it all and see the bigger picture being formed. It’s a necessary first step, it’s what ultimately gets Traci and I moving on the same path. In my head I have an ongoing conversation - it’s lively and sometimes heated - this is always so tangled until I can lay it out and make sense of it all. And here, I lay it out for you - my notes and the unfolding process for the Spring ’26 Collection.

Traci,

I…..am craving beauty and elegance, Capote’s Swans are on my mind…

But, that’s entirely impractical to my life…yet, all the same it’s there….

I….am seeking the (itch, uncomfortableness, doubt???) I feel when new ideas are forming, that friction that keeps me alert and alive….

But I need to feel grounded, change is happening around us warp speed, I need time to move just a bit slower, yet

I……want to explore new techniques, new technology….

But I crave to see the human in everything and I find I’m deeply skeptical of anything overly fantastical…at the same time,

I……know it is important to be thoughtful and concerned…

But yet I’m still human and need light and beauty to thrive and be content.

It’s through this discourse in my head and on paper that the creative direction for the collection starts to take root, come to life. It’s not about one idea winning out or diluting the conflicting thoughts to one sentiment that embraces all, but satisfies none. Rather, we work to find the commonalities within the thoughts and apply them to our creations in a way that is both creative and pragmatic, embracing seemingly contrasting ideas like grit and elegance all at once.

Ultimately it’s the combination of materials, design, and colors that will work together to convey exactly how we’re feeling – or how we want to feel. They’re deeply connected to one another. We traveled to Milan to find the fabrics that would help us express these sentiments, like textiles with unsettling textures or creases that convey loved and worn. Even splattering techniques that result in unpredictability from one style to the next. How boring to be so predictable. We discovered luxury cottons that may seem even a bit dirty at first glance - but when the wearer moves and light hits the expert weave, it projects richness and depth. Silky fabrications that appear delicate but are all together sturdy and made for the lives we live.

Sketching for Traci comes after combining references from vintage fishing hoops and, oddly, but not in hindsight, German artist Ursula Sax’s dance sculptures from Geometric Ballet. The ballet depicted a merging of sculpture, space, motion and music with each of the graphic shapes changing depending on the viewer’s perspective. The ballet was the literal embodiment of bringing together contrarian thoughts into something wholly new and inspiring. Using this as a jumping off point, Traci challenged herself to create a collection that would be experimental in concept but altogether wearable in execution.

While Traci obsesses on draping and tailoring, I work out my vision for color. I created a palate that would feel grounded and stable but still beautifully optimistic and modern. I don’t go looking for it, it often finds me. Movies are a common source of this, maybe just simply because I watch a lot of movies. The Brutalist grabbed me immediately. I end up having to watch a movie two times, first to focus solely on the film and the second time to absorb it and how the color worked together for context. This is where I have my iphone out snapping scene after scene. Ranges of green with luminous undertones of yellow, warm browns, opulent greys and tawny olives work with pinks, blues and vibrant lime in a way one can’t describe as “simply color contrasting”. Yes, mix soft blue with brown and you have happy and grounded. It’s an easy recipe, but not nearly as satisfying than when tones can read simple but are deeply complex and exactly right. That’s where the laborious task of dipping and redipping shades is all worth the outcome: distinct colors that work together to form something altogether new and whole.

We applied this same idea to styling the collection. The delicate sandal made sturdy and conceptual with an elongated asymmetrical welt. The hoops that seem at first glance impractical, but we know that to sit, walk and live in them tells a different story. Or the rounded curves of the sleeve of a refined jacket in luxurious Italian tailoring that feel right at home with a selvedge jean so sharply fitted you could believe the ease was simply accidental.

So here’s the thing about the collection. I love it, so does Traci, so does Sarah. Some pieces will hit you right away, and others may take their time warming their way in to your wardrobe. And that’s ok, we’re in no rush. You’ll find as you browse the new pieces that each one embodies the mood and thought I’ve described here. The concept of elegance is so enticing but the reality is there’s a tremendous amount of grit behind its execution. As is much in life, there is little great that is absent of strain.

And this is where we find contentment.