Adam Lippes: Spring/Summer 2008 Fashion Collection

Adam Lippes has been known to young fashionistas and celebrities for several years now. He has many celebrities that wear his Adam + Eve label, including Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston, and David Bowie. And it's no wonder. With quality fabrics, classic styles, and comfortable clothing that stays looking great while you're on the go, it's easy to see why he has earned many fans. But with his latest collection, Lippes chose to release the designs under his own name, rather than sticking to the Adam + Eve label. In a way, it's like he retired the old label and created a new one. Here is a review of his new collection, and whether the changes helped or hurt him.

To begin to understand his collection, first, you need to know a little about this designer's background. Lippes graduated with a degree in psychology from Cornell University, and then went to the American University in Paris, where he studied art history and architecture. This is actually quite relevant to his designs. All three educational areas seem to be present in his designs.

His knowledge about psychology is expressed the most. He understands that the consumers want a good mix of comfort, quality, price, and style, with just a hint of the unusual. Most people think that if they buy clothing from the runway, they will have to pay outrageous prices, but his prices are really quite reasonable, especially considering the quality of the fabrics he uses. But most importantly, he does not sacrifice comfort just so you can wear a beautiful outfit. One of his dresses is a soft, comfortable, bluish-silver colored dress with polka dots. It looks extremely comfortable, but it's also guaranteed to catch the attention of people around you.

His knowledge of art history is shown through his choice of fabric patterns, especially in such a colorful fashion season as the Spring/Summer 2008 one. One dress is gradient shaded from fuchsia on the bottom to white at top. Another is black, white, and green. He understands colors, and makes some unusual choices that wouldn't occur to most other people, but seem quite natural when he places them together.

But the area where he really shines is in his knowledge of architecture. Clothing also has a certain amount of architecture to it, and there is an enormous amount of structure required for some gowns that are seen on the runways. But unlike with traditional architecture, clothing must be worn. It must be comfortable and allow the wearer to move down the runway or the street. That added requirement makes it easier in some cases, and harder in other cases. Although it must be able to move, that also allows it to bend into shapes that aren't easy for buildings to mimic. That element is shown at its best in a skirt from Lippes's 2008 Spring/Summer collection. He pairs a long white jacket with a white shirt and a khaki colored skirt. The skirt has some odd pleating done. It is folded and sewn in such a way so that it simultaneously expands and contracts. Typically, this would be very hard to keep it from bubbling up in the middle, and rising up the model's legs, but Lippes uses his knowledge about the way the structure and fabric will behave together, and makes a skirt that shows some amazing innovation.

I expect to see many wonderful things from Adam Lippes in the future. His work is solid, and he always keeps a close eye on the small details of each piece. By making classic designs that will stay in style for a long time to come, pricing them relatively low, and making them out of fine quality fabrics that will last, he has secured a place for himself as a good designer who has the potential to appeal to many consumers.