In July of 2009, indie-fave Cynthia Vincent was looking to back a new fashion brand, and asked a former super-star assistant, designer Molly Girard Coonon, to collaborate with Alice Barlow, then a buyer for Ron Howard. The fruits of their efforts, a fledgling line dubbed "Barlow," resulted in a knockout debut season last spring.
Balancing masculine and feminine elements, Barlow is designed for the tomboy that secretly dreams of being a glamour girl—and vice versa. For their new fall collection, the girls conjured up pitch-perfect leather separates with unusual touches (a slim leather pencil skirt, for example, features elastic banding at the sides to ensure a super-snug fit), basics with razor-sharp cut outs, and cheeky interpretations on trend items, like a super-cropped rugby shirt in white and aqua.
Highlights from the new collection include overized outwear, lace panel detailing (a simple white button-down blouse features a triangle of soft black lace at the back), plush velvet cocktail dresses and oodles of exposed zippers. There's even a pair of breezy lace trousers that are begging for a spot in our closet.
Shop the fall collection at www.shopbop.com.
