The inspiration behind Darling of the Sea

"Becky, I wanna borrow your boyfriend
I wanna kiss him long and slow
so why don't you just let him go?"
 

Last Spring, having just returned from my first trip to Los Angeles with the humidity of the NYC summer still weeks away, I was sketching for she and reverie's next capsule collection.  I was hoping to combine two of my favorite things--romantic rococo-era art and 1950s kitsch--but everything I sketched just felt so flat.  I had gone through three different print concepts in the week before, and while they were all cute, none of them were exactly what I wanted to move forward with.

At home, I sat at my candy pink desk with a glass of lemonade and a new pastel-rainbow manicure, listening to a playlist of The Soviettes, Sleater-Kinney & All Girl Summer Fun Band. Frustrated by sunk work and wanting to just-make-whatever-the-hell-I-wanted, I decided, "F❤ck it, I'm drawing mermaid princess clothes."

The result of my creative insolence, Darling of the Sea, subconsciously combined that first initial concept of Fragonard-meets-kitsch with the beachy feeling of a mermaid princess on land, running free in pastel rainbow hues, breaking hearts and breaking waves, a Coney Island princess.

For perfect warm weekends in a tie-front bralette and cut-offs, riding your cruiser down the boardwalk and laughing with your friends, spirits freed by the summer sun and a spiked lemonade.

For a hot weekday evening at home, sitting in front of the fan in a hand-dyed sundress, ice cubes clinking in your glass of water that can't seem to get cold enough.

Lounge pieces that can be worn all summer long: to the cafe in the morning, over your bikini at the shore, dancing on the rooftop later that night.

We shot the campaign for Darling of the Sea on Coney Island last summer, a talented team of women bringing our mermaid girl to life.  This was months before the effects of Superstorm Sandy even seemed possible; when the weather is that beautiful, it's easy to feel invincible.

After the storm, we decided to donate 10% from all sales of Darling of the Sea to Coney Island USA to help them rebuild.  So when you purchase from this collection, not only do you get beautiful garments made in NYC's garment district from a female-owned small business, you are also helping restore America's Playground for the 2013 season.

You can see more visual inspiration for this collection on our Darling of the Sea Tumblr tag, and purchase our capsule collection on our online boutique very soon.

Source: one and seven by Cristina Viscu for she and reverie, three from the designer's instagram, others unknown.