ALL DECKED OUT: YOUR OUTFIT TO YOUR ABODE

When we’re winding down each collection, we like to take a little pause to reflect on some of the major players – pieces that were our favorites, pieces that surprised us, pieces we just can’t stop talking about. And it’s always fun to hear from the perspective of the designer herself. 

With Adirondacks, it was a bit of a curve ball.

“Well, wait – do you mean apparel or home?” Cheryl asked.

Touché. We’re diving into décor in a big way this season, and we’re loving the way it complements the collections, so it adds a whole new layer to the conversation. Turns out, there’s a lot to love about all Adirondacks has to offer. We flipped through the catalog with Cheryl and had her break it down for us:

FAR-OUT FURS

“We didn’t go over-the-top with fur in this collection, but the furs we did do, I think we did really well. Two in particular come to mind, and both of them stand out to me because they’re a slight twist on the traditional. The first is the From the Great Lakes Jacket; the collar and cuffs are trimmed in that super-soft Kalgan lamb fur which has a curl to it that gives it a unique texture that’s pleasing both aesthetically and tactilely – it’s irresistible to touch! The second is the Hondo Vest, which is a perennial favorite, but what makes this version special is the color; this shade we call ‘Lake Breeze’ is a gorgeous deep teal that you don’t expect to see in a leather or a fur, so it’s extra eye-catching and it pulls out those pops of color in this collection.”

Which actually brings us to our next element…

DEEP & DARK

“Teals and greens have played a part in all of the Heritage Departures collections, and you’ll continue to see shades of them evolve in collections to come, that’s just how color works in fashion. A couple that showed up strong in Adirondacks are that ‘lake breeze’ I mentioned, which leans slightly more toward the blue-teal side, and then a hue we call ‘dark springs’, which is a greener teal and quite dark, as the name implies. What’s amazing about these colors is that they work really well together, and also that we were able to bring them to life in very unexpected ways, like a ‘dark springs’ velvet and a ‘lake breeze’ suede.”

FANCY FLORALS

“You’ll notice throughout the Adirondacks collection, the florals are all very intricate and detailed. The inspiration behind these particular patterns was the floral designs often associated with the Iroquois peoples who were native to that East Coast region. Like all artforms, each design differed, but there was an overall motif to the aesthetic, that kind of scrolling stem and open blossoms, and a lot of times they were beaded, so they were individual dots of color working together. In the Goats Island Souvenirs Top, we mimicked that beaded look into what was actually a print, and it turned out so beautifully, you almost have to touch it to know it’s not beaded. And then in other instances, we actually did bead it, like on the velvet throw pillows we debuted with Adirondacks.”

And that segues us right into home…

PILE ON THE PILLOWS

“Oh, don’t make me try to pick a favorite throw pillow! I’m thrilled with how all of them turned out. I mean, the beaded ones in this collection – the Whimsey, the Goats Island, the Huron Valley – are undeniably beautiful, they make really great accent pieces. And then I would probably balance those with some Corndance and perhaps some Water Carrier pillows in complementary colors, and then perhaps tie it all together with the Great Camps Pillow. Good thing every woman knows there’s no such thing as too many pillows!”

IMPORTANCE OF ARTWORK

“One of my favorite things we’ve added to our offerings recently is the artwork. These are pieces that I’ve personally hand-selected at one point or another – maybe years and years ago, maybe something I chose specifically for the collection, or maybe it’s something from my own collection or design archive that’s ready for a new home. Whatever the circumstances of how we acquired it, it really makes my heart swell to make it available to our audience, people I know have a similar appreciation for the aesthetic. We have several stunning pieces we staged in the Adirondacks catalog, so artwork definitely has to have a spot on my ‘favorites’ list.”

But we’re not quite finished. As is often the case with any rankings, we had to sneak in a few “Honorable Mentions”…

ALL THINGS OSCAR

“Is it redundant for me to add Oscar Betz? I think my admiration for his work probably goes without saying at this point, but every new shipment he sends and every vintage pair we find, they still just make me ooh and aah.”

WORLD OF WHIMSY

“I’ve been pretty prolific about my obsession and collection of whimsies already, so I don’t know that they necessarily need a spot on this list, but I would also feel a little remiss not to mention them!”