Sharply tailored clothing has often been described by those in the industry as “architectural,” but Lutz & Patmos designers Tina Lutz and Marcia Patmos have taken the term to a new level with their latest collaboration. Known for enlisting nondesigners such as Julianne Moore, Liv Tyler and Sofia Coppola to create cashmere pieces for their collection, the New York duo this time turned to starchitect Richard Meier for input. “What we really love about his architecture is that it’s similar to our line,” Lutz said. “It’s clean and not fuzzy or tricky.”
With the help of his 27-year-old daughter, Ana, who happens to be a designer, Meier set out to replace the blazer he normally wears with a soft cardigan. The result: a buttonless, V-neck cashmere and cotton cardigan for men, priced at $575, and a women’s version with a self-tie belt, for $595. “We wanted very simple lines and a very contemporary feeling,” Meier said. “You can wear it as a jacket or as a sweater, or with a shirt or T-shirt. It could be formal or informal.”
The cardigans, in stores in January, are available in black, gray and white. Ten dollars from each sale will go to Architecture for Humanity, a nonprofit organization through which architects donate their services to needy communities.
Meier particularly enjoyed the speed with which his sartorial vision was turned into reality. “I just had a building open in Germany that took 20 years,” he said. “This was 20 days. It’s a lot simpler.”
