Suzanne Rae’s eponymous Spring/Summer 2014 Collection is a look into the (kinder, gentler) future of the modern woman. What does that mean? To designer Rae’s mind, she seeks comfort in simplicity—but style is never a compromise (why should it be?). Almost as if seen through a crystal ball, Rae’s S/S he collection is graceful forward-looking take on sharp day-to-night streetwear for the woman who has more interesting things to do than get dressed twice. 

Rae’s latest collection is inspired by the novel 2150 AD by Thea Alexander, but even without knowing its origins, you can see that the styles are a look into the future—almost robotic in form, but juxtaposing with a soft feminine feel. Suzanne Rae gives us a snippet of utopian (or is it dystopian?) society through her minimalist, well-tailored and boldy accentuated silhouettes. The new collection seamlessly combines imagination and craft.

This redefinition of femininity is exemplified in the black neoprene dress seen below. It is seasonless in a global world that could see you pairing it with sandals and a colorful, oversized clutch on a sunny NYC summer’s day; 48 hours later, paired with a crisp white turtleneck and black tights with boots, it would fit in comfortably on a wintery Sydney day.

Her perfectly volumized shapes (like the one seen above) are the new forms in fashion, the opposite of the current trend for ultra form-fitting everything. Pieces are smart and perfect in their attention to detail, like the black tee with neoprene trim around the sleeves and collar.

The collection materializes the new definition and role of the modern woman, but also challenges and then recreates the fabrics it is constructed from. Fabrics like neoprene, usually used for wetsuits, are poetically constructed to appear quite mysterious. Crinkled silk organza evokes the beauty of a pearl even with its wrinkled texture. (Plus, it would be a wonderful piece to travel with because you don’t have to worry about ironing it!)

Not only is Suzanne Rae a brilliant young designer, she is dedicated to manufacturing in the city she lives in: All of her clothing is produced in the Garment District in Manhattan and reflects the true cost of clothing production by skilled workers—something the industry—and our communities could use more of!

Get an inside look and feel into Suzanne Rae’s SS14 Collection through this video created by her team.

You can find Suzanne Rae’s styles throughout small boutiques like Kaight, Steven Allan, Joinery and Henrik Vibskov.

 Related on Ecosalon: 

NYFW: Suzanne Rae’s Minimalistic Take on Feminism and Beauty

The Ultimate List of Sustainable Fashion Designers, from A to Z

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At New York Fashion Week, Suzanne Rae presents a new, minimalistic take on feminine beauty.

Initially inspired by Francesca Woodman’s photography, Suzanne Rae‘s collection for spring/summer 2013 “explores a woman’s curious ability to be both delicate and strong.”

“Pairing this with minimalism, which often carries masculine overtones” the designer says, “the collection seeks a balance, reflecting a more progressive and less conventional expression of femininity.”

The collection, which premiered during New York Fashion Week yesterday, at the Philippine Center in Manhattan, seems to be a return to basics for Suzanne Rae. The color palette was restrained and featured low-key neutrals, like we’ve seen in the collections of many other designers this fashion week. Soft hues of light and dark gray, off-white and khaki were complemented with gorgeously nuanced shades of gold and blue. It all seemed to signal a return to beauty in fashion.

Materials ranging from soft silks and knits to stiff cotton and linen were mixed to create textural interest while maintaining a long and flowy silhouette. The show was styled by Lotte Sindahl, with bold accessories by WXYZ Jewelry (including amazing Egyptian inspired collar necklaces) and shows by Solestruck and Ma Petit Shoe.

In all, the collection represented a return to wearable basics in beautiful colors and materials.

We also took a peek backstage after the show:

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Forging a new fashion trail with Suzanne Rae’s Fall/Winter 2012 collection.

There’s a new frontier in fashion – a glamorous harkening back to the simply beautiful and designer Suzanne Rae is the perfect pioneer. She’s personable, a true philosophizer, a family girl and constantly evolving toward what she calls a “higher consciousness.”

It’s this clear consciousness that came through her Fall/Winter 2012 collection showcased at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in collaboration with the W Hotels Fashion Next Showcase. In her fourth season showing here, she’s no stranger to hard and high fashion.  And, it shows.

The impeccable detail to pieces like her fur print bias gown with “Suzanimal,” as Rae affectionately calls it, (see below), is silk screened to look like real animal fur yet she assures, it’s entirely fur free.  The “Suzanimal,” a wolf pelt stole, follows the same silk screened printing process and is then layered on a bed of wool – all sketched out pre-production by biologist-turned-artist Sam Dakota.

For Rae it’s each little element that makes a piece, which is why we couldn’t stop staring at her cowl backs, fringe backs and cotton tails, nearly more riveting than their front-facing counterparts.

Inspired by the Internal Revolution stirred by Jim Morrison and William Blake, Rae’s collection was a melodic merging of poetry and rock-n-roll. Elegance with an edge. As Rae tells EcoSalon, “The internal revolution is really how you feel inside and how you take that out into the world and act. It begins with you – your progress, your personal responsibility. And everything begins with awareness.”

As for Rae’s responsibility, she gets that fashion can be designed and produced more consciously. Currently, she’s at the crossroads of incorporating more sustainable textiles into her collections although, these fabrics don’t pop-up too much in this collection. Still, Rae does produce everything in the New York Garment Center and creates all samples in her Brooklyn, New York studio.

“It’s incredibly important to me to support local fashion production,” Rae emphasizes. “If the garment center gets smaller and goes away, then independent designers like me wont’ be able to produce. And then, American fashion will go away.”

With The Door’s lyrics encouraging the audience to “break on through to the other side,” it seems clear that Rae’s message is all about helping to lead the new awakened fashion paradigm. And as if to enforce what we already know about her, Rae quotes Blake: “the road to excess leads to the palace of wisdom.” When we ask Rae if she’s ever lived in excess, she laughs and says, “Sometimes you just get so caught up in it all. Now, I’m growing with those experiences – through the ups and downs, the light and the dark.”

With this collection, the light prevailed. Post-show, with glistening eyes and a beaming face, Rae’s mother told us, “It just warms my heart.”  (see Rae’s post-show family photo, below)

See more of our favorite Suzanne Rae looks below:

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Suzanne Rae presents spring ’12, proving pattern, flounce and tailored silhouettes can seamlessly blend.

Brooklyn designer Suzanne Rae’s influences from the New York art gallery scene, design ateliers of Costume National in Milan, and Morgane Le Fay in New York always permeate her designs and we are appreciative of that. In fact, we specifically look for such influences in her collections.

Spring ’12 continues to satisfy our eclectic souls, drawing inspiration from 19th century-Japan and Rae’s collaboration with photographer Renato D’Agostin and his body of work Tokyo Untitled, “reflecting a modest era with a zen like quality that is at the same time optimistic for a better tomorrow.”

Rae’s artistic draping of crepe de chine, silk chiffon, hemp jersey, raw silk and hemp jersey were skillfully employed into tailored, high-waisted pants and shorts, flowing bustles, versatile mini-dresses, trendy jumpers and printed bikinis. All pieces that were easily translatable from runway to street.

We loved the raffia capes for a fun editorial touch and the Bruce Lee flats that added an effect of effortlessness to each model, each a style icon in her own right.

Here are some of our favorite looks.

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The GreenShows collaborates with Bloomingdale’s for an Earth Day eco-designer pop-up shop.

Spring is in the air and so are collaborations. An event featuring a union of cloth and retail is taking place Wednesday, April 20th-Saturday, April 23rd in New York City when The GreenShows joins Bloomingdale’s for an ecolux pop-up shop celebrating Earth Day. Featuring 10 contemporary fashion and accessories designers, this venue is chock-full of well-known names in the fashion industry, including Suzanne Rae, Belinda Pasqua of The Sway, Samantha Pleet, H. Fredriksson and recent Ecco Domani winner, Tara St James.

Belinda Pasqua, founder of The Sway, a handbag line hand crafted from excess leather, is also Creative Director of The GreenShows this September 2011. I asked her how she felt about being part of such a powerful collaboration with one of the most renowned retail venues in the world.

“Bloomingdale’s success rests on the fact that they really do move with the times. I’ve been reading the book Like No Other Store, just to get an insight into the company and why they are considered one of the most profitable and well respected department stores in the world,” says Pasqua. “I feel this ecolux pop-up shop is another example of how they are ahead of the curve and tapping into consumers mindsets.”

With all the sustainable brand power involved in this pop-up, is it important to be part of the sustainable tribe, or is it actually a hindrance?

Pasqua thinks it can only be positive.

“As a designer you are very focused on your own project and product but as a collective you can really see the bigger picture and get inspired to promote the cause and do something bigger than yourself,” she says.

Harvey Russack, CEO of the GreenShows agrees.

“One of the strongest trends in fashion today is the expression of ecological and social awareness in luxury apparel. Our collaboration with Bloomingdale’s represents a milestone event to showcase designers who are responding to these trends with beautiful and appealing collections merchandised to engage, inform and excite the shopper,” says Russack.

One thing that always excites shoppers is the merchandising and for the second year, Bloomingdale’s SOHO and The GreenShows will unveil a ground-level display in three windows including a one-of-a-kind couture gown from designer Luis Valenzuela and selections from each of the designers.

Susan Benarcik, an installation artist and surface designer based in New York City, will be creating mixed media, sculptural installations for the 5th floor pop up space created out of recycled paper, wire hangers, vegetation, and other mixed media.

Mental Notes by Susan Benarcik.

‘Mental Notes‘ will be featured, as well as a customized version of ‘Why Our Hangers’ made from recycled clothing hangers.

To add an educational component to the collaboration, The GreenShows is presenting a slide show courtesy of the Museum at FIT from their acclaimed 2010 exhibition, Eco-Fashion: Going Green.

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Suzanne Rae draws from literary sources like Kerouac’s On The Road for her spring ’11 collection.

Suzanne Rae is a name to watch in the sustainable realm and this Chambray Shirtdress with experimental draping, cut outs and patterns just might be your new favorite spring piece when you want wax existentialism or Beat Poetry.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

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