The new TSE collection was inspired, said designers Jessica Groom and Dushane Noble, by the Shakers, the religious group known for its mastery of unostentatious design. The ultimate ascetics and a cashmere brand noted for its luxuriousness might not seem like an easy match. Then again, in our current moment of Celine-ified minimalism, a studied application of, and even a reverence for, craftsmanship feels right on the money. "We were looking at [Shaker] architecture and design, and how integrated it was into their lifestyle," Groom said at a showroom appointment today. "Design was part of their spirituality."
The designers approached their task via the interworking of modern fibers and traditional shapes, which met in a cabled sweater that looked classic but had a cool, dry hand thanks to yarn spun with nylon. It could have been a chilly offering, but the palette warmed things up, with excursions into a rich, sable-colored amber, a honeyed orange called Butternut, and a slightly dusty strawberry pink. Mink, beaver, and leather dressed up a few pieces, but the focus at TSE will always be on cashmere. This was a less trend-driven outing than the one Groom and Noble (and capsule-collection designer Jason Wu) put together for Spring. But with its marriage of form and function (as in tailored pieces created from full patterns, rather than simply knit), there s more to this collection than meets the eye.
