The Fine Line: The Philosophy Behind Our Spring Collection

February 02, 2017 | Filed in: Your Closet

You know that point in February when you want to rip your winter coat to shreds and burn all your sweaters, just so you never have to look at them again? We’re with you. (But don’t do that.) Instead, take a gander at the first installation of our spring collection, The Fine Line, which launches on February 7. This season, we’re embracing contrasts and contradictions—black piping on a cream-colored shirt, hourglass shapes in menswear fabrics, and polished dresses inspired by luxurious pajamas. Because why choose one thing when you can have both?

Preview the clothes in our video, and read about the philosophy of MM Creative Director (and brand-new mom) Miyako Nakamura, below.

I’VE ALWAYS WANTED our clothes to be minimal and simple, because we focus on celebrating a woman rather than decorating her. My goal is to create a sense of quiet around our woman, and accentuate what’s beautiful about her. However, this season I felt it was time to bring a little jump to our pieces, with more noticeable details that add punch. Maybe it’s because I just had a baby, but generally, I think we are ready to go to the next step in design, as a company. We put extra soul into these pieces, and they really recharge our core offerings.

THE IMAGE OF A SIMPLE LINE is very fresh to me right now. Last year, I found a picture of a branch sticking out of the ground, and I was struck by the beauty of one sharp, black line. I started imagining a woman standing in a boardroom, wearing a strong black line that frames her face and empowers her look.

The Barton shirt.

THERE ARE MANY FINE LINES, visually, in this collection. There’s a beautiful striped wool that we’ve cut into very edgy, tailored pieces, and our trestle print almost looks like a blurry tie-dye stripe. I wanted to play with linear elements in novel ways.

WHAT WOULD BE OUR SHOWSTOPPER SUIT? That’s the question I’ve been asking myself. Previously, our suits have been focused on comfort, and I wanted to create something more powerful. I was drawn to this pinstripe fabric because it was very beautiful, but also masculine. We used it to create a menswear-inspired jacket that has a strong definition at the waistline. It offers a lot of freedom and flexibility—you can just throw it on, or you can style it with a thick belt.

The Oliver jacket and Dupont pant in pinstriped wool.

THE CONTRAST PIPING throughout this collection was inspired by a pajama shirt I had. I went through a period when I was wearing it a lot, and working long hours, and I remember thinking, “I wish I could wear these pajamas to work.” That’s where I got the idea for translating loungewear into workwear.

CONTRAST DETAILS add a surprise element—if you flip up the cuffs of your dress or your sweater and there’s another color underneath, it’s unexpected without being loud. The contrast reflects our woman: She can be serious, but also playful. She is hard and soft at the same time.

The Etsuko dress in contrast.

OUR KNITWEAR is also reaching an exceptional level of refinement. In the past year, we hired a designer who’s a knitwear nerd. She thinks about it 24/7, and asks questions I’d never think of. The results are extraordinary.

I LOVE THE ORANGE in this collection. I think orange is a really bold color, but the shades we’ve chosen (terracotta and burnt sienna) are also very sophisticated. Sometimes a slightly challenging piece will encourage you to live a new phase of your life.