Creatures of the Wind for J. Crew

Online and in the catalog, J. Crew congratulates Creatures of the Wind, Chicago-based designers Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters whom are the 2011 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Runners-Up.  Their name "Creatures of the Wind" actually comes from the lyrics of a Johnny Mathis song.  

In celebration, J. Crew proudly presents a limited edition capsule collection with four-pieces made exclusively for them by the designers who wanted to add an "interesting element" to one's wardrobe while being very functional.  Their work is inspired by the 60s and rebellious youth culture as J. Crew notes and these fun pieces add a sense of eclectic for J. Crew silhouettes and fabrics.  The designers go on to say that their focus was on clothing with a "strong identity" without "compromising femininity...at the same time a little demure."  The duo is inspired by color and says that they have "changed the color of their walls at home like three times."

I love the Creatures of the Wind for J. Crew broken striped sweater in 14-guage cashmere knit @ $245.  This above the hip and shrunken fit style boasts strong colors across each stripe which took the designers over 20 times to get them just right.

There is also a sleeveless dress which uses a Liberty-print skirt in Angelica flora with a chambray bodice boasting a moto-inspired zip. This is as J. Crew describes Creatures of the Wind's work with JC silhouettes as "classic American fashion meets a dreamy take on avant-garde." This feminine dress meets edgy functionality.  This cotton dress is $350.

They also designed oxford shoes for J. Crew which also breathe a mixture of color, texture and pattern which best represent Gabier's and Peter's aesthetic.  These eclectic shoes have acid hues in matte and patent leathers and there are also glitter swirls.  These leather shoes retail for $295 and are made in Italy.

The last piece is a cashmere short sleeve sweater also inspired with the broken stripes.  COTW describes this one styled as a 70s-inspired cropped sleeve cut reminiscent of a boy's tee.  This one retails at $195 and pairs nicely with the cardigan.

COTW also put together their idea of a "warm weather wardrobe" curating J.Crew's pieces and as JC states, there is obviously a healthy dose of color and prints.  I like it when the other designers show what their collection would look like using J. Crew's staples.  This breathes the duo's aesthetic again for sure!

So, here is where I end up with this capsule collection.  I love the cardi and cashmere tee.  I love the colors that COTW chose and the broken stripe design overall.  I am not feeling the dress or the shoes at all.  I would not wear them.  To be fair, I felt the shoes were maybe just a bit out of my demo.  The dress is a miss for me completely.  I don't like the Liberty-print with this collection.  I almost felt this dress was a little stodgy.  The sweaters and shoes feel very modern and hip and the dress seems to fall short.  I would have actually liked to have seen another print from the designers or at least more fully influenced by them.  And, like many of the capsule collection prices, they are really high.  I get the designers have their stamp on them, but I would really have to love the pieces to pay this amount and I just don't unfortunately.  The dress at $350 just blew me away completely.  I think of a DVF dress for example that costs in this range and cannot believe that JC would actually think their customers would put this dress at that same level and price range.  I felt just a little insulted as a consumer, sorry JC.

What are your thoughts on this collection?

Cheers.