Welcome back to the Summer of Staud.
“We always pick a destination or start with something like that and we invented our own imaginary seaside town that merges ’90s East Coast prep with nostalgic romance from the ’60s or ’70s European seaside villages,” Sarah Staudinger said during a preview of her pre-fall lineup.
Staudinger said stripes were her hero roadmap print of the collection, as seen through nautical seaside; clean, prepster Breton, and green Bayadere stripes, while pre-styled silhouette details (rolled sleeves, knots, built-in belts and menswear-shirt-bodysuits were sewn as pictured) added to the idea of relaxed femininity.
A yarn-dyed pinstripe knotted shirt with neoprene swim bottom and snail-shaped rattan bucket bag and a sleeveless, V-neck Bayadere striped knit with navy shorts and new flat-back minibag encapsulated the idea, and introduced the brand’s first offering of hats, which were adorable. It also signaled the anticipated the return of Staudinger’s swim collection, which the designer said she kept front of mind when designing pre-fall, as to offer ample cover-ups, like the black cover-up miniskirt with a strong rope and leather beach bag, slides and shirting bodysuit.
In that vein, there were breezy feminine dresses in poplin, gauze, cotton voile (with or without pre-styled details); monochrome cable-knits (jumpers and haltered tanks) for summer layering; nylon maxiskirts, and a smattering of tailoring (great in bright red) and shirt dressing.
She added the collection captures the essence of her brand’s DNA — her signature knack for mixing modern with natural; old with new, and balancing the “sweet spot between the familiar and completely unexpected.” For instance, a pleated crop top with a full skirt made out of chino; a sculptural, draped white gown in poplin, or a sweet and airy pintucked cotton voile frock with delicate shoulder straps (paired with a rattan tackle box bag with leather handle).
Novelty, a Staud signature, was subtly peppered in throughout, as seen in a standout hand-crocheted doily ivory gown with open back or sage green linen set with mother-of-pearl shell embroideries while accessories kept the looks feeling grounded via flats (netted and mesh ballets and sandals, hybrid loafer driving shoes, a stellar pair of raffia crochet mules) and new bag shapes.
