One of the more interesting brands at fashion week was Musette 1991.  I loved the collection but upon speaking with the press and the Musette 1991 designer Cristina Batlan I found myself reserved.   They were saying one thing but the clothes said another.  To look at these beautifully made items, you’d say Musette 1991 is a heritage brand.  Yet, when I asked about the collection I was given a rather romantic and far-reaching story of a woman, a “modern woman that needs a new identity, who protests the rules, in pursuit of her own liberty.” But honestly I didn’t see that.

As I walked around the presentation showroom in Paris I couldn’t help but think, this is a girl who likes consistency in her life.  She isn’t eclectic or romantic, she is efficient.  She enjoys a consist style of clothing that she wears to work, to gym, and to play which are interchangeable and very similar in style, texture and color.  This girl doesn’t need a new identity.  This girl is confident and she knows exactly who she is.

As I asked more questions I learned that this is the first apparel season for the designer. Musette 1991 is a heritage ACCESSORIES company.  This information brought new color to my perception.  It also settled my unspoken thought that the accessories were much more developed than the clothes.

It seems, to help designer Cristina Batlan transition, she developed the apparel collection around the heritage accessories line which she knows so well.  It was inspiring to talk with her about it because you felt that this was an apparel and accessories collection truly made for one another.

And while the designer has taken a strong leap into the apparel world, at the end of the day the accessories are key.

As for the apparel, she has some room to grow and is off to a strong start in furthering the Musette 1991 Heritage brand.  Good luck to you Cristina, I’ll definitely be watching!