I Did A Thing!

My capsule collection for Alex Mill launches TODAY

You can’t possibly know how hard it has been for me to keep this a secret for almost a YEAR, but the team at Alex Mill and I have been working on a very special collaboration that is finally out TODAY!

I guess we should start at the beginning. Last winter I partnered with Alex Mill on a holiday newsletter and one of the images went viral. They still get calls about it. So in January they asked if I might want to do something bigger next year. They threw out designing a capsule and my brain started to run. Within a month, I knew exactly what we needed to do: Create a selection of pieces that could support an everyday wardrobe at the holidays (and beyond) and compliment Alex Mill’s already thorough selection of sweaters, jeans and casual winter garb. All with the little bit of extra oomph you want this time of year.

The Foshay skirt in a stiff (but not too thick!) taffeta complete with mother of pearl buttons, pockets, belt loops and a grosgrain trim lining inside the waistband to make sure it holds it’s shape. We left no stone unturned. I love her so! This photo and all others (taken outside) by Joseph Krauss

I started thinking about New York in the 80s. Fabrics with a little shine. Layers. What should a holiday dress even look like now? Or a holiday “top” for that matter? How can we make our jeans feel dressy? And our (Alex Mill) sweaters?

I knew we needed a big skirt, since that was what created the tizzy last winter. But…shouldn’t it be in an “everyday” khaki!? — a casual colored take on an extremely dressy taffeta skirt. Then we added pockets and belt loops to make it comfortable and styling-friendly, not to mention grosgrain trim along the waistband to make sure it holds it shape.

The Annette blazer in a size medium for an oversized look, and to give some weight to my voluminous skirt (which is a 4).

Then there was the Alex Mill suiting I already loved. But we needed a material that felt super feminine, to balance out all that fabric. What about navy blue? A very daytime color. Could we make it evening? Somsack Sikhounmuong, Alex Mill’s creative director (and fellow Substacker), and the team showed me a rich, purple-y navy crepe and we knew it was the one. Then we cut the jacket boxy to fit like we would want a thrifted men’s blazer to fit…in theory. But like…actually cut in a size we could realistically wear without looking absurd. So picky!

The SUIT! I am wearing a size medium in the Annette blazer and 4 in the Walker pants. I wanted the whole thing to read a little oversized since the fabric has a really nice and heavy drape to it. It doesn’t bulk up but just pools where you want it to. Let me tell you…that is not easy to do. The fit team at Alex Mill crushed it.

Detail of the suiting texture. See what I mean? With my grandma’s Judith Leiber. I think she would be proud!

And how to tackle the holiday top, the Alex Mill way? I knew we needed something festive, but not frilly. And something that could comfortably, and unfussily, layer under a blazer or cardigan while keeping a little bit of personality. Enter the lamé tee. I wanted an oversized, drapey t-shirt that sat slightly away from the body, allowing for an element of sheerness without being totally transparent (meaning, a nude or black bra would suffice). Being that I am fabric obsessed, we talked A LOT about the lamé family. Could we open the knit to make it a little floppier? Should our sparkle be silver or gold!? The end product is so Alex Mill. And so me. We are so happy!

WARNING: This is a very delicate tee. It will snag on your hangnails and jewelry so treat her gently. If you do, she will pay you back in dividends! You can layer her with your entire closet. Try me!

The Helen tee in lavender. And my favorite pants!! From the moment I started to moodboard this collection, I HAD to have a crushed velvet. It felt so decadent and dorky and I wanted to prove that this fabric could transform into something totally cool and confident. In this double pleated trouser, they pool softly and make every knit we paired with them more fun.

The Helen tee and Walker pants layered with a flannel (and sneakers which you can’t see) to make the whole thing a little more casual. This one is by Chava Studio but I also am into this one these days. The bra is by Negative Underwear…still a little transparent. If that’s too much for you, I like the idea of this camisole in white so it looks like you are intentionally layering, not trying to camouflage with something nude.

The Helen tee in navy, with the Foshay skirt, a red sweater (currently as scarf but if I get chilly, as an actual sweater) and the shoes I bought myself as a congratulatory gift for sending these pieces out into the world. 😬

Maybe we should mention the color palette. The entire collection consists of three colors: navy blue, lavender and khaki. This is meant to feel festive and special, but not so much so that you can’t wear it in January, or March, or July! (Well maybe everything except the velvet pants for July.) And yet you CAN pair it all back to black and red and green and gold and all of the holiday trimmings you so desire. Great with a metallic shoe. A great canvas for your favorite jewelry. Just that little soft shade of extra extra.

The Helen tee in lavender and the Claeus anorak with my leather mini skirt, sheer tights and slides. Perfect party fodder. But just swap the leather for blue jeans and Chelsea boots and you’re ready for lunch the next day!

And last but surely not least, the Harriet dress. What does a holiday dress look like, when the goal is to remain semi-casual? We decided to lengthen the tee, but chop her sleeves into a cap to create the column below. And then we made her (detachable) slip hit just above the knee so you could play with her to your heart’s desire. I like to lose the slip, add a black bra and put her over the navy suit pants. Or layer the navy Helen tee over her to ditch the sheerness all together. She kind of works with all of it??

The Harriet dress with the Helen tee layered on top. And some very holiday shoes.

Another shot of the Harriet dress on it’s own (but see how the Annette blazer totally goes with!?) With my big old pearls from my MIL and Chanel tuxedo loafers.

I styled out about 50 more ideas of how to play with these pieces on the Alex Mill website and Instagram. Check it out. I hope you love her as much as I do.

A huge thank you to all of you who read last year’s newsletter and planted the seeds for this whole journey. And to Joseph Krauss who took these fantastic photos that didn’t even get retouched, he is a literal genius! And the biggest thank you to the team at Alex Mill helped me turn these ideas into a reality. TRULY!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Love,

Becky