the first collection is leopard, start to finish. so the question that comes back most is the plain one — what do you actually wear it with.

so we asked our stylist. she doesn't keep rules, she keeps instincts. these are hers, more or less word for word.

so. leopard with what?

leopard is a neutral. people just don't treat it like one.

chocolate brown. black. cream. faded denim. pale blue. oxblood.

the outfits that work pair the print with something plain and familiar. a tiny knit. a worn leather jacket. a crisp shirt. an uncomplicated mini. one thing loud, everything else calm.

and what never works?

anything that makes it a costume. it can hold one more strong idea. it can't hold five. if the print is loud, the styling should look like you didn't think about it.

shoes.

a sharp slingback. a barely-there heel. a slim boot. a plain ballet flat, even.

chunky or fussy kills it. it interrupts the print and the whole thing starts to look overworked.

jewelry — on or off?

on. edited. gold brings out the warmth in the classic. silver makes the blue colder, sharper, more modern. one or two deliberate pieces beat a stack of everything.

first piece. which one?

the skirt. it gives you the print without handing the whole look over to it. a tank, a button-down, a little cardigan, a leather jacket — it styles as easily as denim, and it isn't forgettable.

does it change from day to night?

the piece doesn't. the tension around it does.

day — flat shoes, soft knit, less skin. night — a lower neckline, a precise heel, jewelry that catches the light.

most of the time styling isn't adding anything. it's knowing what to take off.

last one. someone says she can't pull it off.

then she's waiting to feel like the kind of woman who wears leopard. put it on first. the confidence turns up a few minutes later. so does the attention — you get used to that faster than you'd think.

 

Irissale, ethically handmade in los angeles with lots of love.