Ulla Johnson shot her resort 2027 look book in Lisbon and given both the international growth of her brand and the collection’s sunny nature, it’s no wonder she’s looking abroad.
She’s bringing the brand across the pond to London, which will bring “a whole new woman into the fold,” she said of the forthcoming store opening. “We have a global client anyway,” she said, “but this season, we’re doing high summer, deep winter.”
That being said, Johnson tapped painter Cassi Namoda, and used three of her paintings on prints, which became the crux of the collection’s color palette.
Artist collaborations aren’t new to Johnson’s brand, nor are her color-forward prints or her artisanal approach to production, despite how fresh the lime greens or pale blues feel. What is new is the brand’s recent expansions. Johnson launched fragrance to much fanfare earlier this year, from a category perspective, and is building out her shoes and handbags businesses and gaining wholesale traction with those.
To that end, for resort pieces ranged from a more technical raincoat to hand-crocheted sets that come from a group of artisans in Peru. “This season truly touches every occasion, temperature and destination,” she said.
Sequined ombré knits also got their due, which despite their luster, still had a sense of movement and wearability. Even the more heavily embellished pieces and more special materials (“We’ve been doing a lot of leather since we opened on Madison [Avenue],” Johnson explained, where it “sells like crazy,”) were meant to feel more easy than fussy.
“We used to be known so much for volume and ruffle, and I still love that, but there’s so much more to what we’ve been exploring. Other important things for this delivery are evening, and you’ll see some really beautiful silvers,” she said. “They have this incredible sense of movement. Our woman is definitely on the go. I’m never thinking of someone static and posing, but about how she’s feeling, and elaborate travel stories, and that feeds the inspiration so much.”
