by Jasmin Malik Chua


With the launch of its Spring/Summer 2011 collection, Turk + Taylor has nowhere to go but up. And we do mean that literally. The San Francisco label has always been partial to materials with a back-story (vintage army blankets, recycled sails, dead-stock fabrics), but designers Mark Lee Morris and Andrew Wayne Soernsen developed a hankering for something bigger: a retired hot-air balloon from Colorado that they gently unfurled before cutting it into manageable pieces. The ripstop nylon was “destined,” according to Morris, for a second life as a series of one-of-a-kind, color-blocked windbreakers. Certainly there was no shortage of material. “I actually rough-calculated the quantity at around 400 yards of fabric,” he tells Ecouterre.


SECOND WIND
The rest of the collection practically designed itself, but then Turk + Taylor, which cranks out its men’s and women’s wear in the Bay Area, has never shied away from unconventional colors or patterns. “Our challenge is to create inspiration; to create garments that inspire people, draw attention, and never underestimate the power of fun,” Morris says.
To wit, an organic cotton/recycled polyester rainbow buffalo plaid became a western shirt for the lads and a safari dress for the ladies. Multicolored organic cotton/nylon twill resulted in the perfect summer board short. And the Italian striped linen? It was practically begging to be turned into a nouveau Mexican poncho. “As a collection, it may seem theatrical and over the top; that’s the point,” Morris says. “But as individual pieces, the styles are quite wearable.”
Ecouterre readers can get 25 percent off all Turk + Taylor purchases through its online store with the code TURK25SPECIAL. Up, up, and away!
(Source: www.ecouterre.com )