Nili Lotan Spring 2025: A Reinvention of Familiar Codes
Nili Lotan has a formula: She knows what her customer loves and expects from her and she doesn’t vary her approach much season to season. For many designers, that strategy could mean the designs get stale. But in Lotan’s case, it just serves to attract more and more people to her distinct aesthetic.
The core to Lotan’s collection is a love of the golden age of rock ‘n’ roll blended with the influence of ’70s Yves Saint Laurent. In her studio, she said, there are four boards she never takes down: Saint Laurent in the ‘70s, Americana, complete with Western jackets and denim; the Rolling Stones in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and uniforms.
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During a preview of her spring collection, she said, “I stick to the same images, to the same era. It’s what keeps my business so focused, so consistent. I know my woman, I know the attitude, I know the vibe. It’s just a continuous wardrobe to the same exact woman — it just refreshes what she’s wearing.”
The spring line kept to that aesthetic, walking the line between tough, tomboyish looks — military jackets — and more feminine pieces. There were buttery suede overshirts with lace-up details, hand-crocheted tops and lots of flared pants in denim, pinstripes and solids. Some of the pieces were complemented with belts, a new category that Lotan said has been performing well.
But there also were some additions for spring, including bathing suits, with a black bikini top styled under one of the crocheted shirts, and dresses. “I’ve been challenged throughout my career to do dresses, and I always said, ‘Oh, I’m a tomboy. I don’t wear dresses.’ But this time, I said: ‘OK, you’re a tomboy, but you feel like wearing dresses.’ What is the dress I would wear? They’re all kind of bohemian chic, sexy — they’re not really girly.”
While the pieces start with the same origin, Lotan still manages to find a way to make each season fresh.
“I’ve been doing this for 44 years,” she said, adding that she worked for Ralph Lauren, Nautica and others before creating her own collection 20 years ago. “It’s just endless how much you can get from one moment in history. I’m just getting started.”
For more New York spring 2025 reviews, click here.
Launch Gallery: Nili Lotan Spring 2025 Ready-to-Wear Collection
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