The Put Together Collection: The Story Behind the Clothes

September 02, 2016

“You look so put-together.” It’s the ultimate compliment, and here at MM, it’s also our battle cry. For us, it’s not about complex outfits or highfalutin styling—it’s the way a woman presents herself to the world with purpose and intention.

From the beginning, we’ve aimed for all our pieces to exude this quality, but our new Put Together Collection takes the concept a step further. “Now that we’ve established an enduring core collection, I’ve been thinking, what can we offer our woman so she can build on what she has?” says designer Miyako Nakamura. “There are multiple meanings for ‘put together,’ and one is an action—a woman in the process of curating her own style. This season, we provide a lot of variation, with innovative patterns and textures, and our woman can pick and choose to add flavor to her wardrobe.”

The Rowling top in shell and the Mulberry skirt in plaid.

Inspiration

Miyako’s mood board for fall reflects a fresh twist on suiting, with a relaxed and distinctly modern air. “Our woman is freer than the traditional office-going lady,” explains Miyako. “She’s put together, but she’s got this easy confidence.” Think: a woman who understands tradition, but doesn’t always need to follow it (and who does her best thinking on the windowsill).

Miyako’s mood board for the Put Together Collection.

Fabrics

Our latest materials are more luxurious than ever, adding depth and richness to our tried-and-true silhouettes. Better yet, they’re all designed to be paired together—yes, even the patterns, which include the structured lunar jacquard, the floaty eclipse print, a brushed gray plaid, and the mini houndstooth comprised of a soft wool blend. They carry a whiff of old-school menswear, sure, but it’s more of a passing nod than a stuffy re-creation. Plus, they move, stretch, and drape with gorgeous flexibility—you won’t find any stiff collars or constraining waistbands here.

Miyako’s fabric inspiration.

Suiting

We’ve always had a complicated relationship with the pantsuit, namely in that we refuse to accept it as the workwear status quo—we just think you deserve better. “I’ve always tried not to make traditional suits for our women,” says Miyako. “We’ve previously offered the components to create your own suit, with classic trousers like the Nakamura and jackets like the Dietrich, but now is the first time we’ve done a more traditional jacket shape: the Wells.”

The Wells jacket with the Mulberry skirt and the Apfel top in eclipse.

Our first-ever tailored blazer, the Wells is designed to be combined with our tailored trousers and skirts for a true suit look. “By adding it to the mix, we closed the loop, and you can create a suit if you want to,” says Miyako. “But it’s still a lot easier than your tailored wool suit, and has a much more forward silhouette.” Note the diagonally-cut seams, slender lapels, and flattering cross-front closure—it’s pure sophistication. “It can also evolve with your wardrobe, and be mixed and matched,” explains Miyako. Try it with a tank top and jeans on a weekend, and then swap in the Mulberry skirt come Monday.

The Mei dress in monsoon.

Polish

Another key component of this collection: razor-sharp tailoring, particularly evident in two new dresses, the Mei and the Ingrid. They’re almost a bit retro in their elegance, harking back to an age when women “dressed” to go out (don’t worry—our modern-day versions involve only one zipper, and no complex undergarments).

The Ingrid dress in monsoon.

Mix, Match, and Layer

This season, we encourage you not to look at each piece as an individual, standalone item, but rather to think about how you can, yes, put them together. Approach them like ingredients: They’re designed to be combined in different ways that shift and change according to your mood—or the weather forecast, what’s in the wash, whom you might see, the temperature of your office, or the probability of red wine stains later that evening (on that note, bear in mind that our white Austen tunic is machine-washable).

The Oshima pant and the Austen tunic.

The idea is to provide you with everything you need for a wardrobe that’s as flexible and far-reaching as you need to be. Because putting yourself together should be simple—even fun.