Trovata Bows in New York

NEW YORK—Newport Beach, Calif.–based Trovata traveled far—in both distance and imagination—for the showing of its Fall collection on Feb. 9 during New York Fashion Week. The label produced the fashion show after winning the Ecco Domani Fashion Award.

While the event took place at the National Arts Club in Gramercy Park’s Tilden Mansion, the invitation and setting— a walk-through installation—presented the event as an imaginary family’s soireacute;e at an estate just outside of Paris. The Fitzgilberts, as the family was called, were the hosts of the party, and their “guests” (the models) and children—Clifford, Muriel and Garret— were just a few who were in attendance and on display throughout the rich, dark mahogany house and maze-like gardens. The show’s real guests—editors, buyers and fellow voyeurs—were guided through a number of rooms, where prim and preppy models partook in bird watching, puzzle solving, dancing, picnicking, and even leaf raking amid topiaries and fountains.

The wearable clothes mixed the flavor of casual surfwear with an aristocratic attitude. There were corduroy and twill pants; matching blazers; and striped cashmere sweaters, dress shirts and polos for the fellows. The lovely debutantes, meanwhile, wore twill and tweed trenches, polka-dot tees and poplin blouses, corduroy trousers, and pleated wool skirts.

Like true gentlemen, the show’s real hosts—Jeff Halmos, Sam Shipley, Josiah Lamberto-Egan and John Witledge, the four buddies behind Trovata—kindly greeted their guests at the very end of the presentation.Joselle Yokogawa