I recently stopped by the gorgeous Lower East Side showroom of Maryam
Nassir Zadeh—genius rep of several of my favorite labels, including
Vena Cava, Rachel Comey, and Bodkin—to check out the spring line of
Apiece Apart. It was fortuitous timing, as that very morning I had torn
apart my own closet trying to find a simple blouse to wear with a rare
spontaneous purchase (navy silk Jil Sander for Uniqlo trousers). The
clock ticking, and the pile on my bed growing higher by the second, I
couldn't find anything that worked and ended up throwing on one of my
boring black jumpers. Thing is, Apiece Apart was made with this very
quandry in mind: Starr Hout and Laura Cramer, both 31, ditched their
jobs in fashion last year to create a streamlined collection of clothes
that would interchangeably work as both individual pieces and outfits.
Hout—looking super chic in a long black silk skirt, blouse and blazer,
all from the collection—talked me through the line, for which the pair
drew inspiration from artists Ruth Root, Agnes Barley and David Hockney.
For spring there's an impressive array of silhouettes, veering from
va-va-voom (a bustier bodysuit) to more forgiving ones (palazzo pants)
and standards (boyfriend blazer, maxi dress). "We toyed with the
premise, 'If I had to wear one color all season, what would it be?'"
says Hout; this means the requisite black and taupe—plenty of that in
the pile atop my bed—along with dusty rose, tangerine, and a stunning
emerald green. With twenty-five silhouettes in three to four colors
each, and most pieces under $600, it's a concept with legs: one can pick
up a blazer and pleated short for fall, and plan on adding a blouse for
spring. The women swear that each season's colors will work well
against the previous ones.
For more information, see
apieceapart.com. The line is also sold at
Jumelle and Kick Pleat in New York.
For more information, see apieceapart.com. The line is also sold at
Jumelle and Kick Pleat in New York.
