Lafayette 148 celebrates its artful spring collection with cakes to match at Neiman Marcus.
New York chef-artist Stephanie “Chefanie” Nass added a unique twist to a Lafayette 148 spring runway show inside Neiman Marcus on Valentine’s Day.
The collection was inspired by three women artists, and Nass wrapped three cakes in some of the signature prints, including the spotted crepe of her maxi dress.
“Now you can have your cake and wear it too,” Nass quipped to the 180-odd guests before the show. “I love Lafayette 148 – I’ve worn it for many, many years. I’m so excited to collaborate with the brand as they celebrate women artists.”
Lafayette 148 creative director Emily Smith found inspiration for spring in the work and personal styles of late American artists Georgia O’Keefe, Helen Frankenthaler and Joan Mitchell.
Their influences materialized in sharply striped dresses, a trench coat flecked with watercolor brush strokes and abstract prints like the blue and white one worn by Nass.
“This dress is going to become my best friend on the wedding circuit next summer,” Nass said. “I’m going to wear it everywhere, even just with a jean jacket out for dinner.”
The show also featured crisp black-and-white gingham dresses and separates, white linen jackets, luxurious oversize sweaters and other go-to items.
Nass, a 26-year-old entrepreneur and media darling, has her eye on the painterly trench and a sleeveless black dress with accented with wave-like white piping.
“I love anything gingham, and there was plenty of that in the show,” she added.
Known for excellent fit and quality, Lafayette 148 was established in 1996 by Deirdre Quinn, Shun Yen Siu and Ida Siu and named for its SoHo address. The company is unusual in that it owns its factory in China, which is LEED-certified, and in Nw York. It even operates a school for employees’ kids in China, who might otherwise not be educated.
Lafayette 148 has long catered to the over-30 set and professional women but has been courting younger customers under Smith’s creative direction.
Nass’ participation is part of that drive, and her appearance at Neiman’s helped attract young Dallas fashion bloggers Krystal Schlegel, Amy Havins of Dallas Wardrobe, Amy Jackson of Fashion Jackson and others.
Nass, who earned the nickname “Chefanie” in childhood for her love of culinary arts, became an Instagram sensation by creating artful pastries like the cakes at Neiman’s, which were wrapped in her signature decorative edible sheets.
“They’re made of starch and sugar and water mixed like pancake batter and then laid out as thin as paper,” she explained. “They dry out and become an edible paper, and then I screen print onto them with food dye in very vibrant colors.”
Look to her for edible art and to Lafayette 148 for artistic fashions. The brand has a boutique on the second floor of Neiman’s NorthPark.