Lauren’s presentation underway. At the appropriately whimsical Old School in Nolita, Lauren Moffatt showed her fall 2012 collection at New York Fashion Week (her first time). “It felt like a very natural place to have the presentation because the collection itself has an innocent schoolgirl feel—simultaneously buttoned-up and undone at the same time,” says Lauren. Below, she dishes some of her favorite looks for next fall and the movie she kept coming back to when she was making them. —alisha prakash “I think a lot of the appeal of the collection is the juxtaposition of materials. This is a really bedazzled, heavily shiny sequin bodice against this very delicate cotton voile. It has a pretty lace skirt, and the belt is an attached waistband. This is as dressy as we get.” “We did an outerwear capsule collection for the first time—a real proper collection of coats. This heavy wool Melton coat is a classic. It has an asymmetrical neckline. It’s warm, but also has a really flattering silhouette. It’s a very slim fit through the waist and hip and a really nice length, too.” “This is cream charmeuse with tiny, delicate red polka dots. And we’re doing these ties this season—we did them a couple of different ways. It’s a tri-tie—three strands. They’re detachable, so you can wear them with other tops. She looks like such a schoolgirl—I like this picture a lot.” “Last fall we made a coat called the Bobby McGee coat. It was very graphic, which our coats usually are—there’s usually color blocking. This is a new version of the same idea. It’s very wearable—it can be an everyday fall coat, but it’s special at the same time. We added fur, which we’ve never done before. And denim pockets. It’s the little unexpected things that make it interesting. In terms of color, I have a very classic palette, especially when it comes to fall. I love navys, creams, and reds with pops of burnt yellows and golds.” “This is a two-piece—a cropped top and mid-length skirt. There are always different bodies that we’re doing and ideas we’re trying to explore. This season we’re doing the cutout As. There are things about the collection that change and keep it interesting.” As for the inspiration, Lauren kept coming back to Diane Lane in the film A Little Romance: “It’s just utterly charming. Lane plays an American schoolgirl living in Paris with her mom. I kept thinking about her—the feel of her character and the way she dressed.” Lookbook images courtesy of Daymoin Mardel; presentation image courtesy of Hannah Thomson. Like what you see? Then you’re going to love Lauren’s springy edition, out tomorrow. For first dibs, sign up for our newsletter.

The first move a designer might make when starting a line is to look for a place to work—an under-utilized kitchen table, maybe, or a corner of a shared studio space. Well, Lauren Moffatt, the woman behind the tongue-in-cheek line that bears her name, is not most designers. Instead of a studio, the anything-but-ordinary designer and her business partner Rob Pepin began her foray into fashion on a sailboat. “We were young and poor, so we figured we had nothing to lose,” says Lauren. “We bought a sailboat, parked it in the Hudson River, lived on it, and started to sew.” Understandably, this on-the-water experience shows up in her collection’s aesthetic as well—think nautical hues and breezy cuts. “There’s an irony and sense of humor to the clothes but in a classic, understated way,” Lauren notes. She and Rob have been at it since 2000—they met as undergrads at Philadelphia College of Textiles and Sciences—and have come a long way since their beginnings. Pre-boat, Lauren worked as a graphic designer at a small company that made letterhead and business cards, and Rob started off at Cynthia Rowley. And while they both live and work on land now, it’s tough not to be nostalgic for the early days—even for someone like Lauren who, funnily enough, hates sailing.  “I think it’s annoyingly slow, and I get seasick,” she says. “But living on a boat was a ton of fun. It was like camping.”  —alisha prakash Come back tomorrow to see what Lauren made just for us! And get on our email list for a reminder.

“The things in my closet are there for years. There’s something about the lived-in-ness that I love,” says Lauren Moffatt, the cultish designer known classics with just a dash of quirk. Here are her go-tos, some from past collections of her own line—she’s been at it since 2000—and some from her highly skilled thrifting missions. —alisha prakash Check out Lauren’s edition—a striped linen tank that’s bound to make its way onto her most-worn list. “These jeans are from a thrift shop in Kansas City. I didn’t realize they were called Willie Nelsons. They’re highwaisted, funny, and comfortable.” “After years and years, I still live in this weird dress. I never even sewed buttons on it. You’d think I would have at least finished it, but I never did. It’s probably from 2003. I wear it a ton.” “My perpetual favorite is this flannel floral wrap skirt that my mom got as a gift in the early seventies. I wear it in the summer; I wear it in the winter.” “I wear this little vest all the time. I can’t say why some things are the things I end up living in, but this is just one of those things. And, it’s denim so it just gets better with age. I actually wear it a lot with the wrap skirt.” “This top was also from my mom’s closet—she gladly gave it to me. It’s from who knows when—it has to be from the sixties or seventies.”