Like most women, when I get dressed in the morning, I want to look great. I want to appear pulled together but effortless, on-trend but not a fashion victim, casual but not sloppy. In a word, I want to look chic.
It’s harder than it looks. With the cultural lean toward “ath-leisure” dressing, it seems like designers are either offering glorified pajamas or full-length evening gowns, and little in between. It’s hard to find a middle ground of separates that are directional, versatile, wearable (for running errands and not just on a fantasy vacation in St. Barths) and long-lasting. I have no problem paying $500 for a piece of clothing if I know it will live in my wardrobe and I will wear it at least once a week until the day I die, but that’s also part of the problem. I go shopping with money in my pocket wanting to spend money and buy new clothes, and these stores got nothin’. Nada. Zilch.
Enter Tomas Maier
He’s got what I need. Never heard of him? I’m not surprised. The German designer has been the creative director of luxury leather and lifestyle brand Bottega Veneta for the past 13 years, but while his protégés at major fashion houses like Céline, Givenchy and Louis Vuitton have become fashion celebrities, Maier has stayed under the radar, much like his aesthetic. His eponymous collection, which has been around since 1997, is all about seasonless, label-less dressing—think versatile LBDs, the perfect maillot (that’s a fancy word for one-piece) or a slouchy cashmere sweater.
Why I Love Him Right Now
Maier's Resort 15 collection, which debuted last week, is everything I want to wear, all the time. It’s who I want to be. There’s a perfect black peacoat styled with ankle jeans, a few cotton shirt dresses, a slouchy tomato red suit and some belted maxi dresses. And the accessories—they’re just too good. Pointy flats, ankle wrap gladiator sandals, buckled envelope purses. It’s all cool, timeless and definitely chic. I’ll take one of everything, thank you.
New Hope for Normals
Until now, Maier has only operated stores in East Hampton and Palm Beach (yes, this is some serious rich people pandering) and online at netaporter.com. While his clothes aren’t stuffy, the prices suggest otherwise—they are stupid, stupid expensive.
But thanks to a recent investment from Bottega Veneta’s parent company Kering, Maier is expanding his collection, opening new stores and lowering his prices (although probably not as much as I would like). Soon, normals like me will be able to live out our fashion fantasies. Start saving now, because the Resort 15 collection hits stores in November.
