Trovata (Q9385)
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American clothing company
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Trovata |
American clothing company |
Statements
Trovata's John Whitledge dutifully revealed his influences for this season—the sexual and political undertones of Paris, circa 1968—backstage before the show, but as the liner notes put it, "at the end of the day, fashion, to us, is about having fun and designing clothing that people want to wear." That sense of free-spiritedness added a light touch to a line that has matured in recent seasons. Airy ruffled blouses, a well-proportioned wool bomber, and a drop-waist cotton dress with peekaboo petticoat all aimed for the playful sophistication inherent to Parisians and often imitated by others. In a crowded contemporary market, Trovata's look should stand out.
16 February 2009
John Whitledge, an avid surfer, set his heroine not in his home base of Newport Beach but on the Great Lakes, circa 1968. In the past, the fun and games at Trovata—capoeira demonstrations, guest rock stars, actors pretending to be Eastern European aristocrats—have sometimes overshadowed the main event. But this time it was all about the clothes: More mature and well thought out than previous seasons, Spring featured ankle-length silk shirtdresses, drop-waist frocks, and plenty of structured jackets (one standout had an Empire-pleated back). Though the look was slightly more grown-up—and, unlike last Spring, the models actually wore shoes this time—it was still characteristically kicked back. "Overall, I want it to be simple and effortless," Whitledge said, showing off the models' classic white Keds. Trovata will probably always remain California-casual, but it was good to see the brand pushed forward another notch.
3 September 2008
If Trovata were fashion's 'N Sync, John Whitledge, the last one standing, would be JT…except for the fact that there isn't yet the dazzling solo career to add any substance to such pipe dreams. But Whitledge is at least making moves in the right direction. After a fall offering that expended too much effort on style and not enough on substance, Trovata's spring collection was mercifully edited into a coherent and pleasing whole. There was still a load of fancy flimflam in the accompanying narrative (something about young Americans on the loose in sixties Brazil, housesitting, losing the dog they were minding, yadda yadda yadda) but the core of the inspiration—the interplay of São Paulo's structured urban architecture and the beachy ease of oceanside Florianópolis, with a little WASP-iness stirred in—actually worked. The urban element was evident in the leaner, cleaner line of the tailoring—corded cotton suits, for instance—while the casual sensuality of the beach came through in the softness of brushed cottons, a pajama-piped shirt, or board shorts in bonded linen, cut in a sixties length that made them almost hot pants by today's standards. According to Whitledge, the focus was on fit and fabric. Signature Trovata details like buttons (here in burnt resin or Australian mother-of-pearl), taped seams, printed linings, and elaborate labels (telling the tale of that dog) came later. By focusing on the fundamentals rather than the window dressing, Whitledge has reanimated Trovata menswear. Perhaps solo stardom will be his after all.
3 September 2007
Trovata's John Whitledge hasn't lost his taste for quirky presentations, even though they tend to overshadow his slight if charming collections. Tonight's happening in the former Tunnel space included a mini set by Perry Farrell—yes, he sangJane Says—and a capoeira performance, in which male musicians and dancers practiced the rhythmic Brazilian martial art in striped cardigans and hoodies, or vests and plaid button-downs, worn with rolled-hem pants and flowy scarves. To make the spectacle go down smoothly, there were more free Sagatiba rum drinks than you could shake aberimbauat.What's the connection? "My girlfriend is from Brazil," said the designer. "It's about the openness, the laid-back lifestyle, the easy living of that place." Way laid-back. The eight female models, all of whom were dressed in white, came out without shoes, which worked with a breezily short beach cover-up, or maybe a retro knit tennis dress edged in navy, but made less sense with a sixties-style A-line coat with those big, whimsical buttons Trovata is known for.In many ways, Whitledge has taken his split with his erstwhile partners in stride. Still only 27, he recently opened a store in his former Newport Beach headquarters, so there's little reason to quibble with his success or his business plan. Too bad that tonight it was the theatrics that wowed, not the clothes.
3 September 2007
The cat¿s out of the bag. Elisabeta and Nicolae Petrescu—the fashion week arrivistes who, along with their pet tabby, Leo, captivated New York's showgoers—aren¿t the Romanian artistocrats they've been pretending to be. Rather, they¿re a pair of aspiring actors, plus a professional feline, hired by Trovata¿s sole remaining member, John Whitledge, to model his new collection. They took an hour out of their busy appearance schedule on Wednesday to pose for Style.com¿s photographer.Here¿s where it gets tricky. Whitledge¿s fall wares, like all of Trovata¿s previous collections, have a backstory, and it revolves not around twenty-first-century Eastern European sibling socialites, but a pair of New York City school teachers, Bridget Ann Davis and E.S. Barrington, circa 1981. The clothes, it follows, have a retro look ¿straight out of yearbooks from the early eighties.¿ Think shirtwaist dresses in colorful prints; stripey turtlenecks and full, dirndl skirts; chunky cable-knit sweaters; and wide-wale corduroys. But for their finer materials and signature charming linings, they wouldn¿t look out of place at Abercrombie & Fitch, where Whitledge once interned in the design studio. Can a collection like this sustain the interest and good will of New York¿s stretched-thin fashion community? Sure. But in order to keep elevating his basics, Whitledge will have to bring the same level of invention to his clothes as he does to schemes like the Petrescus.
8 February 2007
The latest Trovata collection was laden with so much backstory that the clothes had their work cut out for them to make much of an impression. Throughout fashion week, a couple of Eastern European "aristocrats" had been making disturbingly anomic appearances at shows and parties accompanied by a large and remarkably passive cat. Turns out they were a setup designed to preview designer John Whitledge's collection. Which, in turn, took as its inspiration a fictional 28-year-old private-school teacher in Manhattan in 1981.More pertinent than both of these conceptual exercises was surely the real-life drama of the Trovata trio's split, leaving only Whitledge to carry the label forward. He made a game attempt, focusing on finer fabrics, redefining the silhouette. The bold linings, the secret pockets, the distinctive closings (particularly an enamel hook and eyelet) are part of Trovata's charm, as is the sense of layers of clothes with a story to tell. The problem was that unseasoned schoolteacher. As a conceit, it lacked the engaging complexity of last season's scuba-diving-explorers yarn, and added little new to the Trovata vocabulary. Perhaps striped and plaid button-down shirts or boxy suits in wide-wale mulberry corduroy and navy felted wool were intended to suggest the buttoned-down spirit of the classroom, but it felt better to focus on the gutsier outerwear, like a parka, a duffel, and a brown corduroy coat with a big knit collar.
7 February 2007
In a change of tack from last season's formal runway show, the Trovata team decided to showcase their Spring 2007 collection by throwing a party complete with a live band, margaritas, and even a raffle. All of the hullabaloo may have made the clothes seem like an afterthought, but this was, in fact, a better setting in which to appreciate the whimsical touches—like flamboyant linings and oversized, mismatched buttons—for which the young label is known.Spring's quirky story line centers on a pair of divers in Cuba circa 1974, so the team showed a navy-and-white striped sweater and a strapless dress that looked like the bottom half of a double-breasted pea coat, along with faded preppy basics like khaki trenches, chambray shirtdresses, cuffed shorts, and crochet knits. Sunken-treasure necklaces and chunky charm bracelets by Subversive Jewelry's Justin Giunta, a CFDA/VogueFashion Fund finalist, added a layer of cool to the modest collection.
12 September 2006
After last season's not wholly successful move onto the catwalk, Jeff, John, and Sam (Josiah's gone north) went back to thetableau vivantformat that allows them to create and control a complex narrative for their collection. This one had to do with a French-Canadian couple called the Duboces, scuba-diving adventurers who found a lost Hemingway manuscript in a sunken ship, and… Well, the story continued on, and a Cuban band played, and margaritas were served, and all in all, it was a less-than-typical fashion presentation. Still, what it made clear was how much a Trovata collection needs the weight of narrative to give it heft.Otherwise, the clothes were a fairly basic J.Crew proposition with a few winsome details: the red stitching on the buttons of a mini-trench, for example, or the signature printed lining in a white linen suit. The seafaring theme made itself felt in raw-hemmed cut-offs and striped tops (couple that theme with the faux family saga, and you ended up with a kind of Gilligan-meets-Lostscenario, with clothes to match). Cabled knitwear showed a new precision, but it was the accessories this trio found that added new layers. Espadrilles by a surfing buddy who designs under the label Toms Shoes and jewelry by Subversive had a louche indolence that suggested a summer misspent by the sea.
12 September 2006
Before the show, John Whitledge, one of the Trovata Four, cited Robert Redford in 1969'sDownhill Raceras an influence on the new collection. It was the type of aside guaranteed to keep a scribe scratching his head through the subsequent parade of skewed preppy classics in corduroy and velvet. But maybe that was the intention. Trovata relishes the unpredictable. Unfortunately, that's why a catwalk show (this was their first) isn't the best vehicle for their clothes. Not that you could fault them on set decoration: They had reconfigured a jaded New York cabaret as an Alpine wonderland, complete with yodelers, falling snow, ski lift, and a Saint Bernard (which elicited a huge collectiveaaahhh).The thing is, you need to get up close and personal with Trovata's clothes to appreciate the unexpected details: the linings, the buttons, the playfulness that infuses their aesthetic. Up on the catwalk, a brass-buttoned navy blazer is just that. Likewise, a beige trench or a Norfolk jacket. Still, it was possible to admire Trovata's take on the sixties (slimmer silhouette, shorter jackets, tighter trousers, graphic linings). A school blazer over an ethnic sweater, paired with rust cords (and, as is their wont, sneakers) had the Wes Anderson quirk that makes this label so appealing. So did a black corduroy suit—the model was wearing heavy-framed glasses and an ascot, the kind of archness at which Trovata excels. Equally arch was the live band that played Hugh Hefner's greatest hits throughout.
8 February 2006
Talk about trial by fire. The Trovata foursome won the CFDA/VogueFashion Fund's top prize in November. Today at the Supper Club, having had less than three months to put together a collection (and with only one previous fashion week outing, a tiny menswear presentation at the National Arts Club 12 months ago, under their belts), they had the industry's most powerful players sitting in their front row.Yes, there was the $200,000 award to work with this time, but money can't buy experience, and despite their newfound celebrity, the boys from Southern California are still pretty green. They tried to make up for it with a charming set complete with fake snow, skis, and taxidermy squirrels, and a trio of live acts that included a band, husband-and-wife yodelers, and a rescue dog. Few can resist a Saint Bernard, but it's the clothes that people come to see. The best of these were a pair of wool toggle coats, one in navy, the other white, and a trench lined in plaid with mismatched buttons. The stylist's contributions—polka-dot silk scarves, stripy tights, bejeweled ballerina slingbacks, and bangles—were quirky and sweet. But they couldn't disguise the fact that the collection was thin in parts. Obviously, these young men have talent. Now it's time to get down to the hard work of fabric selection, construction, and fit.
7 February 2006