Band Of Outsiders Resort 2015

Review by Maya Singer
Scott Sternberg is a busy man. Busier than usual, in fact: At the end of the summer, he'll be opening the doors of the Band of Outsiders store in Soho, and in the meantime, he's gone a little shoe-crazy—launching Band of Outsiders footwear with a saddle shoe for Fall and ramping up production in both Portugal and Italy on a wide variety of styles. This season's penny loafer shower slides and wedges looked something like must-haves.

Designing this Resort collection, then, undoubtedly provided Sternberg with an excuse to daydream about going on vacation. His fantasies took him to the south of France, and were shaped by films such as La Piscine, with Romy Schneider, and Contempt, with the equally goddess-y Brigitte Bardot. Sternberg cottoned to the fact that neither woman felt compelled to dress like a bombshell—why gild the lily, right?—and instead went for clothes with a kind of knockabout ease. A few looks in this collection aced that vibe, like the nautical blazer in cotton hopsack, the low-slung wide-leg pant worn with a trim cashmere turtleneck sweater, and the lace tee plus dotted cotton-matelassé pant. Elsewhere, Sternberg turned back to Band signatures, like the shirtdress, and elaborated them in laid-back ways—to wit, the cotton and leather minidress, buttoned in the back. Other standouts included the bow-shouldered lace and cotton dress and a trim plaid suit with a draped back. Neither look was particularly on-theme, but c'est la vie. Conceptual consistency: When you've got a store opening imminent and about a zillion shoes to produce, who needs the stress?