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Anthropologie enhances its wanderlust reputation with its striking September catalog, which lands in homes later this week. Creative director Trevor Lunn gave StyleList an exclusive, behind-the-scenes preview of their first fall mailing.
The cover and first story set the adventuress tone, as the photos were shot on an Argentinian ranch. It might have been even more far-flung, though — Lunn reveals he considered Mongolia as a possible location!
Equestrian-inspired clothing and boy-meets-girl style are linchpins of Anthropologie’s fall fashion collection. With these themes in mind, Lunn says, “We wanted a ruggedly beautiful region that was part of an equestrian history.”
Anthropologie September 2010 Catalog
Anthropologie’s creative team traveled to the southern hemisphere to pursue their horsemanship idea. “We’ve had the good fortune recently to work with a number of remarkable equestrian photographers, including Donna DeMari,” noted Lunn, and “their love of these magnificent animals rubbed off.”
Anthropologie September 2010 Catalog
As though it wasn’t dreamy enough, the Argentinian ranch is owned by Juan Martín Zavaleta, one of the country’s top polo players. “He was kind enough to let us use [his trophies] and to treat them rather irreverently,” Lunn told StyleList.
Anthropologie September 2010 Catalog
“I believe that our model hadn’t ridden prior to the shoot but she did a magnificent job of appearing like someone at home on the back of a horse,” revealed Lunn. A local gaucho appears in some shots as well.
Anthropologie September 2010 Catalog
Feminine detailing spruces up the boots, from these ruffles to high laced styles. Many of the pumps and booties are done in warm browns and golds, with soft matte textures.
Anthropologie September 2010 Catalog
Strong colors and far-flung influences light up the décor pages. The upholstery on this Garvey chair was inspired by vintage New York subway signs, while the plaid coverings on the Winifred Collection resulted from a collaboration with a historic Scottish wool mill. A vibrant Yoruba quilt was sparked by the work of Yinka Shonibare, MBE, a Nigerian-British contemporary artist.
The photos were shot on a ranch just outside of Buenos Aires, in Córdoba Province. With its mountain ranges and tufted fields of green-gold pampas grass, it’s a classic landscape from the heartland of Argentina.
The collection’s sunset colors, soft greens, and ruddy leathers fit right into this setting.
Nubby knit jackets and cardigans are layered sturdily over soft prints. Vivid plaids spread over skirts, blouses, asymmetric dresses, and a dramatic corset-back sweater coat.
The following two stories were shot closer to home, in New York City. In “Fall Reflections,” footwear faces drizzly weather on picturesque cobbled streets in Brooklyn. The high boots, lace-up clogs, and pumps often have chunkier heels.
The “Every Inch Mine” pages focus on home decor, wandering through an apartment stuffed with mementos of exotic travels. The upholstery and rugs are a bright riot of plaids, stripes, and kilim patterns.
“We were inspired by the styling of Maxime de la Falaise and the Australian stylist Sibella Court,” Lunn explains. “There is an uncanny sense of parallelism between these two women. Both [were] decorators, designers, stylists, collectors, writers, and above all, very inspiring women in the world of decorating. Both [had] homes filled with treasures and textures from years of collecting.”
These women kindled the idea of a home as self-portrait. Lunn hopes customers will be encouraged to take a similar approach: “It’s almost impossible to go wrong if you love and have a personal connection to each of the objects in your home.”
The final section, “Beauty by Trade,” has its roots in great photography. Inspired by the “Small Trades” portrait series by the legendary Irving Penn, the Anthropologie team used similar, spare poses to frame their favorite fall styles.
These top looks include long sweater coats, cowl-necks, asymmetric lines, and even more plaid, including a splashy oversized-check yellow capelet.
“From a creative viewpoint it was a pleasure to pay homage to Penn, an immense talent I wish I had the opportunity to meet,” enthuses Lunn. “He would absolutely be on my fantasy dinner party [list] — or round at the pub.”
For another insider’s look at a big fall catalog, read on!
Anthropologie September 2010 Catalog: Sneak Peek originally appeared on StyleList on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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