admin “Effortlessness, easy chic, and a lot of restraint,” is how Veronica Swanson Beard and Veronica Miele Beard described their spring lineup. “I think people are paring it back in every aspect of their lives,” said Swanson Beard at a preview. “We’re coming off of that post pandemic excess of the past two years.”
But this outlook doesn’t imply austerity at the Veronicas, but simplicity. The collection offered no prints save a couple of stripes, and its logos were reduced to a couple of crests carrying over from fall, embroidered on shirting or embossed on golden buttons. “The silhouette speaks so much, the fabric speaks so much,” said Miele Beard. “The woman speaks so much in the clothes,” chimed Swanson Beard.
That silhouette revolved around a nipped waist and an A-line bottom. Circle skirts (“we can’t sell enough khaki in the spring season,” Swanson Beard said of the lookbook opener), wide-legged trousers, and slightly flared tailored denim were paired with knit tops or tailored vests, which seem to have taken over daywear over the last few seasons. Both Veronicas were wearing them today—one in suiting and another in denim—as were two of my Vogue colleagues.
But where the duo really shined this season was in their knitwear offering: A run of tight rib knit separates in green and white felt easy and approachable while decisively dressed up, and a very special cardigan in look 12 was cut like a jacket and covered in sheer sequins.
While they’re skipping the runways in lieu of a show this season, the Veronicas are still making their presence felt this fashion week. They’re throwing a dinner this weekend to celebrate their fall campaign, and they have a store opening downtown later this month. The secret ingredient at Veronica Beard is simply that they think of the way the clothes are worn in practice rather than theory. Their clothes come “pre-styled” (see an Oxford stripe button down that’s tacked in the back for a flattering cinch and has high side slits for easy tucking) and ready to be worn. Easier said than done, but the Veronicas know to leave the easy for their customers and keep the challenge to themselves.
