Stacey Bendet’s Alice + Olivia fall collection presentation at NYFW 2019 was a mix of a floral fantasy straight out of a fairytale and an edgy mix of patterns and sequins. The bold collection featured stunning printed gowns and extravagant headpieces to tee shirts and skirts. Bendet created a real-life fantasy that we never knew we needed until now. alice + olivia was founded in 2002 and is a hugely successful brand. It’s no wonder why it has so many famous fans including Kourtney Kardashian, Paris Hilton and Victoria Justice. Bendet loves all things vintage and incorporates vintage aspects into her designs, while keeping them fresh. The quirky designs are both fun and sophisticated. Bendet is the definition of a girl boss: she’s not only a wife and a mom of three, but she makes working with charitable causes one of her top priorities. She works with organizations like the Ronald McDonald House and is a member of Good+.
The theme of the collection is Fantasia. The set of the presentation was covered in beautiful snow with glittering figurines of horses, snow covered trees and butterflies, giving us major fairytale vibes! In addition, there were explosions of roses and cheetah print and glitters (oh my!) Butterflies played a huge role in this collection, from headpieces to the clothing pieces to the models nails. All of the models wore sleek low buns with a middle part and light eye makeup with a bold lip. Many of the looks featured gowns, jackets, tops and pants covered in colorful butterflies or sequins. Some models wore ornate headpieces like a collection of colorful butterflies or a cluster of stunning roses.
Juxtaposition also played a huge role in this collection. The collection was far from uniform and the wide range of looks is what made this collection so magical. From looks of ice queens to butterflies, florals and sequins, all of the looks were straight from our dreams. Some looks, like the dark maroons and whites fit perfectly as wintery looks along the snowy set, while others such as butterfly prints, colorful sequins and glitters appeared to be perfect for summertime. While these looks contrast, they still fit perfectly together.
Another fun aspect to this collection was the inspiring graphic tees. Paired with colorful skirts, Alice + Olivia created some graphic tees with fun phrases like “strong female protagonist” and “ go love yourself” to remind us all that girls run the world! These tees, along with the cheetah print and colorful glitters added a modern twist to the collection to balance out the vintage, whimsical vibes with some contemporary vibes.
One of my favorite looks was a gorgeous all red pleated dress with a maroon one shoulder top and a stunning maroon fur jacket. The model wore a red rose headpiece with a bold red lip and white nails to complete the look. Another look that was to die for was an all white strapless gown with feathers and an ornate snow like headpiece. The model looked like a real life ice queen!
This collection, while being anything but uniform, remained interesting and whimsical. The diverse looks all worked well together and were breathtaking. I felt as if I was dreaming with my eyes open. I am so excited to the success that this collection creates!