The serenity of Lauren Manoogian’s mostly cream-colored fall collection belied any turmoil or sense of toil—which was a labor-intensive feat in itself. Behind-the-scenes Manoogian and Chris Fireoved had been working non-stop on the collection while simultaneously applying the elbow-grease renovating their not-yet-opened boutique on Broome Street, where they shot the look book, on actual film. This brand takes a slow-and-steady. An example of this was the new-for-the-season diamond quilted double knit that was developed over the course of a year. The material, which looks puckered from a distance, takes its texture from an alpaca/mohair mix on the exterior; cotton is used on the inner one.
“I was working on a lot of stitches that reference quilting or are dimensional. Everything’s padded and quilted, I just want to be hugged and soft,” Manoogian said. She made use of ottoman stitches to create a ridge effect, and added sleeve-like ties to light separates that gently draped as well as allow customization. Wearing the sleeves wrapped, noted Fireoved, captures the gesture of putting the sweater around your shoulders. This piece, and its styling, were also in line with the swaddling we’ve been seeing so far this season. Embracing curves softly was a hand knit peplum sweater, stitched to emphasize the waist.
Also new, and quite unexpected, was Manoogian’s use of a grunge-y plaid; a skirt in the pattern was cleverly cut like shirt tails giving it an easy Nevermind look. This was a roll-up your sleeves moment for the brand and Manoogian, who has been wearing painter pants, decided to create her own “abstract” version. A silver printed brushed wool car coat that resembled metal appliances or peeling paint also connected back to the construction of the store in the subtlest of ways. Despite the newness, the collection included many foundational looks that customers keep coming back for. “We really wanted to feature those pieces that sort of made it all happen,” said Fireoved. Success breeds success.
