When a mom dresses in clothes from her teenage daughter’s closet, she can end up looking like she’s desperately trying to recapture her youth. And a teen foraging in her mom’s wardrobe can end up looking inappropriate as well.
But when the mother is fashion designer Eileen Fisher and her daughter is Sasha, age 16, it’s easy to see how the clothes can adapt to different ages and attitudes.
Fisher brought her daughter and her spring collection to Saks Fifth Avenue in Cherry Creek on a recent Saturday afternoon and showed an easy, breezy group of cottons, linens and knit pieces that can take a woman from beach to boardroom and out for the evening, all in a few pieces. Sasha was among the models, as were women in their 20s and 30s.
The designer said she’s still guided by the “simple but chic” aesthetic that has been her motto for 26 years. Fisher customers, like many of the 250 women attending the event, will notice more color and more details in the line, including sequins and pintucking, fitted shapes and a range of accessories that lend a contemporary feel. Fisher is also using organic cottons and other eco-friendly fabrics.
The designer attributes the changes to the fact that her company has added many young, creative people — mostly women — with plenty of ideas on how to dress.
The line started with four basic pieces in 1984, born out of Fisher’s desire for simple items that could be layered and worn in a variety of ways. Fisher had traveled to Japan and was impressed with the beauty and simplicity of the kimono, a garment she continues to reference in her collections.
Fisher kept building on her ideas, and the business has grown to $273 million in annual sales, a roster of top retailers and 50 company stores, including one that opened last year in Cherry Creek North.
Despite the poor economy, the designer says her business in both department stores and her own boutiques is stronger than ever. “The big word is value,” she said. “We’re definitely seeing that women are buying carefully, but if they know they can wear something a lot of ways, and that they don’t have to dry clean (a garment), they’re more likely to buy it.
“We also make an effort to be accessible and inclusive,” Fisher said, noting the company offers petite and large size ranges as well as missy sizing.
While the spring collection has pieces like a rumpled cotton coat with buttons and a zip-front jacket, the line still has minimal fastenings and details. Sweaters wrap around the body; scarves drape languidly around the neck.
“I’ve always been passionate about good fabrics,” Fisher said during an interview before her show. “Now we are doing more novelty ones, like adding sequins to organic linen.”
She’s also expanding the collection by offering slimmer silhouettes in pants and tops, and she has added short skirts. Accessories include shibori silk scarves, obi-style belts and eco-leather buckled belts. The spring pieces can be layered in various ways: a shift dress tops a ribbed camisole and white jeans; Fisher’s version of a “boyfriend” cardigan is worn with a T-shirt and shorts; a sequined vest is worn over a scoop-neck camisole and jeans.
The woman who prefers a neutral palette will find it in gray, stone, ivory, “smoke” and silver. For those who like color, there’s geranium red, fuchsia, chartreuse, “greengrass” and a clear blue she calls “scarab.”
Fisher said she’s most comfortable in gray and black; her daughter loves color. Both want ease in their clothes.
“I came through the women’s movement,” Fisher said. “So I’ve always valued freedom. Clothes can be elegant, but they have to be comfortable too.”
Suzanne S. Brown: 303-954-1697 or sbrown@denverpost.com
