Natalie Chanin is easing into her 20th-anniversary year with a collection titled “Soft.” Much of it is made using a lightweight cotton jersey that the designer describes as “very nurturing.” As always, the hand stitching is a reminder of connection and human touch, which so many are craving after the isolation caused by the pandemic.
We’re not coming back to the world we knew; much has been lost. Processing this will take time, and, says Chanin, “requires us to be soft and kind to ourselves and to others.” As this collection came together she found comfort and a mantra in these words from the artist Jenny Holzer: “Turn soft and lovely any time you have a chance.”
The pale stretch cotton pieces in this lineup guarantee such a transformation. The bows and painted or embroidered florals are enchanting, but they’ve been designed with a real-life perspective. All pieces, explains Chanin, must pass “the driving children, dancing, grocery test,” which means, like sports clothes, they need to fit to and move with the body. That they do so, she says, has a lot to do with the team’s intricate patternmaking, which is showcased on the feminine “Fernando” skirt, named for the late designer Fernando Sánchez, with whom Chanin designed it back in the day. It’s but one reissue in the fall collection; Chanin promised more to come, delivered, doubtless, with a soft touch.
