At a pre-fall appointment in her busy showroom, Ulla Johnson explained that last month Beyoncé was photographed wearing a pair of over-the-knee suede boots. It’s a small indication of the bigger ambitions powering Johnson’s brand. In addition to plans to open stores on a more regular cadence, Johnson is also pushing into new price ranges, for example for special occasion dresses, but leaving behind the customer base she has built over 25 years in business.
“What has been very exciting for us is our continued evolution toward more sophisticated materials and elegant silhouettes,” he said. “We can occupy that kind of white space where we can create these incredibly beautiful, highly-considered silhouettes in the finest Italian fabrics, and still offer them in the $1,000 to $2,000 range , which is not really available,” with designer fashion becoming so out of reach.
Among those super-regarded pieces: an antique linen dress with crocheted lace arabesques modeled on an antique tablecloth she found on a trip to Portofino; A charming top and skirt set in printed silk chiffon jacquard with scarf motif (they come in many colors but yellow is the most attractive); And a black dress with vibrant gold edging that will be the talk of a summer wedding. Instead of real raffia, which can feel like sandpaper, she used a faux version for the dress with a graphic black design treatment. A jacket in the same material and graphic motif was paired with slouchy cargo in an abstract animal print.
Keeping in mind her longtime clientele who come to her for everyday clothing, she also made easy-to-wear compact knit dresses trimmed with crochet, and others with eyelet cut-outs. Made. And its denim offering continues to grow; The novelty this season is coming from a versatile double-breasted short-sleeve jacket, which she featured with high-waist flares.
