: a project that is not yet finished : a concerted effort to make things better, brighter and more beautiful : our weekly updates on retail to detail and everything in between
Fashion may be aspirational, but it’s ultimately reflective of the times we live in. The way we dress, both as individuals and as a community, inevitably evolves as we ourselves grow. With so much to accomplish, both in-store and the world at large, there is hardly time to rest on one’s laurels. Like all things, it takes concerted effort to move the bar forward.
We know it’s an oxymoron–luxury workwear. This genre of dress has traditionally been durable, high-construction pieces made to protect the body during hard work, such as construction or farming–industries not exactly synonymous with cake and champagne. However, designers such as Casey Casey and Toogood take inspiration from workwear because of what overalls and chore coats bring to mind: the satisfaction of doing things yourself, an innate trust in your materials and the mental reward of a job well done.
In pursuing these aesthetics, designers pay homage to their industrious inspiration and elevate the style with an artistic touch. We turn to workwear during planting season because we are planting–and need something that can be dragged through the dirt (literally) and still wear well after a wash.
Daniela Gregis’ garments embody the seven principles of design: pattern, movement, rhythm, emphasis, contrast, balance and unity. Her latest collection is all about high-contrast: classical, glamorous black juxtaposed against bright color.
In the words of Meryl Streep’s iconic sarcasm in The Devil Wears Prada: “Florals for spring… groundbreaking.” However, there is a reason botanicals grip our imagination at this time of year. The weather has warmed, the birds are singing and the first buds of spring have finally poked out of the soil… literally groundbreaking! Floral motifs motivate and inspire us, bringing a bit of the earth’s beauty and humility to the way we dress. Designers who do this best do it bold, allowing blossoms and blooms to grow across their work like vines on a trellis.
Based in Boulder, CO, Margery’s natural artistry shines through subtle asymmetries–contrasting rounded and angled cuts, shifts in color and types of stones for an ultimately bohemian feel.
One of our favorite deliveries this time of year is always, inevitably Péro. The collection is broad and feminine, defined by sensitive tailoring and floaty cotton and silk textiles… often dripping in hand-embroidered florals.
Spring is not often the time we see much texture in our clothing–woven leathers find their place here because they add a third, dynamic element to dress.
There is a reason that coming back to yourself is referred to as “grounding.” As we contemplate Earth Month and all that our shared world needs, we are also sowing seeds–literally and metaphorically. In potting flowers at home and at the store, we foster moments of joy now and for the future. This is the intention of Wild Life’s evolution, wherein our cheeriest designers, such as Daniela Gregis and Studio Xaquixe, sit together in quiet harmony. Because, to quote the great philosopher Rumi, “the garden of the world has no limits except in your mind.”
