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Banana Republic has been all about the nostalgia recently, what with their Mad Men and Anna Karenina-inspired collections, but they've just announced a step in a very fashion-forward direction: The brand has tapped decidedly modern designer Narcisco Rodriguez to come on board in an advisory role.
According to Glamour, Rodriguez will work in partnership with current Creative Director Simon Kneen starting with the fall 2012 collection.
In terms of timing and aesthetics, it's a match that makes a ton of sense for both brands. Banana has been stretching towards higher-end design recently (there's that Palm Springs-inspired capsule they did with Trina Turk this summer, for example) while Rodriguez has been testing out the mass-market end of the scale with a collection for Kohl's.
And since both brands are committed to clean, elegant sportswear, we're hoping this pairing results in lots of chic, wearable basics that are less costumey than the retro stuff Banana has been into recently.
While you wait for all this to go down over the next year, here's a refresher on what Banana is up to this fall. We'll keep you posted as we learn more.
· First Look: Banana Republic Fall 2012 Leaves Mad Men in the '60s [Racked]
· First Look: Narcisco Rodriguez for Kohl's [Racked]