How Nili Lotan Is Shaping The SS24 Closet
The New York designer, who has built her name in sleek and effortless classics, proposes day-to-dark essentials with a rock’n’roll attitude
To Nili Lotan, utility is the ultimate luxury. Since establishing her brand in New York in 2003, the designer has made it her mission to create hard-working wardrobe staples that are refined yet reliable – dialing down on the core pieces of the closet to distill the essence of both fashion and function. In the two decades since, Lotan has sharpened her eye to offer trusted garments that are enablers; pieces that allow women to go about their busy days in comfort, unhindered.
Lotan is a thoughtful designer, and over the years has built a solid reputation for negating anything superfluous, focusing instead on pared-down purity to offer clothing that is trans-seasonal, enduring and effortless — with an added rock’n’roll mood to bring a bit of edge to the everyday. And that rings just as true for spring/summer 2024, a collection in which Lotan delivers classic pieces with a contemporary pop that can be seamlessly mixed and matched — an idea that almost feels rebellious amid the constant trend cycle.
Crisp white jeans are arguably the hero of any warm-weather wardrobe, and, indeed, they’re the star of the Nili Lotan spring/summer 2024 edit. Easy yet elegant, they encapsulate the designer’s main missive, becoming an ultimate representation of smart-casual style. Cut to a tailored yet relaxed fit, they feature a high waist to offer a more elegant take than everyday denims – for daytime, pair with cotton shirting and a cashmere sweater; for night, look to stiletto pumps and a sharp-shouldered blazer. These jeans are made to be worn on heavy rotation, and seamlessly make the case for uniform dressing.
“Thoughtful pocket placement, epaulets and button trims evoke a sense of understated practicality
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Indeed, uniform dressing is a notion that has been at the core of Nili Lotan’s designs since the very beginning. Her debut collection focused on six key pieces that were central to a functional wardrobe: all women needed, according to the designer, was three pairs of casual pants, two jackets and one skirt, providing they were intuitively designed and rendered in timeless colors — with each silhouette inspired by an Air Force flight suit. Cue details such as thoughtful pocket placement, epaulets and button trims that evoke a sense of understated practicality.
For spring/summer 2024, Lotan imagined her woman at home and on-the-go, introducing pieces that will prove a worthy addition to any capsule closet. Cue oversized knits in cool yet comfortable proportions that feature structured shirt collars for added sophistication. Wear yours over a crisp white T-shirt on cooler spring days and pair with jeans, or pack it in your vacation suitcase to slip on over a tank top for evenings spent outdoors.
Of course, no closet is complete without a fail-safe black dress that will prove a forever ally. And, this season, Nili Lotan offers just that. Cut to a timeless, full-length silhouette with a hemline that sweeps the ground, this form-fitting dress with long sleeves is the ultimate day-to-night heroine, with a purity that riffs on ’90s minimalism mixed with Lotan’s signature ease. For sunny days spent outside, team with strappy flat sandals and a raffia bag, while a kitten-heel pump and a pair of statement earrings are all you’ll need to transition to dressier occasions under the city’s lights.
No matter where you’re headed, Nili Lotan’s enduring closet classics will forever keep their cool.