Walking into the Partow studio in Manhattan’s flower district, a bright peach pleated dress, gleaming like a Dan Flavin sculpture next to an open window, was the visual equivalent of a siren song. Its shape was easy: sleeveless, a boatneck, an ample body. The kind of thing you just throw on and go. And yet—or perhaps because of?— its sense of glamour was undeniable.
“This season, I really wanted to dip into fabric manipulation,” Nellie Partow said. On this particular dress—–and its sister version in emerald green—Partrow achieved a look of almost-bioluminiscence by overprinting the color on the fabric “two or three times.” Pleats obviously played an important role, and looked terrific on two organza dresses in peach and black, made of “sunburst pleats,” which are irregular pleats that get pressed in opposite directions to create a pattern. A group of voluminous short sleeve blouses and bomber jackets were made of an organza that had been pleated into a basketweave pattern, so realistic that I looked at the underside of the fabric to see if it was actually woven (it wasn’t). It was almost like a magic trick.
The real magic, however, laid within a gorgeous, oversized chunky cardigan. “We went into the archives of one of our mills in Lyon, which has been around since the 1800s, and they had this fabric that I thought was copper, but was actually real gold,” said Partrow, the awe still apparent in her voice, “It was this fine fiber of real gold woven with silk, from the late 1800s, and they did it all by hand. I was like, ‘Oh my god we have to replicate it!’” Partrow set about finding the gold fiber and got to work in her studio, unspooling then weaving the gold with black silk until slowly the cardigan came to life. “We’re known for our hand knits,” she added, and as she showed pictures of the process on her phone. The gold cardigan is “the most expensive knitwear” they’ve ever made, and will be available for purchase, but those without a gold wardrobe budget need not worry, she is also producing it in a “beautiful lamé” that’s made in the same silk mill.
Looking at the collection on the racks in her showroom felt like looking into the closet of a very stylish friend. There were suits, shirts and tunics made in luxurious men’s shirting fabrics (Partow wishes she could go back in time and sit in with the classic tailors at Savile Row), and even a pair of blue jeans. “I really wanted to create an edited collection,” she said.
“For me it’s about women, and creating a world of ease for them. Something that just feels more relatable,” Partrow added. She’s been thinking about ease a lot, having just given birth a few months ago. “I love the element of getting dressed, but want to bring an element of relaxedness. I think, ‘What can I do to help women not feel angst?’” Her effortless clothes are certainly a place to start.
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