“It’s time to get dressed!” designer Nili Lotan said over Zoom, adding that her latest collections (especially spring), have been rooted in offering her customers the “utmost luxury” through quality, fabrication and silhouette. She explained that her business sits in between the contemporary and luxury markets.
“I’m shooting as high as I can, and positioning right below that utmost luxury, but still maintaining my client,” she explained. “Most likely she’s wearing my clothes, and holding a Celine bag — until I make my own. I really want to bring her as high as I can, so I started with suits. I want to see women walking around in suits on the street. Not necessarily complete suits — it can be separates: a jacket, blazer, beautiful silk blouse, shorts.…All configurations of suits, but looking elegant and classy. I’ve always been using luxe Italian fabrics, but I put more emphasis on suits.”
The look: Spring was a reflection of Lotan’s luxe styles with an ultra-chic, yet approachable feel.
Quote of note: “There’s something in fashion that seems to be changing to more minimalism, more oversized these days. I’m still doing things that are super eclectic. When I started my business in 2003, 2004, that was the mood, and so I was very minimal and simplistic. Since about 2018, I started to be a little bit more [about] embroidery, eclectic, bohemian and rock ‘n’ roll. Now there’s a mood of going back, so I’m injecting it in, because it is true to me.”
Key pieces: Suiting was the main message of the season, in black and white (as well as a great dark denim style). New matte jersey sexy fitted tops (or singular body-hugging dresses) and direct-to-consumer debut leather footwear; tight-ribbed and knit tops; a little beige boxy tweed jacket. Also, a selection of luxe pieces with Israeli-inspired gilded hand embroideries (a velvet-base vest and boxy jacket or stellar tunic), which the designer will likely produce in limited quantities.
The takeaway: Spring reexplores the joys of dressing up in a polished, cool demeanor.
By: emily mercer
