Featured Item - Reformation Party Dress
The Bettina dress from Reformation, could just be the perfect office party dress, made from surplus rayon blend viscose velvet.
Allison Parris
Allison Parris produces a pretty, flirtatious collection of dresses with a girly take on dress up; a touch of fairy princess, tempered with a dash of youth and naivety all at the same time. Short flirty skirts with gently undulating high low hemlines are underpinned with layers of netting. Bold graphic prints echo intricate lace and architectural filigree detailing. Hems are finished with horsehair for added volume, and collars, cuffs and pockets are detailed with metallic beaded borders, brining a touch of glamour to even the simplest knit shift dress. Summer dresses and separates exude youth, and playful girlishness with fitted bodices, and short, full skirts in cotton eyelet, punctuated with exposed metallic zipper closures. Sequin, shine, cutouts, sheer inserts, tulle and feathers abound.
Parris makes the best choices available to her with respect to the environment, choosing recycled PET linings and netting throughout the collection. Natural fabrics run throughout the collection from raw organic silk to cotton lace and horsehair hems. The collection is built around the idea that “being able to wear beautiful, well made clothing” and “moral values” are not mutually exclusive. Allison Parris also produces locally in New York, thereby reducing her carbon footprint. Parris does not however consider her label part of the “eco friendly movement”, she simply makes conscious choices wherever possible, never the less constantly exploring new ways to ensure her collection has minimal impact, as a means of creating a better clothing experience for her clients.
Born in Santa Clarita, California, Parris grew up in a creative household where artistic expression was encouraged. Allison’s mother is an interior designer, who shared her love of fabric, design and construction with her daughter at an early age. Her photographer, writer father on the other hand, helped her understand the importance of presentation and branding. No doubt the combination of those two skills has helped fuel her current success. Parris started to build a personal client base while still in high school in Detroit. Continuing to develop her skills, she attended the Fashion Institute of Technology, and worked for Catherine Malandrino and Cynthia Rowley, before setting out on her own.
With a litany of press coverage from Vogue to Women’s Wear Daily and Elle to TV coverage from the likes of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, New York and New Jersey, Parris has not surprisingly garnered a celebrity following that includes Amber Valletta, Bethenny Frankel and Cheryl Burke to name just a few. Allison Parris clothing is available across the US, as well as Puerto Rico, Canada, Kuwait, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates.
Website: www.allisonparris.com
