Julie Chaiken is seeking smart, confident women who know how to play city life as she once again launches her collection under the newly re-shortened moniker “Chaiken”. Fashionistas will remember the collection as the minimal, edgy range of impeccably cut pants in tactile stretch fabrics that were literally the mainstay of a decade only a few years ago & they will undoubtedly find the same to be true of this latest incarnation. The collection hasn’t lost its devotion to the pant, with over 15 different models to choose from, each addressing a different segment of today’s market, but the man-tailored, lower rise, slant pocket “trouser” model seemed most right, as it evoked just enough of the venerable label’s past while pumping up the modern vibe enough to ground it firmly in the here & now.
Don’t for a second, however, think that the pants are the only option when buying this collection. There are a covetable assortment of skirts, jackets, blouses & even a few dresses that make it clear that this is a collection & not a pant company that also makes some other pieces.
Fabrication included the above-mentioned assortment of stretch cotton sateens & twills, as well as a very familiar nylon/poly/Lycra twill that was a direct reference to past successes. Additionally, there was a strong dose of lambskin & nubuck options that served to give an edge to the collection as well as pump up the luxe volume to a new high. There were some innovative touches with the lambskin bonded to a Lycra/nylon knit that created a “stretch leather” hybrid. Colors were tightly edited & included the predictable Black, Charcoal & Stone as well as the season’s requisite Oxblood & Navy, ending in a few Brownish Olive & Salt & Pepper Donegal Tweeds, but it was the Cement nubuck leather pieces that left the most indelible impression.
The quick take: Chaiken is back & better than ever. I can already envision smart, confident women in American cities from coast to coast marking their calendars for the collection’s arrival in a store near them & trust me… they should.
-Scott French
Designer website: www.chaikenclothing.com
Publicity: Agentry PR
