The days of bare shoulders, flirty skirts and strappy sandals are finally upon us. That shallow time of year each other season is spent but wishing and sartorially planning for. Now, thanks to summer incarnate herself, designer Molly Moorkamp (truly, have you ever seen someone who's achieved a more perfect blonde?), diving into your dream warm weather wardrobe is dangerously easy.
If ever there were the perfect excuse for an impromptu grown-up cocktail party, sunny uptown stroll along Madison and through the park, or al fresco night out, it's Molly's newest collection. Featuring her signature feminine, flattering silhouettes, and playful, chic patterns, it's a marvelous mix of both town and country, East Side and East End. Dresses that will no doubt win you the coveted title of Chicest Woman In The Room.
Scroll below for our catch-up with the designer ahead of her launch, and click through for some of our favorite, must-have looks!
What was your inspiration or mood board for the summer collection?
Our summer collection was really in reaction to the overwhelmingly positive response to our spring product. We learned a lot through customer feedback and interpreted what worked well for those warmer summer months, with a bit more of a winking perspective on prints. Anytime I travel, be it a weekend or a longer vacation, I'm inspired by gardens and landscapes. To me nothing says summer like a swath of potted plants while enjoying a fabulous drink on the terrace parterre..
What are your favorite sartorial summer moments?
Anything unexpected and unrehearsed. Those deep summer non-holiday nights with a little suntan where women really feel confident to mix up a traditionally evening look with a cable knit sweater and a slicked back ponytail. Barefoot in shocking pink silk instead of denim on the beach......
What's your favorite and least favorite thing about warm weather dressing?
Warm weather dressing is a really fun challenge. We're all about color at MM, so during hot summer months, women often feel more emboldened to experiment with color. Our prints have quickly become an MM signature, so really mixing our focused color palette with exclusive prints in our favorite summer styles. We have a very wide customer age range, so we try to balance an offering of both bare and covered options. Sleeves in the summer can be tough but necessary.
How would you describe your style?
My style is classic and feminine with no twist. Our customers come to us because they know we don't offer trendy pieces. You can hand down a classic MM shift to your daughter, and it will still look fresh and feminine through decades. You'll never look back on a photo of an MM piece and think, God, what was I wearing?!
What are you most excited for next?
I'm excited to see all my MM girls' fabulous happenings this summer! People often tell me they love that I feature so many real customers on my social media, but I think that's all the fun. Seeing real MM girls in their natural habitats, how they style pieces in such an individual way, it's a real community. Also, a small secret between you and I, we have a new product category launching early fall and I think it's going to be an amazing additional to the line.