Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/575200
80 BAL HARBOUR These days, new trends and fresh silhouettes come and ago with the slightest breeze on Instagram. But, a true shape-shifter—that's a much rarer breed. With her nascent eponymous clothing line, Rosie Assoulin, the New York- based fashion designer, is doing just that—and she's just shy of 30. The Brooklyn-born designer, who has become the darling of the bi-coastal social set, is known for courting volume—as in flouncy crop tops, oversize trousers and evening gowns whose surprising proportions (like this fall's green silk faille button down gown, nipped below the bust with an empire waist, A-line skirt and flowing floor-length panels cascading from the shoulders)—offer a divine sense of drama. Her preoccupation with bridging contradictory concepts has led her to the forefront of fashion's newest breakout stars, and for good reason. Her design aesthetic is said to "toe the line between the romantically fantastical and reliably practical." Her lines are bold and borderline theatrical—where modern meets retro, eveningwear meets daywear. "On an aesthetic level, it just appeals to me," says Assoulin. But she does pause to consider what her pieces, which have been worn by Julianne Moore, Michelle Dockery and Lily Aldridge, stand for. "I guess the ultimate luxury is being able to say, 'Can we step outside of the box and then encourage others to do the same?' and that has been our experience with volume and some more experimental silhouettes." Assoulin's fashion viewpoint, though, wasn't honed overnight. At 13, she was already making clothes out of her mother's old pieces with her grandmother's sewing machine. It was then she discovered her love for retro shapes, scouring her mom's closet and vintage shops for inspiration. "A lot of it was too expensive for me to buy, so I would sometimes go to the Salvation Army and the places where you buy old clothes by the pound," she says. "I would cut what I bought and reimagine it in fun ways. After school, I would work on a new ensemble for the next morning. Some nights, my head never hit the pillow. I didn't always do very well in school those years." But Assoulin's aesthetic today is far from D.I.Y. After studying pattern-making at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology, she interned at Oscar de la Renta and Lanvin. Her favorite moments were the fittings. "I still get excited thinking about watching them and wondering where the pieces we were working on would end up," she recalls. "Their processes were very authentic and I saw how quickly they followed their instincts while still maintaining an open environment with their teams within the studio." That's something Assoulin has carried over to her own Tribeca studio, where she crafted her debut collection for Resort 2014, nerves and all. "Oh man, I had no idea what to expect," she says. "It was a combination of zero expectations and high hopes. I wasn't sure I would even get to a second season." Now working on her Spring 2016 collection, Assoulin's work has been a runaway success, largely because of her distinctive viewpoint. But rule-breaking isn't about taking the path of least resistance. The most important lesson she has learned since starting her line is to "always stick with your gut." "Even if a style didn't come across one season, it doesn't mean it won't be successful the next. If you feel strongly about it, you have to stick to it!" STRONG SILHOUETTE Fashion darling Rosie Assoulin turns up the volume and everyone is listening. BY BEE SHAPIRO Get the look at The Webster, Bal Harbour. PHOTO COURTESY OF ROSIE ASSOULIN