I don’t know about you but Spring has been rough. It’s probably the COVID fatigue mixed in with the yoyo of April in Montreal. But now that the curfew is after the sun goes down and we can feel the relief of summer I’m feeling energy flowing back.
This collection was the anti-depressants I needed to get through the last couple of weeks. I wanted to design things that were 100% undeniably happy. Every time we tried on the samples, Alex and I had big smiles on. We felt so pretty and I hope you feel the same.
We have two ultra-feminine instant Lustre hits. The Little Sparrow dress and the Splash of Light and Bedside outfit in the most beautiful prints. We also made a new comfy go-to Lustre skirt, Heartbeats, in another soft and flowy Italian deadstock fabric. At last, we refilled our black Bound by a Thread and black Starman (with the new curve that we introduced in December 2020).
Let’s start with everyone’s new statement Lustre summer dress. (Well, 14 of you cause that’s all the fabric we have and can not get any more of this Italian deadstock Viscose polka dot.) I say this because you can’t tell from the photos that the belt, the lining, and the inside of the ruffle are in the same material but with much larger polka dots. I actually picked these up early fall 2020--if you find a fabric you love in deadstock, you got to grab the roll right away. (I try not to do that too much anymore to keep my fabric hoarding in check.) The bust is the same as the Graceland or Amazing Grace. The body is slightly closer in the hips but still very comfortable with a beautiful tulip hem weighted down with the ruffle for a perfect drape. If you want more coverage just go up a size because you can always have a larger overlap.
Splash of Light & Bedside
This floral cotton is the softest and drapiest cotton I’ve ever felt. (If it didn’t have the original tags, I wouldn’t have believed that it’s not a blend.) It barely wrinkles, the hand (or the feel) is fabulous, and it has a lustre to it. Originally, I designed a dress with it and was so excited, but once I started sewing my reaction was Ewww, I don’t know, and it ended up looking so matronly. Back to the drawing board. All night I was thinking of what to do, had lots of ideas, and finally--in the shower--saw this outfit. I told Alex and the rest is history. It was meant to be the Splash of Light with the Bedside, like the leopard we did last year.
I knew I wanted to bring back this outfit that looks like the perfect little romper. I see this look with some wedges for a garden wedding or sneakers for a walk to the farmers’ market. You can break it up in so many ways. Wear the shorts with a Starman, Cecilia, or even Bound by Thread or oversized sweatshirt. Wear the shirt with a cocktail skirt, the Modern Age, the Born Free… you get it, right?
Heartbeats
I had these two strong looks and wanted to add a new classic. Feeling as though we hadn’t done a skirt in a while, I started sampling this one with fabric we had around the studio. (Both Alex and I loved the style, but it wasn’t quite right--I didn’t have the right fabric.) It has everything a Lustre skirt has in fit and tailoring, but the elastic back is super flexible for our monthly fluctuations. I went back to the supplier and ding ding ding found the same quality cotton as the floral in the perfect versatile colour buried under some polyester. Yet again, we sampled it and Alex and I said, “Yup, this is a good one!”
For those who have been following us for a while, the base of this skirt is the Irresistible midi. The front has our signature darts that replace the bulkiness of box pleats plus flat front pockets. The length is a bit longer as I’m still loving everything ankle. The back is perfectly gathered into a thick band elastic and the hem is a bit fuller but thanks to this amazing cotton it feels so effortless.
Wear it with white sneakers, heels, loafers, or wedges and obviously with any top (boxy, cropped, fitted or blousy). This is a four-season piece for sure. Again, it’s a one-roll style (so, very limited quantities). That’s our love-hate relationship with deadstock.
I hope this collection gives you the endorphins I have been dreaming it will and know that we will all see each other soon!