When TSE’s Tina Lutz cited denim as her starting point for Pre-Fall, it seemed a little out of the ordinary, since her label is known and beloved for ultra-soft cashmere and knits. Where does indigo-dyedtwill fit in? Lutz is a self-proclaimed denim lover and wore a pair of cropped, slouchy skinnies for her SoHo presentation, but she didn’t set out to redesign her own favorites. Her main inspiration came courtesy of artist Jim Hodges’ Untitled (One Day It All Comes True), a massive, swirling collage of recycled denim, as well as an abstract blue painting by Hanneline Rogeberg titled Norwegian Outdoors Map to Territory. Both artworks influenced the collection’s color palette, including shades of indigo (hinting at various jean washes) and pops of camel and orange (inspired by classic topstitching). Lutz also developed an Italian silk-blend brocade that mimicked destroyed denim; for a more upscale finish, she used metallic silver patches in place of the tattered threads you might find on a pair of vintage Levi’s. On a similar note, long, loopy fringe on a black-and-white woven vest resembled an unraveling hem. Those experimental pieces were highlights, but Lutz didn’t skimp on her signature sweaters. A black V-neck popover looked particularly covetable, and double-face, rib-trimmed cashmere jackets were simultaneously crisp and cozy.
TSE
