Apiece Apart (Q2696)
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Apiece Apart is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Apiece Apart |
Apiece Apart is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
For fall, Apiece Apart designers Starr Hout and Laura Cramer looked to the streets of New York City for inspiration. The duo drew from the shapes and colors being worn by the women around their studio, finding creativity in their effortless silhouettes and sleek mix-and-matching. “What we love is seeing our clothes in the wild,” said Cramer. “If we can’t visualize it on the streets and on the women of New York, it doesn’t make any sense to us.”Modern wardrobe staples are what Apiece Apart is built on. Rather than reinventing the wheel every season, Cramer and Hout focus on updating their core silhouettes—a great wool coat, a perfect barrel-shape jean—and offering them in new treatments. This season, the earthy color palette—infused with pops of moss, merlot, blacks, and denims—was inspired by a recent Cecily Brown show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “She’s one of our strong female muses,” said Hout. You could see that color play on looks like the cherry-red crewneck sweater paired with khaki-brown tapered trousers, or the billowy maxi dresses in tri-toned floral prints.The designers also focused on pieces that can be worn more ways than one. The buttoned-up cardigan, for instance, was styled asymmetrically and off-kilter—like a cozy shrug, which can be dressed up for night with a loose black dress pant. Ditto for the extra-long beige sweater, which can be worn as a dress and layered over a chic pair of cigarette pants. “We’re always thinking of ways that you can stretch our clothing to have it go from nine a.m. to nine p.m.,” said Hout, “playing on the tension between new shapes, ideas, and proportions.” The result is clothes that you can truly live in—the type of investment pieces where you can roll out of bed, still look put-together, and nobody would be any wiser.
17 December 2024
Apiece Apart’s Starr Hout and Laura Cramer looked inward to see what newness they could infuse into their line of easy, wearable separates for spring. “This was a season of grounding and expansion,” said Hout. “We did a lot of neutrals and really pushed the constructions forward, playing with pushing shapes and doing a lot of in-studio draping on our wrap dresses and skirts.”Though at first glance their modern collection of wardrobe staples seemed like business as usual, there were fresh attempts at elevating their versatile assortment. They updated their suiting, for one, in rich corduroys and linens, and they envision their three-piece suit, in off-white linen, being worn as separates. Jackets like the Acacia overcoat have an interesting cocoon-like shape. “Developing our jacket language has been really important to us,” said Cramer. Kinetic knits—in lime or chartreuse—offer a pop of color to an otherwise quiet lineup. “We see colors as medicine,” said Houtt.The designers also thought about new ways that their hero pieces can be styled and mixed and matched. A timeless striped shirtdress was worn as a top, with trousers underneath. “We’ve been working on different ways of accentuating the female form,” said Hout. This was balanced against more mens-y pieces, like a techy cropped bomber jacket that felt like new territory. They also expanded on their recently launched denim, showing a pair of their signature twisted-seam jeans in summer-ready white.A large assortment of breezy maxidresses, in florals or geo prints, were designed with beachy vacations in mind, as were the lace-crochet tops and maxiskirts. “They’re packable and wearable,” said Cramer. “You can get off the plane and still look great.”
17 October 2023
Every season, Apiece Apart designers Starr Hout and Laura Cramer center their assortment of easy, wearable separates around a broader spirit or mood. For fall, they were feeling inspired by the idea of being grounded in nature—brought to life via cozy, earthy separates that could be easily paired with one another. “We were inspired by this connotation of nature and design—that design can cohabitate with Mother Earth,” says Hout. “We think that’s where modern design comes from.”The natural focus for fall is appropriate, given that their collections are centered in sustainable practices. The leading launch of the season, for one, is their big foray into eco-friendly denim; three new jean styles made of regenerative cotton, ranging in fit from baggy to tapered with a twisted seam. “We’re working with the cleanest denim factory in the world, [Saitex,]” says Cramer. “They recycle 98 percent of the water that they use. All of our pieces just came to life with denim in the mix—it got really cool and relaxed.”Elsewhere in the line, there was an emphasis on fall staples that can be dressed up or down. Loose tailoring looked crisp and clean, especially the ’70s-style corduroy suits. Their classic topcoat can be paired with just about anything. “It’s really easy to wear throughout the winter, layered up in all sorts of ways,” says Hout. There were also sustainable approaches to the outerwear; the oversized bomber jackets are made of organic cotton and recycled nylon, while their fuzzy shearling coats are made of recycled polyester—and feel like the real deal.Their dressier evening pieces, meanwhile, were designed with ease and practicality in mind—for the girl on the go. Their pretty floral dresses were made of a soft Habitat silk. “We always think of what makes a print something that you’d wear the hell out of,” says Hout. A black "Palisade" skirt featured subtle, but beautiful, pleating work along the front, while macrame lace dresses veered into sexier territory. “We’ve been playing with the idea of sheerness and body positivity,” says Hout. “You can wear it with a bodysuit underneath—or nothing!”
6 September 2023
Practicalitymay not be a sexy word in fashion, but for resort—which needs to encapsulate cold-weather, holiday, and vacation dressing—Apiece Apart designers Starr Hout and Laura Cramer had pragmatism on the mind. “What really gets us going is a modern, mix-and-match support system,” said Hout. “A bed of neutrals was super-important to us—with hits of color.” Instead of avant-garde silhouettes or out-of-this-world concepts, they focused on subtle flourishes. “We did a lot of discovery around different fabrics that would elevate everyday basics,” said Cramer.An easy, wearable sensibility is always present here. For resort, the emphasis was on refined separates that could transition from day to night, including the pretty floral sundresses inspired by the Argentinian artist Patricia Iglesias Peco’s paintings. The knit sweaters were soft and extremely lightweight—as were the hand-washed Habitat button-up shirts, in hues like teal. “We played with a bright insurgence of color,” said Hout. There was also crisp suiting, made of textured, durable nubby fabric. “The hope is you keep wearing it again and again,” she said.The duo also looked at sustainable innovation for resort. Particularly, they ramped up their assortment of sustainable denim pieces, with three different cuts of jeans made of organic and regenerative cotton. “People email us all the time and say, ‘I’m trying to track this one pair of jeans down on resale sites,'’’ said Cramer. They were produced at Saitex, a sustainable factory in L.A. “It’s amazing,” said the designer. “They have a closed loop water system, and it recycles 98 percent of the water used in production.” Also innovative were the breezy maxi dresses made of silk that’s harvested from the wild. Farm to table? More like farm-to-fashion.
16 June 2023
“Stealth wealth” may be all the rage in fashion currently, but for pre-fall, Apiece Apart designers Laura Cramer and Starr Hout were feeling both bold and colorful. “It’s the first time we’ve really done daring brights,” said Hout, pointing to one of her delicious, hand-washed habitai shirts in an eye-popping fuchsia.It’s not the only uplifting hue in the duo’s new collection. From robin’s egg blue to key lime green, the pair experimented with incorporating sugary shades into their assortment of easy, wearable pieces. Turns out, the color palette had much to do with one of their seasonal inspirations: the work of Cuban-American artist Jorge Pardo. “He does a lot of tile juxtapositions, in really bright colors,” said Hout. “It felt so right; we love the idea of colors as medicine.”A recent trip to Mexico City also played a part in their new collection’s upbeat feel. “We’re always drawn to brutalist forms in a feminine color, and those two things really come together in Mexico City,” said Cramer. It resulted in pieces like a sharp-shaped lilac sundress, cinched with a wrap-tied waist. “We wanted to make her feel like she’s in a sarong, but she can walk in the city streets in it,” said Hout. A striped crochet tank dress, meanwhile, felt Ibiza-ready.Summer suiting also made a cameo: Blazers were done in timeless cream or terracotta, in a lightweight linen-cotton blend. “Summer suiting is something we really believe in,” said Hout. “Our women want it, and it’s selling out over and over again.” They also offered classic LBDs, like a strapless linen version settled overtop a classic white tee. “We love a black dress in the heat,” she added. That one’s for the New Yorkers.
7 June 2023
Florals? For spring? Turns out, theycanbe groundbreaking—at least, that’s what Apiece Apart designers Laura Cramer and Starr Hout felt this season. The duo’s main inspiration revolved around finding beauty in wildflowers; Hout had stumbled upon images of the author Tove Jahnson’s home on the island of Klovharu, Finland, surrounded by such various blooms. They were drawn to their sprightly colors, and the idea of “fresh beginnings.”As is often the case with Apiece Apart, Hout and Cramer narrowed in an easy, wearable collection of separates to carry out their inspiration. “There’s a lot of petal shapes [in the line],” said Hout, and they came through in pieces like the white, off-the-shoulder crop top with a slightly ruffled hem. “We were thinking of big peony petals,” Hout explained. There were also softer, whimsical floral prints on the summer dresses—including sleek tank shapes, or more billowy off-the-shoulder maxi styles. Hout added, “There’s always a soulfulness when it comes to our prints.”While the silhouettes were kept clean and largely uncomplicated, the proposal was that bright hues, florals, and stripes can be treated as a neutral—and even mix-and-matched. A striped-two piece set, made up of a sleeveless button-up shirt and billowy wide-leg pants, felt surprisingly subdued and easy to wear. Soft teal or bubblegum pink sweaters could be easily worn with jeans or with dress pants.Cramer and Hout also ventured into some newer, sexier territory this season. They added peek-a-boo cutouts onto some of the dresses, and experimented with more cropped silhouettes that revealed the body underneath. “We’re getting much more skin-focused,” says Hout. For spring, the pair also reintroduced suiting, like a classic and slouchy single-breasted blazer. While everyday dresses will always be their bread and butter, the pair are looking forward to ramping up their tailoring assortment. “There was a moment [in fashion] when pretty was ruling,” says Cramer. “But now [women] want to look strong.”
1 February 2023
Every resort season, Apiece Apart’s Laura Cramer and Starr Hout say they view designing their assortment of easy, wearable pieces as a new “fashion challenge.” The task at hand? To create clothes that can not only work for the holidays, but also pieces that can be sported on vacation, or transition into the spring. “Our mantra is clothes you can wear at least once a week,” says Hout. “So it’s a good design challenge: What are clothes that you can wear during this time, but also in the spring-summer?” The focus, then, was not on innovating, but rather on creating hero items for any and every occasion.The new collection includes both cold- and warm-weather staples. Inspired by a poll in which they asked friends and family what they enjoy wearing in November and December, they emphasized knitwear. A wool turtleneck, in a subtle waffle-stitch finish, was hefty without being too scratchy. They also experimented with autumnal separates like a washed chino jacket with oversized pockets, hunter-green leather pants, and new colors of their best-selling Meridian pant—which has a high-waisted, slight barrel shape to it—in a fresh, rusty red.For the vacation wear, Cramer and Hout used more upbeat colors like zingy oranges and blues, and lightened up the fabrications. There were breezy, oversized striped shirts, and a cotton robe with two-toned stripes, but the standouts were the lightwear tops, skirts, and dresses with smocking; a long, sleeveless smock shift dress even had a graphic shibori print all over it. “It’s insanely packable,” said Cramer.
10 November 2022
With Starr Hout now based in upstate New York and Laura Cramer in Austin, the Apiece Apart duo found themselves grappling with two very different surroundings and climates—and they wanted to craft a collection that reflects their different wardrobe needs. “As designers, we have to really think about different geographies now,” said Hout, with Cramer adding, “It’s been a big boon for our design process.”Hout also recently took a trip to Copenhagen, and the city’s vibrant street style scene inspired experiments with punchy colors. The results include cozy knits in sprightly turquoises or baggy trousers in a darker redwood hue. For their assortment of basics, they enjoyed the idea of juxtaposing unlikely shapes and shades together, just like the Danes do. “We brought together concepts of hard and soft, masculine and feminine,” said Cramer.All of the pieces are built for function and versatility. A herringbone wool jacket, for instance, can be worn three ways: solo as a bomber, detached as a vest, or fastened together for more of a layered look. A gray knit turtleneck poncho is also multipurpose: It can be worn loose over the body or with the hem wrapped around the neck like a scarf. They say this pragmatic approach stems from their own busy lives. “Being moms, we need a wardrobe of simple pieces that truly work—but it doesn’t have to be boring,” said Hout.With sustainability always a focus, the duo said that 99% of the collection was made using natural, organic, or recycled fabrics. A chic drape skirt in cream, for instance, was constructed using a fiber made of biodegradable cellulose. Some of their signatures, like cotton-poplin smock dresses and gauzy cutout dresses, returned. They also modernized pants, their best-selling item; a slouchy cotton-linen trouser felt of the moment, as did the green leather pants with a tapered bottom. “We wanted to create a foundation of design that really truly supports women’s lives so she can go anywhere and do anything,” said Hout. “Pieces that she can wear the hell out of.”
10 February 2022
For pre-fall, Starr Hout and Laura Cramer’s usual book of “gestures,” or inspiring photos and phrases, was filled with snaps of Al Boeke’s modern architecture at Sea Ranch. Built into the cliffs and surrounded by wild grasses in Sonoma County, California, the project was an experiment in building a community-oriented neighborhood that works with nature, not against it. Or as Hout and Cramer put it, “Living light on the land.” They kept the philosophy in mind when they designed this collection’s airy crocheted knits, smocked skirts, and featherlight maxidresses—clothes that help you feel “healthy, vibrant, soft, and strong.”The organic fabrics and soft palette were one part of that equation, but it’s Apiece Apart’s woman-friendly details that often make the difference between a regular dress and a cherished go-to. A few dresses were smocked snugly at the bust so women of many sizes can go braless (key on humid days!), while jewel-toned linen separates came with new, ballooning sleeves to roll up or not. Silhouette-wise, Hout and Cramer are pushing for the giant-skirt/tiny-top balance: In jet black, a full cotton maxi and ribbed-knit ballet top could go super casual or cocktail-worthy depending on the accessories.
9 December 2021
Starr Hout and Laura Cramer were only half-joking when they said they designed their resort 2022 prints to hide stains. The compact florals and muted ginghams on the smocked dresses, caftans, and drawstring shorts would, in fact, camouflage a coffee drip, a spilled kid’s snack, or any number of inadvertent spots or marks. Hout and Cramer aren’t in the business of head-to-toe ivory silks and fussy, dry-clean-only “day dresses”; they need clothes that work as hard as they do, without sacrificing femininity or softness.Resort’s palette of creams, browns, and taupes against rich emerald and cerulean translated the feeling they’re after at the moment: free, calm, untethered. In their packet of inspiration notes and photos, they used the wordsearthy,grounding, andsoulful. As always, their focus was less on reinventing the wheel and increasingly on making pieces that nail a tricky balance: easy to wear, yet interesting, with both keep-forever longevity and can’t-wait-to-wear-it-now details.The smocked-waist dresses—which hugged curves more than your typical Apiece Apart frock—hit the mark, ditto the utility jackets with oversized pockets and matching trousers. Other looks resonated simply for their canny color mixes: a seafoam sweatshirt with chocolate twill pants, or an emerald T-shirt with cornflower pants. They subtly communicated Hout and Cramer’s own obsession with styling: How many ways can you make a pant feel exciting? Right now, their answer is with color-blocking and tonal dressing, a happily simple approach during a frenetic time of year.
23 November 2021
Weightless, unburdened, renewal.Those words are hand-written in Starr Hout and Laura Cramer’s spring 2022 collection notes, followed by photos of sandy skin, olive trees, and turquoise water in Palma, Mallorca. The duo regularly present their booklet of inspirations—or “obsessions,” as they say—long before they dive into the clothing itself. They’re chasing a feeling at Apiece Apart, eschewing obscure references and concepts to think deeply about the ways clothing might soothe, uplift, and liberate us.After an emotionally heavy 18 months, this season’s chosen terms conjure the calmer, uninhibited feeling of “post-pandemic” bliss, even if that isn’t quite our reality yet. Some of the garments are in fact weightless: a marigold gown “drips” from the shoulders in sheer, airy gauze; crisp poplin camp shirts billow over ribbed bras and tanks; and open-weave knits feel surprisingly light in a downy cotton-cashmere blend. The label’s best-selling trousers were cut longer, looser, and lower on the hip, and the tiered and ruffled dresses of the past were similarly pared back. In place of that decoration was a surprising bit of sultriness: Ankle-length skirts had wide panels of smocking to hug the waist, while ditsy floral dresses revealed slivers of skin at the midriff and lower spine. Designers are bringing sexy back left and right this season, but finding cut-outs and body-con shapes at Apiece Apart—a brand that designs for real life, not for the runway—is all the proof we need that the movement is sticking.
28 September 2021
Cool pants and cozy sweaters are the building blocks of Apiece Apart’s fall collection. That might sound simple, and maybe even a little boring, but Starr Hout and Laura Cramer’s gestural silhouettes, rich colors, and luxe fabrics—most of them organic—lend a statement quality to those basics. Their most forward-thinking development is a curvy barrel-leg trouser, styled in various soothing, monochromatic looks: one in head-to-toe ivory, another in a more distinctive cobalt.The brand’s signature tight, high-rise Merida trousers are still top sellers, but those of us who are still working from home at makeshift desks (and in strange, contorted positions) are likely craving an easier, almost mannish fit. A pair of baggy pleated khakis looked compelling too, though Hout and Cramer were most excited about an ankle-length drop-crotch style. They fit more like joggers than “real pants,” and it’s easy to see women gravitating towards that slouchy-yet-refined balance in the months to come.Other highlights include a faux shearling coat (a vegan alternative to the brand’s popular sheepskins) and sweet floral dresses with full, layered sleeves. Styled with slim turtlenecks underneath, they were reframed as year-round garments. Beyond the utility of a “12-month” dress, it’s also a welcome alternative to the sloppy sweats and jeans we’ve resorted to in these gray, dreary times. By next fall, we’ll be eager to hold onto the color and warmth of summer as long as we can. The palette will help in that regard too: Cramer said they were looking at minerals and Earth pigments, like clay, indigo, sienna, cobalt, and iron. They’re bright, but still rooted in nature, keeping even the boldest pieces—like a lapis cable-knit or rose sweatsuit—feeling somehow grounded.
24 February 2021
Back in June, when Vogue Runway was covering the resort collections, there was a general feeling that they’d be the first clothes we buy for our “post-pandemic” wardrobes. In reality, those collections are arriving in stores and online as many cities brace for second (or third) waves. Los Angeles is entering another lockdown; Paris spent much of November inreconfinement; and New York is revoking indoor dining, likely one of many restrictions to come.All to say, the clothes we wear to “re-emerge” will probably come from the pre-fall collections we’re seeing that ship next May and June. By then, the hope is that many of us will be vaccinated, or at least vulnerable populations will be. No matter what, Apiece Apart’s Starr Hout and Laura Cramer just want to be on the beach. They found their inspiration in Hotel Saint Cristobal at the far point of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. They reasoned that even if they can’t actually travel there, they can channel its vibe and warm palette—a mix of desert clays and shades of the Pacific—in their summer wardrobe.Beyond pre-fall’s palette of aquamarine and rust, there was an ease about the silhouettes—loose, often with an elastic waist. More surprising were the touches of sport: A wide-leg cropped trouser was cinched at the waist with a drawstring, and the duo’s version of a “shorts suit” came in a lemon windbreaker and matching high-rise shorts. They also introduced their first line of swimwear in clean, no-frills cuts and muted tones of rust and sage. A maillot was shown as a bodysuit under joggers and a cobalt knit, while bikinis were styled as “tops” or layered under logo’d crewnecks. Cramer added that a few woven, elastic-waist trousers were cut in the same silhouette as Apiece Apart’s sweatpants; they’ll be clever in-between options for women who want “real pants” next summer, without sacrificing comfort.
11 December 2020
Fashion is a reflection of the times, but 2020 has challenged designers to be particularly reactive. On top of grappling with a pandemic and keeping their businesses afloat during a recession, we’re asking them to answer some pretty existential questions: What role does fashion play in times of crisis? And what do women really want to wear right now? What about five months from now?The answers seem to change almost as quickly as the news cycle. The spring 2021 collections are just getting underway, but already they’re striking a different tone than the resort lines we saw in June. Back then, Apiece Apart’s Starr Hout and Laura Cramer were thinking about comfort and safety, and showed a sweatshirt-heavy collection of minimal frills. Spring, however, found them craving more “expressive, productive” clothes, namely in the form of one-and-done dresses. The silhouettes are recognizably Apiece Apart—loose, comfortable, the kind you’d wear with Birkenstocks or sneakers—but the palette and prints are significantly bolder than usual. The duo said they wanted to embrace femininity in its most abundant, uplifting forms, best exemplified by a crimson floral wrap dress and a range of lapis shibori pieces. Hout pointed out that the shibori dyeing was done in a quite straightforward, traditional way; in the past, her team may have tweaked the technique to make it their own, but they were inclined to keep things classic here. The idea was to highlight a traditional, time-honored craft, one that’s often done by women; the Victorian pin-tucked dresses and hand-smocked trapeze gowns were similarly reverent. There’s something comforting about those familiar, timeless flourishes; why complicate them if you don’t have to? It’s impossible to know what the world will look like in February, when this collection ships, but Hout and Cramer are hopeful that women will be ready for a vibrant, ultra-feminine dress with a handmade touch—something simple, but with heart.
9 September 2020
Over the past few months, Starr Hout and Laura Cramer have been sharing Apiece Apart’s Instagram with 20 inspiring women around the world: artists, teachers, nurses, friends. Each one staged a “takeover” on the brand’s Instagram Stories, where they shared their day-to-day routines and glimpses of what their lives look like now. The project was meant to spotlight real women’s experiences in these uncertain times and bring a sense of unfiltered humanity to what can be an exceedingly artificial online experience.None of that has much to do with Hout and Cramer’s resort collection, but it speaks directly to their approach as designers: They strive to understand what their customers truly need and communicate with them directly—often on Instagram. They want to bring comfort and ease to women’s lives, especially now; suffice it to say Apiece Apart isn’t where you should look for fantastical, “escapist” fashion, unless your idea of escape involves a road trip wrapped in cotton-cashmere sweats.Non-sloppy sweats were already a strong category for Apiece Apart, so it wasn’t surprising to hear that sales of their puffed-sleeve pullovers and woven joggers were way up in March and April. Looking ahead to January, when this collection will ship, the designers said they found it difficult to predict what their women will need. Will we still be in lockdown in the early days of 2021, or will our lives have resumed their “normal” cadence? It all hinges on vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, of course. Regardless, there’s a good chance we’ll still be spending a lot of time at home, particularly those of us in cities with harsh winters—and, 10 months in, our sweats will probably be in need of an upgrade. Hout and Cramer expanded their range accordingly with new head-to-toe knit sweats, as seen in the opening look, which combines an ivory cotton pointelle cardigan and joggers with another pullover cinched around the waist. A navy sweatshirt and joggers came in a loftier cotton-cashmere blend, and they reintroduced their signature cotton-jersey sweats in warm, natural shades of clay and camel. Other looks mirrored Cramer’s own tendencies to mix sweats with “real clothes,” like a striped blouse tucked into knit pants or a sweatshirt layered over a breezy floral dress. They balanced our new obsession with comfort with a latent desire to dress with a sense of occasion—even if that occasion is just a low-key dinner outside.
Most importantly, Hout and Cramer hope the collection can instill a feeling of calm in an increasingly “wild world.” It’s fitting that they shot the look book at a dharma center in upstate New York; it completed their vision of staying centered, reconnecting with nature, and achieving zen, whether that’s through a weeklong meditation retreat or simply finding great, comfortable clothes to live in and forget about.
16 July 2020
Apiece Apart is a label that dresses women for real life. Not for Instagram, not for black-tie events, and not for the exotic destinations few of us actually have the time (or means) to visit. As such, Starr Hout and Laura Cramer have to navigate the tricky balance of making things women truly want to wear andalsomaking clothes that surprise and excite them. They’re responding to what clients buy and love, but they also have to anticipate what those women don’t know they’re going to love next. Some of AA’s greatest hits have been the items that nail that equilibrium, like the Merida pant, an early example of the high-rise-cropped wide-leg trouser that’s now in many women’s closets. More recently, a puffed-sleeve cashmere sweater was a runaway success, bringing a bit of romance to a wardrobe workhorse.For fall 2020 Cramer and Hout were ruminating on what their customers will need in August and September (not long before our next election). They found much of their inspiration in the women they surround themselves with, like Laura Ferrara, who styled this shoot, as well as those they’ve never met in Copenhagen. The designers have been dreaming of visiting the Nordic city but gained an understanding of the Danish look via Instagram. The women there have a playful, unpretentious approach to getting dressed, with a knack for layering and bright colors, and they’re almost always wearing sneakers (all but necessary when you bike everywhere). They’re stylish without being fashion victims, which is a pretty apt description of Apiece Apart’s clientele, too.Cramer and Hout designed fall with those women in mind, but much of it came down to styling and understanding how each garment will be used. They’ve noticed that women from all over—Copenhagen to New York to Paris—are wearing knee-high boots again, so almost every item looked that much better with a black stacked-heel boot, from graphic silk dresses to cropped trousers. The duo is into the idea of wearing fitted turtlenecks under sweaters and dresses, as well, and the trick made a voluminous, flowery cobalt dress look remarkably different. A cherry red turtleneck was similarly layered under an olive dress and tweed coat, while a painterly mock-neck peeked out of a black midi dress. Maybe it’s the covered-up, deliberately unprecious vibe a turtleneck adds that feels so right; sometimes you need to disturb the prettiness of a dress.
With climate change looming and an anxious election upon us, many women likely aren’t inclined to look delicate and feminine these days. That doesn’t mean you can’t wear a dress, of course: Cramer and Hout have simply offered a way to toughen theirs up a little. And if you aren’t into dresses at all, that’s just as well; there were nearly a dozen excellent pants to choose from here, from a leather flare to an ultra-wide-leg pair. The designers were particularly excited about a new jean with a straight leg and charcoal wash, too.
8 February 2020
Many designers talk about being “women designing for other women,” but few are as authentic as Apiece Apart’s Starr Hout and Laura Cramer. As they flipped through their pre-fall lookbook, the first thing they pointed out wasn’t the clothes, but the background: a white shelf lined with curvy ceramics, each by a different female sculptor. The second thing they pointed out was the print on a dress, which was painted by another female artist, Rosie McGuinness. They care as much about celebrating and supporting other women as they do designing the perfect wide-leg trouser or macramé sweater; in fact, they said one of the greatest pleasures of opening their stores has been selling beauty products, jewelry, and accessories by other like-minded women. In their just-opened Tribeca shop, you’ll find Apiece Apart’s fragrance oils made in collaboration with Bodha; jewelry by Kathleen Whitaker; and skin care by 3rd Ritual, among other special items.How all of that translates to the clothing lies in Hout and Cramer’s deep understanding of how women want to look and feel. In addition to their own needs and experiences, they get feedback from customers, friends, and collaborators, and have gathered that summer (when this collection ships) is the right time for a wardrobe palate cleanser. In lieu of the season’s typical ditsy florals and pastels were separates in head-to-toe emerald, slate, and navy. The loose silhouettes felt like a breath of fresh air: A new wide-leg trouser and tiered A-line dress left ample space between the fabric and body.Similarly, the duo’s usual ruffles were pared back in favor of boxier, almost tomboyish silhouettes, like striped knit polos and loose cuffed shorts (they’re not Bermudas and they’re also not culottes—they’re just shorts!). Hout was quick to note that in addition to being easy to wear, these clothes will be easy on the earth: Almost every fabric is organic (the macramé knits were also botanically dyed), representing a step forward in their mission to produce more responsibly.
10 December 2019
Laura Cramer and Starr Hout showed their Resort 2020 collection back in June, but chose to wait until the clothes were in stores to promote it. It’s a strategy employed by a growing number of brands in the age of Instagram, and can work in a designer’s favor—or not—depending on what happens in the months between. Serendipitously, Apiece Apart’s Resort lineup is gelling nicely with the groovy, Summer-of-Love spirit we saw on so many Spring 2020 runways a few weeks ago. Those who want to channel that vibe now—not in a few months’ time—can head straight to Cramer and Hout’s stores in SoHo or East Hampton (or shop one of their many e-tailers).In the mix were breezy dresses, denim jumpsuits, and a few striped coats reminiscent of baja hoodies, but the ’60s feeling was mostly in the palette and prints. A tiered maxi dress and cropped trousers came in a sweet daisy print of orange, lavender, and emerald, and a handful of wear-anywhere shirtdresses were splashed with a painterly blush and mustard motif. The duo also interpreted their signature Merida pants—cropped, high-rise flares—as a low-key suit, styling them with matching blazers in lilac or rose. The effect was lean and willowy, not boyish, and it’s easy to picture Merida collectors trying out the look with a printed blouse and stacked-heel boots.Those items will look both familiar and novel to the Apiece Apart customer, who will also appreciate Cramer and Hout’s real motivation: the second-wave feminists of the ’60s. A quote from Gloria Steinem was printed in their usual brand book: “Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It’s about making life more fair for women everywhere. It’s not about a piece of the existing pie…. It’s about baking a new pie.” The Apiece Apart community is made up of women who would whole-heartedly agree. That wordcommunityhas become a bit of a buzzword of late, but theirs is as organic and un-forced as they come. Fortunately they make the clothes to match.
25 October 2019
“Modern earthy” is how Starr Hout and Laura Cramer like to describe the vibe at Apiece Apart. Fans of their canvas trousers, flowery maxidresses, and best-selling jumpsuits would likely agree with that sentiment. Think of them as clothes for the city dweller with an inner flower child. Spring 2020 found the duo thinking about the early days of their label, when the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi was their guiding influence. More than a decade later, they’re combining it with prints and textures inspired by Bali; they jokingly called it a “wabi-Bali” feeling. It was most obvious in the floor-length cotton shirtdress printed all over with mauve-y ikat, as well as in the barefoot styling; they photographed the collection on a quiet beach in Long Island.The more abstracted prints in new, washed-out colors—orange and teal, black and aqua—felt Bali-esque, but this wasn’t a particularly literal collection. In fact, much of it seemed to indulge the designers’ tendencies for a cleaner, more pared-back minimalism. Rolled-up shorts and blouses came in their signature “typewriter fabric,” a thin, crisp cotton. The palette was almost entirely cream and beige, with a hit of soft aqua in the form of their favorite sweatsuit, a puffed-sleeve pullover with matching joggers.Bold color has been the story at Apiece Apart over the past few seasons—Fall’s petunia corduroys and vibrant damask prints are arriving in stores now—so Spring felt surprisingly restrained. It might not grab the attention of brand-new customers, but for diehard fans this collection will feel like a timely palette cleanser—and, in a way, it’s getting back to that “modern earthy” thing with simple but not stark basics.
18 September 2019
Laura Cramer and Starr Hout tend to build theirApiece Apartcollections around specific references—sometimes it’s an artist, but more often than not it’s a place, from Mallorca to Los Angeles. Fall 2019 found them working backwards, in a way. Without a particular jumping off-point in mind, they simply designed pieces that felt right: jeans, sporty anoraks, elevated sweats, cropped leather pants, and all manner of billowy floral dresses. The palette was intuitive, too: There was a ton of brown (it’s already looking like a very earth-toned season), bright splashes of violet, and hits of teal and indigo.It wasn’t until it came time to style the collection and shoot the lookbook that the idea of an English countryside wedding materialized in the designers’ minds. Much of that came down to the flat leather boots they paired with every single look, from corduroy jumpsuits to flowery gowns. Cramer pointed out the diaphanous ivory dress with a faded black floral print, suggesting it could be an English bride’s rehearsal dinner look—right down to the boots. “You can sort of picture her tromping through the gardens,” she said.For wedding guests, there was an orchid silk dress with blouson sleeves and ruffle trims; a crinkly, curve-skimming gown in turquoise plaid; and a damask printed jumpsuit to consider. All three would be festive and less predictable than your standard-issue slip dress or A-line frock. Apiece Apart hasn’t typically been a resource for eveningwear, and day clothes still made up the bulk of this collection—the leather trousers were a highlight, ditto the handful of cozy shearlings and puffers—but it would be interesting to see Cramer and Hout experiment with more of that fancy stuff. Many of their peers are dressing women for every possible occasion, from the school drop-off to a business meeting to a black-tie gala. What would an Apiece Apart evening capsule look like? Their customer is so devoted to the brand, she’s likely already asked them for one on Instagram.
9 February 2019
Sports is probably the last thing you’d expect Apiece Apart designers Laura Cramer and Starr Hout to be inspired by. This is a brand known for arty jumpsuits, puff-sleeved knits, and floral dresses—the kind of easy, subtly feminine pieces you’d wear to brunch in Park Slope, not to Equinox. But athletic references have been sneaking into their recent collections; Spring introduced their take on a tracksuit, and for Pre-Fall, Cramer and Hout reimagined some of their greatest hits in a soft, leisurely sweatshirt material. A balloon-sleeved, ruffle-neck blouse was whipped up in sage cotton, complete with ribbed cuffs and a half-zip where the button placket used to be. The Apiece Apart woman will throw it on with jeans for a day of errands.It wasn’t really sports that inspired those pieces (though they did say the denim shorts were a riff on a pair of Patagonia Baggies). Hout and Cramer were thinking more about their customers’ increasingly busy lives and their need for comfortable, no-brainer items that don’t look sloppy. Easier said than done! Their strength is in filling those gray areas: The multi-print cotton and habutai dresses looked casual enough to wear during the day, but they’re special enough for a wedding, too. Similarly, their best-selling canvas pants have a rugged, utilitarian vibe, but with a pinched waist and flared legs, they’re oddly sexy. The designers may have even introduced their first bona fide (but still low-key) wedding dress, or at least a dress you could wear to the rehearsal or morning-after brunch: an ivory cotton organza gown with a wide portrait neckline, fully embroidered with tonal flowers.
4 December 2018
Most of us took a vacation (or two) this summer, but Starr Hout and Laura Cramer stayed local. Aside from weekend trips upstate or to the Hamptons, they “put their wanderlust into the clothes,” said Cramer. They’re both working moms, and Hout is expecting her second child. When things calm down a bit, they’ve been dreaming of going to Majorca. Every season, Hout and Cramer make a book of photographs that inspire the collection, and for Spring 2019, the ones they pulled of the Spanish island were a study in contrasts: sandy neutrals versus bold, saturated bursts of color. Several looks took the idea quite literally, like a khaki parka color-blocked with red and cerulean. Other pieces simply felt warm: a billowy dress with wide stripes of lavender, navy, and saffron; a tawny sweater tucked into matching brown army pants; a soft wrap dress in melon-striped silk voile handwoven in India.Majorca vibes aside, direct references are rarely the story at Apiece Apart. Hout and Cramer care more about how their clothes make women feel; as a result, they’ve intuitively designed pieces that fit and flatter a range of body types and personalities. Like their fan base, the designers aren’t one-dimensional, and this collection in particular spoke to the two sides of their business: The dreamy, feminine side had billowy dresses in ditzy florals and blown-up paisleys, while the graphic, monochrome side was made up of sleek wide-leg pants, belted jumpsuits, and long-sleeved minidresses in “typewriter cotton,” named for its dry, papery feel.Easy trousers and pretty blouses are par for the course at Apiece Apart, but the sporty, track-inspired pieces were today’s genuine surprise. Just don’t call it streetwear! The color-blocked half-zip was too special to actually wear to a sweaty workout class, but it would be nice for a transatlantic flight—with the matching pants, not leggings, for the record.
5 September 2018
Apiece Apart’s Laura Cramer and Starr Hout just opened a store in Los Angeles, their second outpost following the success of their pop-up–turned–permanent shop in New York’s Soho. Deep down, they’re New Yorkers, but there’s something quite L.A. about their clothes. First and foremost, they’re soft and easy; you can picture a lot of pieces going from the beach to a dinner party; and, lately, even the palette seems to mimic the dreamy, dusky colors of a West Coast sunset.For Resort 2019, the designers were actually thinking about the sky in another destination: Andalusia, Spain. The dresses and quilted jackets in lilac, rust, teal, and aqua stripes evoked an evening on the Spanish coast, and there were subtle flamenco details here and there: tiny ruffles along a tiered dress, generous blouson sleeves, and full, twirl-friendly skirts. If that sounds girly to you, it wasn’t overtly so; Hout and Cramer have a knack for creating volume without fuss.Going back to the easy California thing: During their many trips to Venice to work on their store, the duo started noticing their neighbors’ ultra-casual dress code. Many L.A. women—and women everywhere, really—simply alternate between athletic clothes and some version of luxe sweatpants. So Hout and Cramer put their own clever spin on leisurewear: Their signature Flame Thrower zip-front jumpsuit, which usually comes in hardy denim or canvas, was reimagined in a drapey, crazy-soft cotton. For the athleisure averse, it will be a go-to for busy mornings, slow weekends, and long-haul flights.
4 June 2018
Starr Hout and Laura Cramer like to say they make clothes that allow women to live their wildest dreams. In other words, they’re “real life” pieces that make looking good easy, so you can focus on bigger things. That doesn’t mean the clothes are overly simple or boring; Hout and Cramer have an eye for color—for Fall 2018, it’s lavender and rust—and special tweaks, like a slightly Victorian sleeve. Even their boldest pieces are done with restraint, and Hout and Cramer have a keen eye for fit. On paper, a corduroy jumpsuit sounds like a disaster, but theirs was light (not bulky!), super soft, and spliced with waist-whittling elastic. The patch-pocket corduroy pants were surprisingly flattering, too; in fact, pants and jumpsuits in general are a big business for Apiece Apart. They can’t keep their pin-tucked denim overalls in stock, so they reintroduced them here in a bright ’70s wash. Similarly, their Merida pant—a high-waist, wide-leg crop—is so coveted, it reappears in every collection. The new iteration for Fall 2018 came in buttery “paperweight” leather.On that luxe note, Hout and Cramer also introduced a leather trench with a rounded collar, blouson sleeves, and a self-tie belt; superfans, start saving now. The shearling coats looked good, too, particularly the one in dusty lavender, but women who don’t wear real leather or skins should bookmark the glossy faux-fur bomber jacket. Hout said the younger women on her team had begged for it; it’s one of the more streetwise pieces you’ll find at Apiece Apart, but felt right at home over their Lurex madras jumpsuit.
8 February 2019
Designers often say they’re surprised by the pieces that become best sellers. They’re rarely the ones that fit into a conventional mold of “salable” clothing, nor are they the items they spent extra time developing. Maybe it’s because women have such an emotional relationship with clothes or the fact that we all respond differently to the nuances of a garment. It’s especially true for Starr Hout and Laura Cramer of Apiece Apart, who enjoy a customer base of women who want to look anything but conventional.Here’s a good example: One of their top-performing colors is “pachu mama,” an olive-tinged brown. Hout joked that brown is never “supposed” to work in retail, but their earth-color dresses and tops fly off the shelves. Another runaway success has been their canvas zippered jumpsuit; Pre-Fall’s came in a “chalky” shade of rose and was cinched with a woven belt. Fashion types probably find that utilitarian look sexy, but it’s certainly not atraditionalkind of sexy. “Women still want to look attractive, but they aren’t dressing for men anymore,” Hout said. That might sound simplistic, but, believe it or not, the notion is still catching on for many retailers.Apiece Apart isn’t lacking for sex appeal, though. Hout and Cramer cut an ultra-sexy high-rise jean, and their printed dresses have the kind of easy, languid drape that translates as alluring. The prettiest ones here came in vibrant Monet-ish prints with scooped necklines, twisted halters, and asymmetric hems.
15 December 2017
Laura Cramer and Starr Hout like to say they make clothes that help women become who they are. Apiece Apart isn’t where you’ll find super-aspirational pieces that make you want to change everything about yourself in order to pull them off; why walk around feeling like an imposter when you can feel pretty, put-together, and totally at ease in the label’s wrap dresses, hand-knits, and block-printed tops? They’re colorful, intuitive items that draw you to the rack, but the reason the brand has such a loyal following is because the clothes just make you feel good. It also explains why Apiece Apart’s “temporary” pop-up on Broome Street is still open two years later; it’s done so well they’ve decided to make it permanent. Who said brick-and-mortar is dead?When Spring ’18 arrives in that shop early next year, we’re guessing the first pieces to sell out will be the ones in the brand’s newest fabrication: Lurex. The designers admitted they would never have used the sparkly stuff a few years ago, but after a decade in business, they’re more willing to trust their instincts—and live a little, too. In black and white, the rainbow Lurex-striped jumpsuits, popover blouses, and sarong-inspired wrap skirts still felt inherently Apiece Apart, because they were comfortable, joyful, and statement-making without looking fussy. The black off-the-shoulder midi dress would be a surprising (and festive!) cocktail option, but the white knotted version had everyday appeal; it would make even a jam-packed day of errands seem more fun.
22 September 2017
Everybody’s moving to California. So we New Yorkers keep hearing, although evidence on the street suggests there are plenty of us still here. Count Apiece Apart designers Starr Hout and Laura Cramer as two of the Big Apple dwellers who have been seduced by the dream of heading out West, a place, we are told, where you can still do all the things you can do here, but where there’s room to spread out and, as Hout put it, “design your own life.” Cramer and Hout are staying put, at least for now, but their latest collection drew on the California allure, conjuring a tone of ultra-ease and elegant rusticity.That tone was effectively conveyed by this season’s good-looking stripes: Cramer and Hout started graphic and then found myriad ways to soften the edges of the stripes, smudging them via quilting or Miyake-style micro-pleats, for instance, or creating a painterly stripe used in a caftan-style dress that seemed tailor-made for a Sunday in Topanga. Many of the fabrications engaged a similar dialogue between structure and softness, notably the much-deployed cotton canvas, seen here in earthy tones of cream and clay and olive drab, which Hout and Cramer washed, a process that introduced a touch of crinkle. The sense of hand was echoed in the terrific crocheted knits.The canny thing about this collection was that it didn’t seem like some kind of bohemian fever dream. There were urbane touches, like silver Lurex knits, and work-friendly pieces such as a canvas wrap jacket or a straight skirt in an ikat-like print. The fact that this outing boasted at least as many jumpsuits with disciplined silhouettes as it did breezy dresses dispelled any notion that these were clothes made just for lolling about. They were loll-friendly, to be sure, but with just enough snap to serve women walking at a fast clip down the streets of Manhattan.
23 June 2017
Count Starr Hout and Laura Cramer are among the designers who have shifted course, slightly, in response to November’s election results. The Apiece Apart duo have been particularly vocal in their support of Planned Parenthood, and their actions have made them an online target of people who don’t take kindly to that sort of thing; the experience seems to have considerably stiffened Hout and Cramer’s spines, and, perhaps as a knock-on effect, the spine of their clothes. Although the latest Apiece Apart collection had its share of the diaphanous, bohemian-toned clothes that have been a brand mainstay for several seasons, this outing was notable more for its return to structured looks. The mood was still relaxed, but less in the sense of vacation chill, and more in the sense of “keep calm and carry on.”If there was one item here that seemed to define this season’s tonal shift, it was Apiece Apart’s cargo-pocketed jumpsuit. Fitted along the waist and made from garment-washed pale pink denim or lilac suede, the jumpsuit didn’t lack for feminine frisson, but it nevertheless read as hardy workwear. Ditto the fit-and-flare flak jackets, cropped leather trousers and paper bag-waist khakis, and no-nonsense tees in a delectably fine cotton and linen blend. Even the signature Apiece Apart ruffles here came off a bit muscular—to wit, the ruffled strapless denim dress, which had a don’t-mess-with-me matter-of-factness. This season’s assertive graphic prints had a similar sense of bite.Not everything here came off quite so tough. Plush shearling coats, high-pile hand-knit sweaters, and long skirts and dresses in finer floral and snow-track prints had a consoling quality. That was by design, according to Hout and Cramer: Heeding the calls for women suddenly thrust into the demands of active citizenry to allow time for self-care, they wanted there to be space in this collection for comfort. Well, fair enough.
14 February 2017
At first blush, the latestApiece Apartcollection had a strong escapist vibe to it. The romantic off-the-shoulder ruffles; the summery flowing silhouettes; the washed-out colors and floral prints, the latter a first for this brand. But as Laura Cramer and Starr Hout explained at an appointment today, this lineup was galvanized by a sense of reckoning: The election—its vitriol-spiked last months and unexpected grand finale—got them thinking about the particular nature of female strength. How does it show itself? How is it embodied?Cramer and Hout’s answer to that question boiled down to this: Female strength looks like softness, but its true spirit is one of ruthless practicality. In a complex world, who doesn’t want some grace, some beauty? But on the other hand, how nice if that grace and beauty comes in a fabrication that can be tossed in the washing machine and dried at home on the line, as the Apiece Apart ruffled denim dress and top could be, and likewise the pieces in the cinnamon and black graphic floral? And as the designers pointed out, isn’t there somethingstrongerin the fact that women get to throw on no-brainer dresses, such as their maxi-length knit, rather than constantly fussing with suits and other species of tailoring?Not that there weren’t some mannish touches here. A printed jumpsuit, for instance, winked at traditional workwear. But that had more to do with the casual inflection of this collection than with any sop to the sartorial codes of dudes. The new linen-blend Apiece Apart tees underscored the laid-back vibe. These were the most matter-of-fact items, but you got the impression that all these clothes were meant to be worn the same way: easily, in comfort, the better to fight the good fight.
12 December 2016
Laura Cramer and Starr Hout have been dallying in Latin America of late, sourcing inspiration for recentApiece Apartcollections from Mexico, Bolivia, and Peru. This time out, the duo picked up stakes and transferred their footloose Apiece Apart woman to the deserts of Africa. It so happened that this change in location occasioned a return to Apiece Apart’s roots: Thinking about the desert’s hot days and cold nights, and the portable lives of the nomads who inhabit those forbidding lands, Cramer and Hout found themselves reconnecting with the idea of the layer-able, infinitely re-combinable wardrobe, the original organizing principle of their brand.That made for a collection rich with workaholic items like cropped pants, breezy blouses, natty jumpsuits, and contrast-trimmed ribbed tees. But the soul of this outing was its caftan-like dresses and loose coats in canvas or denim, pieces easy to fling on, made from durable materials, yet with a romantic charisma. The modern-day urban nomad could make it pretty far with a wardrobe comprised only of a couple of Apiece Apart’s blowsy printed frocks, in either Berber-inspired tile print or a graphic pattern riffed off Masai textiles, plus this collection’s stripped-down denim coat. If you think about it, when the weather’s warm, what else do you really need?
9 September 2016
Now that Starr Hout and Laura Cramer have got theApiece Apartmachine running smoothly, the duo seem ready to have a little fun. The latest collection from the brand reiterated most of the signatures that Hout and Cramer have worked so hard to establish in the past few years—versatile knitwear, denim and tailoring, and relaxed separates and dresses infused with a Southwestern aesthetic and a sense of romance. But this outing also evolved the Apiece Apart idiom by introducing a more festive atmosphere.The shift in attitude was noticeable, first of all, in the collection’s palette. Alongside the standby white, black, navy, and desert neutrals, there were dense shades of yellow and coral, and most eye-popping of all, cochineal fuchsia and pink. Hout and Cramer incorporated these hues into folksy digital prints with an almost three-dimensional vividness. Real texture here was rich as well, with healthy doses of smocking and pleats and lace embroidery, not to mention fabrics rigorously washed down to create a warm, lived-in feel. The standard Apiece Apart cropped jean, for instance, came with a gentle pre-wrinkle courtesy of the garment dye. It was—in the most literal sense—a nice touch. But if you really wanted an invite to the Apiece Apart party this season, it was found in the fringe and multicolored confetti embroidery on the collection’s hand-knits. The mostly matter-of-fact Apiece Apart girl was invited to this soiree; this was she, following a few shots of top-notch mezcal.
13 June 2016
All these seasons later, it still seems worth pointing out thatApiece Apartbegan as a modular wardrobe: The collections were comprised of pieces designed to be mixed and matched with each other, and with looks by the label from previous seasons. Apiece Apart duo Starr Hout and Laura Cramer have loosened the reins on their modular concept, but that starting point remains relevant insofar as the brand is still driven by a sense of realism about what women look for in clothes. Even as Hout and Cramer have dialed up the romance and the seasonal novelty of their collections—and this collection was long on both—they’ve kept sight of brass tacks concerns such as versatility and comfort. Consider, for instance, this season’s black jersey, V-neck dress, nipped gently at the waist by elastic disguised by a touch of ruching. Now there’s a go-to garment, if ever there was one.American fashion was built, in large part, by women who thought the way Cramer and Hout do. Think Claire McCardell, Bonnie Cashin,Diane von Furstenberg. Like these designers, the Apiece Apart ladies understand that functionality and ease needn’t be the enemy of charm, which helps to explain why their wearable clothes are increasingly defined by flourishes such as ruffles. This season the signature ruffles came soft and fluid, as on the collar of a silky poet blouse or the butterfly-wing sleeves on a top of gauzy linen, or they came pert and structured, as in mottled green dresses in an engineered cotton knit. The engineered cottons were new this time out, and made for another strength in Apiece Apart’s expanding range of knitwear. Other new materials, such as velvet and Lurex, added to this outing’s sense of flash. The ponchos and reversible shearlings, meanwhile, helped to keep the collection’s feet on the ground. Cramer and Hout aren’t designers given to fantasy, but they’re making quite a business for themselves teasing out the beauty of the everyday.
14 March 2016
WhenApiece Apartlaunched in 2008, its organizing principle was modularity. DesignersLaura CramerandStarr Houtwanted all their clothes to mix and match together—not just within collections, but between seasons and over the years. What those modular clothes lacked in romance they more than made up for in durability: Longtime Apiece Apart fans will attest that they still wear looks from the earliest collections.Modularity is no longer the organizing principle of the label. Cramer and Hout have loosened the reins on their concept over the years, making clothes that are versatile and un-faddish but that impart some emotional resonance. They hit a sweet spot this season, drawing on Luis Barragán’s “emotional architecture” for inspiration. Cramer and Hout have long hewed to the look of Mexico and the Southwest, and the elements of those aesthetics that they drew on here fit organically into the established Apiece Apart vernacular. The tonal embroidery and hand-crochet in this collection was new for the brand, but it didn’t feel that way. The designers also worked in proven silhouettes, giving them just a touch of an update—the easy dresses that could be cinched or worn loose continued an idea they debuted for Resort, while the ruffled crop tops made for a flirty reiteration of one of their most popular shapes.The real development was in the knits. Alongside the excellent fine-cotton ribs—another continuation from Resort—were sweaters with lacelike texture and engineered knit pieces emblazoned with graphic stripes. The engineered knit tube skirt and matching ruffled bandeau was a look with terrific pop, and it made for a nice counterpoint to the gauziness of the collection overall. Even the punchiest items still read as staples that would wear well over the years—you could even see them paired with pieces from the Apiece Apart debut.
16 September 2015
Call it the result of preseasons' (perhaps dauntingly) open-ended nature, but a lot of designers seem to be looking inward this season. Many are the brands whose Resort outings have been focused on reworking their design codes. For the pair behind Apiece Apart, it led them to thinking about their geographical origins. Laura Cramer and Starr Hout's label crystallized during a road trip through the Southwest, and here they let their minds wander through the dramatic landscapes and artier proclivities of Galisteo, New Mexico, home of the late painter Agnes Martin and to Tom Ford and Richard Buckley's Tadao Ando-designed ranch. It was present in the palette, heavy on neutrals and spiked by high notes of citron. The Apiece Apart woman is just that: a woman, not a girl—mature and a little arty, with a wardrobe that exists somewhere at the crossroads of soigné and quirky. Resort's shapes reflected that, as the pair embraced an easy kind of sensuality, drapey and textured. A simple gauzy dress came with hook-and-eye closures that could take its neckline from prim to plunging, and was trimmed in crafty pompoms. Still, in terms of sex appeal, their slinky, ever-so-slightly sheer rib knits were the dark-horse hit here. Lush knitwear, much of it produced in Peru, has been a longstanding strong suit for the label, but pieces less within their wheelhouse, like leather culottes, felt savvy, too—and are already paying off, it would seem: In the midst of their sales appointments, the designers hinted that Resort would be a breakthrough season for the brand.
9 June 2015
As collection précis go, Picasso never comes as too great a shock. More pleasantly surprising are occasions when his muses take center stage, and such was the case with Apiece Apart's Fall outing. The artist's lover (and artist in her own right) Francoise Gilot was one of the chief inspirations behind a vibrant, sophisticated outing that took its other cues from flamenco and the Basque country. Designers Starr Hout and Laura Cramer are vigilantly aware of the day-to-day needs of their customer. As such, outerwear got a lot of love here, in boiled bouclé coats and belted toffee-colored toppers. Those are the kind of investment pieces that their woman will want at the ready to team with their brand of basics, the hardy knits and crisp cottons they turn out to great success every season. Not too basic, though. Keeping an eye to the spirit of flamenco lent these clothes a lot of richness, in asymmetrical ruffles and bright pops of marigold and what Hout dubbed "Post-It pink." Bearing in mind their woman's wants from the office to after-hours (a cliché, but a worthy one), the pair asked themselves,What is our sexy?and came out on the other side with a tiered slipdress—sexy, yes, but with quirk to spare.
20 March 2015
For last season's ode to 1980s downtown creatives—Alex Katz, Tina Weymouth, and all the rest—Apiece Apart sent out a collection uncharacteristically rich in pattern: There was television static, kinetic geometrics, and bold stripes. With its Spring offering, it's taken a step back and instead thrown itself headlong into a collection inspired by the stark graphic appeal of the Grecian islands.Ideas of light and space were paramount, so designers Starr Hout and Laura Cramer cast their typically stripped-down shapes, like palazzo pants and boxy little crop tops, in marine blues and whites, sheeny chambray, and substantial linen. They riffed on traditional Grecian key motifs with beautiful embroidered designs, seen on a top and shorts, while blue and white color-blocked dresses evoked the Aegean and whitewashed walls nicely. Buttery custom Peruvian knits have at this point become a hallmark of the duo's offerings, and Spring's lush, fringed ponchos are sure to top many a wish list—ditto much of the collection's outerwear, like a gorgeous waxed cotton trench in a tawny brown and crisp linen trenches. Those will look just as nice on the streets of Manhattan with a midi skirt, as rumpled over a maillot on some beach in Hydra.
6 October 2014
With their latest offering, Apiece Apart designers Starr Hout and Laura Cramer stressed the notion of a woman becoming who she aspires to be. It was an apt metaphor for a brand that, over the course of a single season, seems to have progressed by leaps and bounds. Apiece Apart's Fall offering boasts exponentially more pattern than the label has ever shown before and a newly conceptual approach to the mix-and-match basics they've made their name on. Hout and Cramer cited the eighties downtown gallery scene as an inspiration, and indeed, there was a bit of Alex Katz around the edges of a multihued-stripe print. (It looked smart on a shift, smarter still on an A-line midi skirt.) The designers described another fabric, a fairly literal interpretation of television static, as an allegory for carving out space in the noise of a New York day. All of it struck a keen balance between graphic-art-inspired prints and cozier, organic elements, like gorgeous nubby wool coats and ponchos in custom Peruvian knits (the latter's own stark appeal saves wearers from looking as though they've stumbled out of a head shop). For Apiece Apart, the shift from Spring ’13 to Fall ’14 seems a bit extensive and a bit cerebral to be dismissed as pure organic growth. If anything, it feels like an exuberant creative exercise gone very right. That's to say nothing of the fact that they've grown by nearly sixty stockists over the course of three seasons. Sounds like they're well on their way to becoming the brand they want to be.
12 March 2014
Encountering this season's Apiece Apart collection required some adjustment of the eye. It wasn't quite sensory overload—designers Starr Hout and Laura Cramer are way too measured for that—but this outing definitely set a standard for the brand in terms of its use of pattern and print. Which is to say, therewaspattern and print—a winning tile work-inspired graphic, for one, and a tonal grid in Italian jacquard, not to mention a broderie anglaise. The shapes, too, hinted at a loosening of Apiece Apart's signature reserve, with some shorter hemlines and girlish touches like a ruffled sleeve. The feel of the collection was more peppy and youthful, overall, but with enough of the brand's endemic function-minded adult-ness to make this outing seem more an evolution than a blind leap. And there were simple pieces to satisfy fans of the pared-back Apiece Apart look, as well; surely many of them will be eager to add this collection's lightweight chambray dresses and skirts to their wardrobes, not to mention the clever cape-sleeve tops. All in all, a nice progression.
29 October 2013
Apiece Apart's Laura Cramer and Starr Hout are poets of the practical. Although the premise of their brand is utterly utilitarian—with an avowed emphasis on well-made, non-trendy staples—the designers do find ways to romance their clothes. Their fitted twill pants were nothing to get too excited about—except that they had such a nice hand, and such a forgiving cut, that it wasn't a stretch to think that a lot of women would be very excited about them, indeed. (Lucky for those women, the pants come in various colors and fabrics.) But that was the practical end of things. Elsewhere, Hout and Cramer paid subtle homage to Pina Bausch and the look of her Tanztheater Wuppertal dancers in the Wim Wenders documentaryPina.Indolent slipdresses and camisole tops inspired by Bausch and co. had a dreamy quality.There was a distinct sense of wanderlust in the collection's chunky, gaucho-inspired hand-knits, as well. Along with the handmade pieces, which were a new development this season, Hout and Cramer introduced a range of terrific superstructured stretch knits. A long stretch-knit dress with a boatneck collar and slits up each leg looked like the kind of thing one of Bausch's troupe members would slip on after a show—which speaks to the designers' talent for giving their seemingly simple clothes just enough telling detail to feel special. It's easy to overlook those small touches, but they matter, and the women who wear these clothes (again and again, and in various ways) will appreciate them.
11 March 2013
When Starr Hout and Laura Cramer put Apiece Apart on hiatus a year and a half ago, they hit the brakes on a brand that was just picking up speed. The concept of Apiece Apart was that it was a modular wardrobe: Cramer and Hout made aggressively simple clothes—elegant, adaptable, and ageless—that were intended to be mixed and matched through seasons and years. Pretty much any woman could find something to love in the line, and in fact, their clothes may have been too universal for their own good. Now, with new backing in place, Cramer and Hout have returned with a collection that feels significantly more specific, while still maintaining the brand's original blank-canvas appeal.On the whole, the silhouettes felt more youthful and the vibe more casual this time out. There was an emphasis on crop tops and halter dresses and skirts and trousers with a bit of slouch. The hint of volume even in simple tees gave the lineup a feeling of lightness; likewise, the touch of drape to fitted silhouettes, like high-waist pencil skirts, conveyed a sense of ease. As in previous seasons, the palette was winningly offbeat, an intuitive mix of whites and sand tones, buttercup yellow and a range of Indian pinks, plus forceful indigo blue that came off strongest in their Japanese stripes and block prints. The fabric mix was eclectic as well, moving between earthy burlaps and technical materials with a crisp yet relaxed hand. The clothes here still felt mutable—with very few exceptions, you could wear all these looks to the office, out to dinner with your boyfriend and your potential future in-laws, or to the Brooklyn Flea. There's something deeply "appropriate" about the Apiece Apart aesthetic, which goes to the brand ethos of creating clothes that just plain work. Cramer and Hout are those rare designers who mean it when they say they want women to wear their clothes, and not the other way around.
15 October 2012