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Lafayette 148 New York previewed their Fall line last night in the cool surroundings of the company's showroom in Chinatown. The collection's designer, Edward Wilkerson, a CFDA member since 2004, said that the collection was "a modern translation of my recent passage to India" and pointed out the rich reds and purples that pop brightly in an otherwise conservative line of neutral office-wear, elegant outerwear and some luxe fur accessories.
Wilkerson also mentioned his need as a designer to appeal to the women who buy and love Lafayette 148 New York the most — in this case, the fashionable women of warmer cities like Dallas, Atlanta and Houston. These women are always looking for something they can wear to the office which stays on the sensible side of the fashion spectrum, as the designer explained, while still retaining some more individual or exotic attributes. This comes through in the collection's details: leather panelling on trousers and dresses, grosgrain trim or a ruffled collar on the company's signature white shirts, brightly-colored boucle jackets and matching skirts, sari-style dresses, real fur trims and collars and embellished accessories throughout. The white shirts in particular are a huge seller for Lafayette 148 New York, and this time would be available in a variety of cuts and styles, with both regular and sleeveless options.
Much of the line comes in both petite and plus-size and will be available at Nordstrom, Lord and Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bloomingdalesthis fall. —Ana Kinsella
— Lafayette 148 New York [Official Site]