If there are two things Gela Nash-Taylor and Pamela Skaist-Levy know, it s their way around a pair of track pants and exactly who they re designing them for. That much was proved—yet again—by the runaway success of one of the innovations Pam Gela introduced last season, French terry track bottoms cut, dyed, and distressed to look like a pair of worn-to-death skinny jeans. All of the tough-girl chic, none of the embarrassment of lying flat on your back trying to drag a pair of stovepipes over your hip bones. Out came the credit cards.
Some brands do this kind of thing and it seems cynical; Skaist-Levy and Nash-Taylor take aim at the young, grungy, vintage-obsessed hipster girl with a sense of integrity and authority. They are vintage-obsessed, grungy, and young at heart. And their latest collection added much to please their customer: Along with new iterations of those terry "jeans," there were slouchy wool sweaters, sporty track bottoms with leather detailing, ruched knit dresses, and a healthy selection of leather pants and skirts.
The key to this season s outing, though, was its outerwear. Nash-Taylor and Skaist-Levy have cannily noted that the easiest way to glam up a low-key look is by throwing on a statement coat; their versions included faux fur teddy coats, fur-lined anoraks, and a shiny biker fully lined with shearling. The sheer practicality of these items clued you in to another kind of integrity and authority the designers bring to their work: They are moms, imagining other women s daughters buying their clothes. They want them to look cool, but they also want them to stay warm.
