When I was first introduced to the ELM collection I was completely intrigued by how easy it was to work with. Nothing was necessarily ‘dressy’ or ‘casual’ — pieces could be mixed in a million ways – fabrics, colors, textures, patterns all worked off of each other enabling to wearer to, with a minimum of pieces, create an entire wardrobe. I felt as if I could close my eyes, pull a handful of pieces a hundred times over, and always come up with something unique, wearable and elegantly easy.
Six years later, I’m still intrigued.
Founded in Reykjavík, Iceland and currently based in Lima, Peru – both urban cities surrounded by unbroken, idyllic nature — it’s easy to understand how ELM and its creative director, Matthildur, so heavily influenced by her surroundings, can so easily manipulate the purest natural cottons and the most cutting-edge microfibers.
Brushed Wool Cardigan-Jacket & Skirt with Stretch Jersey Top
Autumn/Winter 2013
Plays on proportion and texture abound each season – nothing is ‘dressy’ or ‘casual’ – and pieces are sculptural and fluid, architectural and dramatic or wonderfully basic and easy. These are pieces for, in ELM’s words, “intellectual women of all ages who like to dress in a sophisticated manner, albeit with an edge.”
Logic and fashion are words rarely used together in the same sentence, but ELM’s collection is easily the most logically elegant approach to fashion I have ever worked with. Every season manages (in a way that leaves me scratching my head) to work with the same core of exceptional textiles – Japanese microfiber, Peruvian wool and Pima cotton, Spanish linen and silk, and stretch jerseys in wool, modal and cotton mixes – to make fresh, unique and wonderful pieces each season that are at once timeless and of the moment.
Asymmetric Stretch Wool Jersey Tunic & Trouser
Autumn/Winter 2013
These hallmark fabrics in every ELM collection allows for a systematic approach to dressing where you can, quite literally, pull a five-year-old piece from your closet and match it with a brand new arrival. Add to that the fact that many of their pieces can be adjusted or worn more than one way and you have a line of wardrobe staples that simply never feel stale.
ELM’s intrepid garments are also a wanderer’s wish come true. Their microfibers and jerseys are weightless and pack like a dream. Their taffeta separates go from day to evening, are nearly impossible to wrinkle and can be hand-washed. It’s not at all unusual for a client to remark on the ‘new life’ her past-season ELM pieces receive with every season’s new arrivals.
Lightweight Microfiber Tunic & Trouser
Autumn/Winter 2013
It’s no secret that I believe in dressing with intent and creativity, but there should always be a certain logic (yes, that word again) in what you purchase every season. In such a frenetic economy the idea of investing in something that will end up being ‘so last season’ in a few short months seems utterly frivolous, and that’s what makes ELM so fantastic. To me the collection embodies the spirit of a wizened, energetic traveler – these are pieces for a woman who thinks, works, reads, actually eats, and lives her life well and fully.
I hope you can find time to stop in and view the new Autumn/Winter collection. In the meantime, take a moment to view ELM’s Autumn/Winter 2013-14 collection video by clicking here – it’s beautiful.
Thanks for reading and all your support.
Be well,
Christopher
thebespokeblog 
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