Bryce & Bouji
Newcomer Jen Wilder set out to create sophisticated femininity with her new line, Bryce & Bouji.
“It is simultaneously confident and polished without feeling overly stuffy. There is a breeziness and lightness to all of the pieces that I feel is a direct reflection of living in California,” said Wilder, a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising whose reacute;sumeacute; includes astint at Laundry by Shelli Segal. “There are daring pieces and also more demure, but as a whole there is a definite sense of taking chances and trying something new,” she said.
Prior to launching her own line, Wilder also designed a collection of knits for retailer Forever 21.
For Spring 2008, the Bryce & Bouji line is based on three trends, or ideas, and therefore targets a range of women and personal styles, Wilder explained. “Vintage Vacation” is a casual, chic, romantic collection with linen, lace and “soft, voluminous bodies grounded with sharply constructed classics.” Designed as a laid-back, Resort-type collection, “Vintage Vacation” employs a faded palette of pastels with cream and white, as well as a brown hue called “pudding.”
“Concrete Ethereal” has a bolder color story and a futuristic vibe. The group includes modern knits, architectural silhouettes and some sporty separates. The “Malawi Madame” group is “a surrealistic take on the tribal aspect of our modern culture” rendered in deep Viridian green and beetroot tones.
Fabrics include waxed and metallic-coated linens, cotton, organza, chiffon, silk knits, and sateen suitings. “The ability to have fabrics made for me that are unique to our line is a tremendous opportunity, one that not many designers in my market have access to,” Wilder said. “It is another layer of individuality that I feel is inherent in this line.”
For Fall 2008, Wilder remains focused on fashion-forward designs that are accessible and wearable. The Malawi Madame collection from the debut line is also considered a transitional delivery because of its darker palette and equatorial/ tribal vibe. Additionally, menswear will be an influence in the Fall 2008 line, and Wilder said she will explore “pushing those techniques to a new level that strongly juxtaposes the traditional and staid applications of menswear fabrics.”
Produced in Istanbul, the line is wholesale priced from $39 to $200. For more information, visit www.bryceandbouji.com or call (213) 892-8707. —Dena Smolek
