Bonnie Cashin

Have you ever studied a person in a photograph and imagined that they must have had an exciting and marvelous life? When I look at pictures of Bonnie Cashin (1915-2000), Californian-born designer, that’s what comes to my mind. She looks like she is having fun even when she was working. I love her whimsical childhood drawings of the La La Girls. Legend has it helped her secure her first job as a costume designer.

In her day Cashin shunned Parisian couturiers that was widely accepted as the arbiters of global fashion. She created practical but stylish lightweight separates that could be layered and adapted to the modern woman’s lifestyle. Her clothes transitioned from season to season, city to country and day to night. Her pragmatic but stylish design popularized the notion that woman could be chic without sacrificing comfort. She is indeed a pioneer designer in creating ready-to-wear fashion. She is also known for turning Coach from a men’s wallet company to an innovative handbag company during the 60’s.

Her design approach and fresh aesthetics made her alluring for many companies. She freelanced for companies like American Airlines, Samsonite, Bergdorf Gooman, White Stag to Hermes.

Constantly globetrotting around the world she found inspiration in her travels. You see it in her designs and her home. This quote from Cashin sums it up nicely for me. “My interests are people and how they look. I remember the way a fisherman wore his shirt in Portofino—the odd chic of the beige and white starched habit of a little nun in Spain—the straw hat of a man riding a donkey in Rhodes—a man’s wedding scarf in India—the elegant drape of a panung in Bangkok.”

Stephan Schneider

Stephan Schneider (German born) designs clothes for both women and men but what I find most interesting is that he creates his own textiles for his garments. While most fashion designers use existing fabrics from various sources, Mr. Schneider spends much of his time designing his own. “I spend half of my time with the textile and half with the silhouette,” he says. “When your textile is strong, you don’t have to invent trousers with three legs.” His clothes shown above represents the his work since 2005. He uses the same fabric for both lines but isn’t going for a unisex look. When he uses the same fabric for the two lines he changes the design giving distinction between the women’s and men’s lines. His clothes captures a cool, but classic aesthetic with simple silhouettes with impeccable details. His garments are made in Belgium, where pieces are cut by hand and time can be spent on the finest finishing. He established his label in Antwerp immediately after graduating from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 1994.

Several years ago I serendipitously met Stephan in his Antwerp shop. Lucky for my husband and I he was sorting out a display. We learned first hand how passionate and knowledgeable about design he was. It makes complete sense that he is now a professor at Universität der Künste, Berlin. It was quite refreshing that we found him mucking about in his store and he gladly stopped what he was doing to have a conversation with us. If you are ever in Antwerp his store located at 53 Reyndersstaat is a must see. It’s a small space and it shows off his clothes well. He displays both men and women together so you can see how the design plays out between the lines. The interior is minimal with just enough architectural details to make it inviting. On that trip and another trip a year or so later I bought several items which I continue to wear today. His pieces are some of my favorites.