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| PREPPY CHIC: (left to right) Earnest’s black jersey dress with turquoise piping, cashmere men’s sweater with slit for tie, satin bustier with flare pleats and satin tapered pants, and red satin dress with gold piping and train will be available at Premium 93 in West Village. |
If
you haven’t heard of Matthew Earnest yet, you will. In 2002, the
25-year-old Fort Worth-born designer was the first ever to show a
collection at New York Fashion Week while still enrolled at the Parsons
School of Design. Inspired by prep-school uniforms and Texas style
(jeans, blazers, and boots), his clothes combine luxurious fabrics with
simple silhouettes, creating a new spin on trendy preppy chic.
Earnest’s
design career started when he made theatrical costumes for his friends
and neighbors in Houston, where he grew up. He studied marketing and
advertising at the University of Texas, but he never forgot his true
passion. He began to research designers he admired, including Isaac
Mizrahi and Marc Jacobs. Once he realized he wouldn’t be able to
communicate with them in person, he got press packets and studied their
sketches.
From these he learned to sketch his own ideas and
applied to Parsons, and in 1999, he moved to New York to attend the
prestigious design school. During his junior year, E! Entertainment
Television asked him to do a special for the Style Network’s Fashion Insiders.
Cameramen followed him for two weeks, through classes, social events,
and New York Fashion Week 2002. Earnest received rave reviews from the
likes of Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Women’s Wear Daily. Henri Bendel picked up his collection exclusively for New York, and Selfridges in London also bought.
For
the core fabrics of his fall 2004 collection, Earnest uses cashmere
silk knit, sueded georgette, and cashmere wool suiting. He adds silk
charmeuse lining and African deer fur accents to complete the look of
“American wealth and Ivy League culture.” Women’s pieces include
cashmere sweater dresses, jersey wrap dresses with contrast-color
piping, and high-waisted tailored skirts with ruby silk or claret
charmeuse linings. His menswear line also shows real promise: tapered
pants and double-breasted, single-button jackets in cashmere wool are
modern yet classic.
Earnest made a brief appearance at Tique in
Dallas to show his fall collection. Ladies who can’t get enough of him
and men who need to know his name will flock to newcomer Premium 93,
the only store in Dallas to carry his collection. For a sneak peek,
visit www.matthewearnest.com.
