The Tamesis
Founded 30 years ago, Lafayette 148 offers a line of simple, basic suits, including white button-down shirts. Now, after last year’s anniversary, designer Emily Smith is taking her fall collection back to the brand’s roots. She spent time studying archives, thinking about the construction of garments and the factory floors where they were once produced.
Smith describes a “re-investigation” of sartorial details and their transfer into a modern setting as a female-led brand, from the fabric materials to the New York City-inspired color palette. The silhouette includes four new cuts of pants, a slightly cinched waist and shoulders that are more defined than boxy in a nod to ’90s style. And of course, there’s the classic white button-down shirt, reimagined as a loose, baggy wrap shirt.
When it comes to proportion, Smith focuses on what she calls “details”—what her modern woman wants to emphasize and what mid-rise pants can flatteringly conceal. The legs and midi skirt are long and skinny, emphasizing the otherwise slim silhouette. Apart from some floral appliqués in the interior design, the decorative details are simple and create an old-fashioned romantic feel.
