Just in time for the holidays, two Hollywood stylists have unveiled new collaborative collections. Ilaria Urbinati (whose clients include Rami Malek, Armie Hammer, Dwayne Johnson, Donald Glover and Ryan Reynolds) has teamed up with the U.K.-based London Sock Company on a 12-piece capsule line, while Charlene Roxborough Konsker (who works with Eva Longoria and Kris Jenner) has partnered with the L.A.-based activewear label Vimmia on a 19-piece CRK + Vimmia fashion collection crafted from high-tech fabrics.
The London Sock Co. x Ilaria Urbinati collection ($22 for single pairs; $67 for three-pair boxes; $253 for a 12-pair box) came about after Urbinati had long worked with the brand to pull socks for her clientele. “I’m obsessed with cute, stylish socks for guys. For pretty much every single outfit I style, I always very carefully pick out the socks, even when you can’t really see them. And this trend of the slightly shorter, tapered pant hasn’t really gone away, so socks tend to always show if a guy’s walking or sitting.”
Urbinati’s “never-ending obsessions with the ’70s” served as inspiration for the patterns. And gaps she found in the sock market directed the colors: “There are certain socks that I’m missing when I do outfits,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “For example, for awards season, there are not a lot of cute black socks. They are always colored. When you do a tux, guys want to be more classic, but they don’t necessarily want to be boring with a simple black sock. So part of it was designing some printed black socks that would work with a tuxedo. And for some reason, no one ever does brown socks. I do a lot of suits in shades of brown, camel, tan and orange (especially in the fall) so I needed socks to go with that. You will be seeing them aplenty during awards season!”
Konsker describes her fashion collaboration with Vimmia (available Friday for preorder and stocked Jan. 6; $58 to $628 in sizes XS to XL) as “comfy-chic” pieces that can be dressed up for the evening. “I listened to my clients, who are often traveling, and to what they were missing in their closets. It’s about a lifestyle that is very easy and effortless; how we can travel and go about our days without looking too overdone,” she told THR. “I thought, ‘Why don’t I teach women how to pack something they can mix into their everyday wardrobe with pieces from higher-end labels like Saint Laurent?’”
The result? Monochromatic looks in five neutral tones (stone, camel, sand, black and slate) to make the seasonless, mix-and-match items ultra-versatile. Core pieces include leggings, biker shorts, a hoodie, a sleeveless turtleneck, jumpsuits, dresses, bras and high-waisted sweatpants. Fabrications are a key focus. A Bodyshirt and an Outback Convertible Coat, with a zip-off bottom panel that transforms the long trench into a knee-length coat, come in waterproof coated canvas. A parachute top and pant defy wrinkling. And a proprietary Lycra-blend Vimmia X fabrication, with cosmetic benefits, reportedly increases blood circulation and helps skin to appear smoother and firmer. “The high-waist ponte leggings hug you and hold you in; it’s like wearing Spanx,” says Konsker. “Eva and Victoria Beckham want the coat and the leggings!“
One of Konsker’s aims is to elevate the sweat suit. “When people wear sweat suits, they [tend to] either look too trendy or not age-appropriate or too sloppy or too streetwear,” she told THR. “For a cocktail party, you put the sweat suit on with a cool necklace, heels and the Outback Convertible Coat. …Everything literally rolls up to fit into your bag. It’s stress-free. Now you don’t have to get stressed when you’re getting dressed.”
