Ladies, picture this: It’s May 2010 and Penn has just ousted you from the warm security of its bubble. You’re joining the ranks of serious society and the Uggs and leggings you’ve grown accustomed to won’t impress anyone in the office.
If the prospect of stuffy pantsuits makes you shudder, you’d do well to check out some more elegant alternatives at Guy French’s upcoming trunk show. Guy French (an amalgamation of the creators’ middle names) is a new collection of spunky but sophisticated handmade blazers designed by Penn alum Louisa Roeder and her Manhattan-native comrade, Christina Houghton.
The girls met several months ago at the wedding of another Penn grad, cooking blogger Isabel Cowles. The two hit it off instantly, and inspired by their mutual love of couture, decided to take a sewing class together.
Roeder, who had adopted the blazer at the age of 15, when she felt she’d outgrown her dowdy cardigans, began designing versions of her go-to garment with her partner. Realizing that their business was about to really take off, the two professionals left their day jobs in the arts industry (Roeder vacating a spot in Sotheby’s art department) to pursue fashion full-time. In a smart, recession-proof move, the duo chose to establish an atelier dedicated to creating one staple the practical woman can’t live without: a tailored jacket.
But Guy French’s creations are nothing like the bland sport coats your mother buys from Chico's. These silk-lined blazers boast distinctive accents, running the gamut of modern flare yet remaining refined and chic. The Camille jacket, inspired by the designers’ communications-specialist friend, showcases a loose-flowing sateen lapel that drapes into the imported, Italian wool bodice. The Margaret, on the other hand, is a sleek-military cut tunic fashioned from black brocade fabric. Actress Christine Baranski even inspired a classic number whose vent hides a pleated charmeuse fan.
Though the collection includes only nine styles thus far, priced between $275 and $495, the young company is generating quite the hype in the fashion press. WWD recently featured their line in the weekly ready-to-wear issue, and the national edition of Daily Candy also sent out word of the launch.
Houghton and Roeder aren’t only stylish, but charitable as well, planning to donate a percentage of their profits to Women for Women, which aids female war victims in building an autonomous existence.
Check out their Philadelphia trunk show on Saturday, Feb. 20
1pm - 5pm
1811 Chestnut Street #602
