LO by Laurence Nguyen

A dear friend brought to my attention a new capsule collection put out by LO, which I’m assuming is an abbreviation of the designer’s name, Laurence Nguyen. Per the label’s website, lowares.com, Nguyen hails from Paris and spent time at Levi’s in San Francisco (with access to archives!) before moving on to work for RRL, Ralph Lauren’s well-curated answer to quality denim products. It’s no secret that time spent at Ralph Lauren is time well spent when it comes to learning how to build a brand, and LO capitalizes on this with a well thought out backstory. To me, LO’s lookbook is a take on Old West meets Indochine; some of the images have been done up soft, faded, and as if they were taken on old film plates and stored away in some attic of some mining ghost town. The capsule collection features five denim styles — with all the proper hardware furnishings, and five silk pieces done in beautiful floral prints sourced from Vietnam. As with any smart marketing move, the looks have been enhanced with vintage looking cowboy boots, sexy thigh-high shear stockings, rice-paddy hats, and laced jazz shoes… I’m told the collection has been picked up by Barneys…BRAVO!

I think my favorite piece from the denim offerings is the high-waisted cutoffs…or perhaps I just like that they allow one to show off a pair of stockings as such…I wish more girls would try this look…