231: The bride wore SSENSE

Plus Bergdorf's big sale, new COS, and Skims first-ever sale on Fits Everybody.

May 21, 2024

Two weeks ago, I attended SSENSE’s bridal launch preview and left with a piece of wedding cake smuggled in my bag, stopping into two other appointments before heading back home. A delicious secret!

The collection—a collaboration between the retailer and 17 of the most influential and relevant independent brands that prop up its pages—has now landed on the site, where 100+ dresses, suits, veils, bags, gloves, bikinis (!) and other miscellaneous accessories (how about some “Marry Me” earrings? A parasol?) speak to the betrothed who knows all about Danielle Frankel but wonders if there isn’t something a little more them. In person, Nicklas Skovgaard’s drop-waist gown in tailored silk shantung was breathtaking, as was Simone Rocha’s nuptials-oriented version of the flower-stuffed organza dresses from her SS24 collection.

Cawley put forth minidress and pant suit options, designed with input from London-based creative Melissa Jane Tarling, whose good taste I’d follow if it led me off a bridge. Bode’s somber and devastatingly elegant cape coat and the headpiece I’d hate to separate it from are boldly intelligent choices. And Vaquera has two flirty minis—one big and poofy, the other slinky and swishy—for under $610.

There’s never been a better time to be a cool and interesting bride!

With News Editor

em seely-katz

What’s new

COS’ SS24 latest is largely about luring the most retro revivals in form we’ve seen emerge over the past year into pointedly contemporary positions—the storied brooch ends up the focal point of a swan-necked column dress, fastening it under a clavicle; boxy minidresses shirk their mod roots with a pattern-free, summer-ready denim composition; and the modest cardigan is rendered in a sheer, lemony ombre that in this season perfectly evokes an Italian ice. Its accessory lineup matches that Riviera tone: a boat-sized straw bag, razor-sharp cat-eye sunglasses, a raffia sling bag the precise shade of green of a palm frond.
Attersee’s summer hits are back in new and updated forms—mini kaftans in new colorways, lightweight shirting in breathable fabrics—but it’s the knits of all things that are truly remarkable. The brand developed a clingy crochet that looks like rattan wrapped around the skin, which hands with a bias-like drape in cardigan, turtleneck, and duster form. An open weave cotton takes the shape of a V-neck mini dress and shell top. And I finally bought the twist-back tank I tried on at the brand’s Upper East Side studio under the guide of “research” for an upcoming tanks + tees edit (a tax write-off!).
Some BAG updates from brands with authority on the matter: Khaite, for one, launched the Bridget crossbody, a hands-free summertime dream in patent calfskin leather and gold hardware; Christopher Esber gets into the leather game for the first time ever with its Gondola tote (an East-West flap-top) in Mini, Small, and XL; and the Proenza Mesh Pouch that I’ve written about a lot is no longer just a pre-order concept, it’s shipping immediately and is the ultimate evening bag power move.
French eyewear big-name Jimmy Fairly has contributed its sunglass stylings to Reformation with four shapes that run the New Wavey-y gamut from the gently cat-eyed “Joan” to “the Brune,” a spacious set of lightly shaded aviators. Ref expertly paired the JF contributions with a small capsule of sufficiently Godardian clothing to throw on avec shades while running out the door: a light-heartedly low-waisted linen skort matches gamely with the French inevitability of a tight-fitting turtleneck.
Best known for its handbags in poppy shades and graphic gestures (made out of a “leather” derived from cacti!), Santos by Monica has launched its new comfortwear line, smartly mirroring the iconic shape catalog created by its accessories in strategic cutouts at the backs of bodysuits and baby tees, reiterating its bottom-line commitment to ecological responsibility by cutting the loungewear from a regenerative blend of Tencel, a slinky material derived from wood pulp.
Theory and Michael Kors alum Trish Wescoat Pound’s young-but-prolific brand TWP has released an exclusive collection at Moda Operandi with Moda-only colorways of the label’s romantically tailored oversized blazers (zoom in on the row of five precious buttons lined up on each cuff!), matching flared pants, deep-backed “mermaid gowns” tethered to the shoulders by delicate, wing-like straps, and more.
The 400-odd year old Lake Como hotel Passalacqua collaborated with Emilia Wickstead on a vacation capsule featuring swimsuits the exact shade of orange as a neighboring hotel’s iconic awnings or printed in florals interwoven with Passalacqua’s signature fish motif. Corresponding striped kaftans and one-shoulder column dresses encourage a packing-friendly mix-and-match ethos amongst the pieces both matching and clashing.
Australian swimwear brand Bond-Eye tapped kiwi model Georgia Fowler to create a swimwear capsule, each piece created in the label’s “one size” crinkle-and-stretch fabric (hopefully these actually accommodate a range of bodies and won’t be the subject of a Brandy Hellville redux). A black one-piece with an eye-tricking underbust cutout and a strapless, belted suit are the most unique options the capsule has to offer.
A smart new edit of Martiniano’s glove-leather footwear has landed at Bona Drag in shades of bubblegum pink, teal, and swimming pool blue that owe their intrinsic motion to the ‘80s. The silhouettes are dangerously collectible. Start with the Party Flat as a gateway drug and you’ll find yourself graduating in no time to skinny heels, wrap-ups, and even ankle boots. I always forget to mention this kind of thing, but I have a code for the store for 10% off with LAURAREILLY___.
Known as a nouveau Martha Stewart-type, Athena Calderone lent her eye for interior design to Beni Rugs again for its new “Salon” collection, yet another symptom of a culture-wide turning toward ‘20s and ‘30s aesthetics that is starting to bear fruit as here, with muted, deco-style low-pile rugs, runners like cut facets of amber, and more plush, understatedly glamorous floor art.
There’s also: Sophia Khaled’s unhinged princess uniforms begin trickling into Maimoun: a doily-like crocheted unicorn slip dress here, a pair of teddy-printed socks themselves printed on socks there; if you want to go to the trouble of downloading Toteme’s app (who knew they had an app?), the brand’s SS24 travel capsule of thoughtfully intermixable packables is available there first; Bridgerton x Kiko Milano debuts exclusively at Nordstrom with iridescent eyeshadow sticks, sparkly liquid liner, and beautifully branded thematic palettes; Fforme releases silk jersey underpinnings: an impossibly soft triad of tank top, leggings, and casual dress; a limited release of Comme des Garçons x Salomon’s “Phantasm” sneaker is available at Dover Street Market in all its platform-ed, slip on, sometimes kaleidoscopic glory; Ancient Greek Sandals x Castaner present a capsule of espadrille-soled fisherman and gladiator-style sandals; and Neiman’s welcomes perfume perfector Fulton and Roark to its online store—the clean-water, fresh-laundry lightness of Cloudland solid perfume and mischievously peppery ginger Narada Extrait are both paradigm-shifting.

What’s on sale

Respectfully, Bergdorf Goodman is stepping its pussy up lately. As much of an SSENSE-Net-La Garçonne hound as I am (with my moon in The RealReal and MyTheresa rising), BG keeps giving me reasons to open tabs and meditate on carts, this week’s designer sale—advertised as 40% but actually as much as 75% off—the latest welcome time theft. A metallic mesh Interior V-neck knit for $282, The Row shawl-collar blazer for $1,625, side-buttoning St. Agni pants for $279, and an Alaia sheer gradient dress, bucket bag, and top-handle at substantial price cuts are some of the not-yet-sold pages opened from this morning. A Loewe dress and Tove coat I was watching already sold out; it’s a hot zone.
An apparent first, Skims is putting its Fits Everybody collection on sale for Memorial Day Weekend. I’m wearing Skims as we speak actually—sweats and a hoodie from the SSENSE sale—so I guess this is an endorsement the wildly successful brand scarcely needs. Sale goes live today at 11am and includes bodysuits for $40, bras between $20 and $25, and underwear at three for $36.
The Khaite private sale puts a magnifying glass to the label’s fixation on the neckline: 40% is taken off a top made of crisp cobalt shantung organza gathered almost too high at the nape, like an overstuffed bag of party favors; the Bab slip dress, on the other hand, creases businesslike into a low V; while the Jericho top, down to $474 from $790, swells upwards in its finely ribbed viscose to offer a winking anti-neckline.
A limited selection of seasonal pieces at Another Tomorrow are 30% off with VIPACCESS: a thinly knit top slashed at the collarbone, a shirred paprika midi dress gathered at the shoulders and waist, and a low-slung, front slit denim pencil skirt are all on the abridged but robust menu.
The Nordstrom Designer Sale is a good reminder that, though we’ve preached eschewing “the words ‘might as well’ entirely” when it comes to filtering out the perfidy of a perfect-seeming deal, there IS fun to be had within the parameters of desirable discounts: a full Marine Serre crescent bikini under $200, a wear-anywhere Burberry silk scarf for $132, and a Carrie-style Puppets and Puppets t-shirt all prove potential overlap between the impulse buy and the instant classic.
If Tory Burch were a season, it’d be spring, and its latest up-to-25%-off sale is proof positive: boxy, leather-trimmed totes are illustrated with botanicals that unlock memories of the Cicely Mary Barker tomes of our youths, spongy sport sandals piggyback off the tennis frenzy du jour in a yellow close enough to the ball’s iconically fluorescent shade, and a $129 silk scarf perfectly illustrates a late afternoon in May spent strolling NYC’s Washington Square Park.
MyTheresa was part of last week’s sale season opening edit, but it’s worth bringing up once more (to me) since the discounts remain compounded with 40% off any sale order over $200. A last pair of Jil Sander boots, cousins to the pair I sold recently on Vestiaire Collective, is down to $700 from $1,250; a boat-necked The Row cotton-cashmere fine knit is $636 down from $1,590; and I’m probably going to buy this last pair of J.W. Anderson beaded sandals before I hit publish anyway…they’re only $328 compared to $685 at full price.
Marking the start of an indefinite hiatus, some of Mara Hoffman’s last (ever?) wares are up to 30% off, the brand’s prolific impact evident in pieces like the Luna Dress, showcasing Hoffman’s trademark popcorn texture and bushy, floral silhouettes—we’ve since seen both reverberate through nascent brands like Fonseca, and will surely continue to feel Hoffman’s presence in the fashion world, even if not through a direct channel.
There are three wolves inside the Saks Private Sale (get access to 40% off with SAKSSALE), as if attending a tea party between three storied design houses—Dolce and Gabbana brings marshy, Miss Havisham florals in chiffon cape-gowns; Bottega comes in hot with a smutty intrecciato miniskirt; and Loewe shows up late and underdressed in a faded stretch polo.
If you’re lucky enough the leather shoe you want isn’t sold out, use CIAO to access 20% off in a rare Jamie Haller private sale, bringing styles like this season’s double-buckle sandals down to under $400 for the first time in a blue moon.
In the Browns sale, get up to 50% off things that that shouldn’t even be on sale, like a Loewe Paseo bag for 15% off; things that just make sense, like a full, twisty-busted bikini by Hunza G for $159; things that make less sense, like this similarly twisted, wine-colored Tove dress that rings up $100 cheaper than a t-shirt with the exact same design; and things that make no sense but don’t need to, like a floor-length golden lamé lace stunner by, of course, Bode.
Use SPRING40 at checkout through Wednesday to take 40% off Altuzarra’s spring selection, a collection somehow volcanic despite its mature femininity: murky, blazing dyes mix together like magma at the core of a fitted shirt dress; the double-seamed waist of a pencil skirt subtly billows and fizzles from dark to pale blue like a plume of smoke; and a russet corset belt fits into the torso like a tectonic plate.
Collina Strada’s spring crop of sale selections is as fresh as always, with 30% off pieces like a bunchy organza dress in a pink-and-purple swirl you’ve only ever seen years ago in the Cotton Candy bucket at Baskin-Robbins featuring a frontal train (seemingly becoming a common gown trope these days); a flouncy, asymmetrical plaid skirt for under $300; and a Magasin-tested (and loved) cotton t-shirt carefully rolled and folded into a graphic star for $147.
I got an email from Net-A-Porter about a Rewards Private Sale that’s happening, which likely reached me because I’ve spent past a certain threshold in the last year. (You’ll know if the sale works for you if you follow this link and add one of the items in the edit to cart—you should see a nice 30% discount load up.) There’s no shortage of synergistic Lauren Manoogian knit dresses and A.Emery sandals, Dries platforms and Kassl Editions waxed cotton skirts; Lemaire clutches and Fforme tees; even the Gohar World egg chandelier.
Sophie Buhai’s private sale takes 20% off a generous handful of pieces like a Madeleine cookie-shaped chunk of lapis lazuli on a silk cord to be hung around the neck, onyx droplets emerging from silver trumpets in the form of drop earrings, and more such precious but powerful adornment.
There’s also: No.6’s in-house collection is on sale, with plenty of springy sundresses and sandals at 25% off; take up to 60% off a selection of Sea styles, most in the lacy, tie-dyed, or both camps; Camper offers 50% off its archive collection, with plenty of water-resistant styles for the warm-weather rains soon to come; get 70% off Tropic of C’s past season favorites, from $40 rashguard-bikini hybrids to $30 sculpting miniskirts; Ganni’s sale starts with up to 50% off dresses in leopard and floral prints, denim suits and sets, and logo top-handle bags, plus more; using VIP30, take 30% off in Merlette’s private sale, saving on scores of billowy dresses and floral-print tops; Emilia Wickstead’s private sale preview showcases the brand’s best discounts on its deftly made dresses in satin jacquard, houndstooth, sequins, and more; take an extra 40% off Gardenheir’s Memorial Day sale of outdoorsy basics that rival Ijji or Olderbrother; and Faithfull’s sale takes 25% off swimwear, knits, and sundresses, nearly everything $200 or below.

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