As a fashion editor, you become a sort of unofficial help desk when it comes to getting dressed. You are constantly flooded with questions about what to wear, how to style it and which local brands are worth investing in. As a stylist you develop a shorthand of clothes. The brands that I return to are not always the most popular. They are the ones who understand proportion, fabric, climate, comfort and that very specific sweet spot between looking put-together and not looking like you tried to assemble a personality from a moodboard. These are the brands that get proportion, fabric, climate and comfort right. They also know how to strike that perfect balance between looking put together and not like you’re trying to assemble your personality from a moodboard. These labels are my favorites right now. From handloom shirts to prints that feel desirable and elevated foundational pieces, I can’t stop talking about them. Itoh is very aware of this need. Itoh’s clothes are in the perfect space between quality basics, and feel-good fabrics. The garments have enough style to keep a look together, without pushing everything else out of focus. If done badly, it could make even the most confident person look like they’ve accidentally stumbled into a lifestyle catalog. If done well, it can breathe new life into a wardrobe which may have become too dependent on neutrals or basics. Cord’s prints are warm, charming, and nostalgic, but not costume-like. That is the point.
