Fashion, Fantasy, Heroines & Love

Somewhere in the midst of February there is a turning point of what we have to wear and what we want to wear. It's safe to say the fashion business will always keep you on your toes. While boutique owners are shedding the last of their fall and winter inventory in order to make room for spring deliveries, designers are showing their collections at the various Fashion Weeks (New York ends Friday, London runs February 16-20, and then Milan, February 21-27).After the shows, the collections come back to New York for Coterie so owners and buyers can place orders and start this process all over again. In a time where we are encouraged to “stay in the moment” and “live in the now,” the fashion industry is always pressing us to anticipate the future. The fashion calendar year can leave you feeling as though you are in the folds of a tesseract, a fourth dimension, or...a wrinkle in time. I grew up here in Alexandria in, I’ve come to realize, a somewhat progressive household. My father is an avid reader and has a passion for movies as well. While I credit both my parents for steering me toward female role models, having a father with the insight to guide his daughter toward heroines in literature and film was quite the secret sauce. Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Charlotte’s Web, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, and The Secret Garden are just a few of my favorite books and movies from childhood and each of these story’s primary protagonist is female.He also took me to see Star Wars -- albeit begrudgingly -- where I quickly picked up on Princess Leia's ability to capture the attention of Luke and Han. How lucky I was to have been exposed at an early age to these fantastical tales where intelligent, fearless women were the masters of their own destiny. The seeds of creation were not only planted in my mind but the possibilities were perceived as limitless for my female heroines.When TSALT was first exploring the idea of a retail space, Alice + Olivia came up during meetings as a brand to consider for the designer offerings. Stacey Bendet is the mastermind behind the brand. Her inspiration for the collection was quite simple: a love of music, art, culture, and vintage fashion…and also inspired by the women around her.In an article with Whitewall last fall, she was asked about the inspiration for her Spring/Summer 2018 Collection: 

• WHITEWALL: Tell us about your new Spring/Summer 2018 collection. What was the starting point? Any particular sources of inspiration?

• STACEY BENDET: It is colorful and full of prints and whimsy! The collection was inspired by the iconic Chelsea Hotel. The clothes have the spirit of both the artists that lived there and the hotel interiors.

  

• WHITEWALL: Do you think women do enough to support other women in the workplace? Why or why not?

• BENDET: As a female CEO I want to create an environment where women can be empowered and inspired. I try to lead by example to show women that supporting each other is the best way to be successful. As a mother of three girls, I want the next generation to never have to think twice about gender equality.

 

Levon Feminist Skirt, $440

 The fit felt unequivocally perfect for TSALT. Tamara’s collection is one inspired by vintage clothing with the desire to fill a need she saw in the community. While it was not my initial intention to tie the introduction of the SS18 Alice + Olivia collection to A Wrinkle in Time, the whimsy and fantasy of every A + O collection, with their vibrant color and pattern, echo the spirit of my childhood heroines.  No surprise, Stacey is married to Eric Eisner, the son of Disney executive Michael Eisner. It’s no wonder these two were destined to live a fairy tale love story. They were married in 2008 on the island of Anguilla (my second favorite island!) and have three daughters, Eloise, Scarlet and Athena. A Wrinkle in Time is set to be released -- by Walt Disney Pictures -- on March 9th. 

Click on any of the images to shop the look:

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