Minimalism and slim tailoring were major trends on the runways this season, and rising star Jackie Lee has the advantage of doing both equally well. Her Spring 2011 collection, which explored immaculately tailored separates with subtle trompe l'oeil details, felt timely and fresh; in six months, we predict you'll be hearing a lot more from this London-based ingenue.
Lee developed her eye for detail while studying pattern-making at Central Saint Martins. Her thesis collection, which she presented earlier this year, earned the attention of press outlets and buyers, and generated enough buzz for her to found her own label, J JS LEE. For spring, Lee softened and refined her minimalist vision to include even more sophisticated design elements: a "fake" collar, for example, which consists of triangular plastic panels attached with thin white grommets, is familliar at first but utterly mesmerizing on second inspection.
Much of Lee's work is simillarly entrancing: the slightly uneven hemlines on a crisp white blazer aren't messy, but meticulously layered; a strange floating horizontal pleat at the waist of a slim black dress creates a jumpsuit-y effect. The "double take" seems to be the only way to experience Lee's designs.
Though her fall collection isn't available stateside, we're hoping the spring line will turn up in some NYC stores. Even if we can't get a piece of Lee's early work, she is definitely a talent to watch in seasons to come.
