Finally, the Only Collection You Need to Be a Street Style Star
Images courtesy of Nordstrom Signature
New York Fashion Week is on the horizon, but don’t fret if you haven’t scored a ticket to this season’s hottest shows. With recent street style phenomena, the runways of New York have extended beyond the tents, flooding Manhattan’s slush-filled streets with fashion connoisseurs in the latest Celine coats and never-before-seen sneakers, clutching Prada bags that have yet to be released.
In fact, with help from street-style photography (once an artful craft that has been taken over by point-and-shoot paparazzi), magazine editors and models have become Insta-famous, like Ulyana Sergeenko, the Russian fashion blogger turned Haute Couture designer, who’s fashioned everyone from European Princesses to America’s very own equivalent, Kim Kardashian.
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Becoming Insta-famous has not only opened doors to niche markets like Haute Couture—a seasonal collection that includes one-of-a-kind dresses and handmade accessories—but to major corporations (and at better price points) like Nordstrom’s collaboration with street photographers’ favorite gal, Caroline Issa.
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With a small collection of 28 pieces including thick cashmere sweaters, luxe leather coats, printed dresses, and the perfect staple jacket—a utilitarian parka (and a favorite of the designer’s)—the clothes are transitional and can be worn from day to night. Issa wears them herself, oftentimes pairing her designs with high fashion labels Dior, Erdem, and Jason Wu. She even wore one of her own printed dresses over a turtleneck to Chanel’s Haute Couture show in Paris this season—the paparazzi’s favorite show.
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But to whom does a style icon look to for inspiration?
“For my first collection, my mood board included images of Bianca Jagger, Lauren Hutton, Lauren Bacall, and Slim Keith—real American style Icons.” Issa told Yahoo Style. “There’s an amazing picture of Bianca Jagger in a white suit, which is essentially the silhouette of my own suit’s design—a little kick flair, and a great double breasted jacket.”
Issa interjects some patterns into her collection of mainly white and navy blue. “The patterns are inspired by my trip to Marrakesh,” she smiled, comparing the arrangement to the city’s historical mosaics. It wasn’t easy though, and Issa claims that she was initially terrified to work with Nordstrom. “I never understood how difficult some design decisions were—you would spend an hour debating over little details like, how long the sweater pockets should be,” Issa laughed. Though, she’s already working on her next collection—pre-fall—which will play on the combination of masculine and feminine.
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You can shop her newest items on Monday February 8, in 55 stores and Nordstrom.com, where she’ll sit alongside Oscar de la Renta and Proenza Schouler.
Prices range from $195 to $2995.
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