LONDON — The White Company, known for its luxurious bedding of brushed or Egyptian cotton in pristine whites and light grays, is brushing up its fashion credentials come September with the launch of a ready-to-wear collection as part of its 30th anniversary.
The lifestyle business has tapped designer Sheila McKain as clothing director, who previously held positions at Donna Karan and Oscar de la Renta to lead the project that takes its cues from the brand’s archives and its founder, Chrissie Rucker.
As expected, the pieces are cloud-like in fabrications and neutral in color with shades of ecru, white, gray and khaki green. They include fluid wide-leg trousers, tops with sculptural necklines and dresses with high-neck collars that could pass for one of the characters in the “Dune” universe.
The White Company’s new clothing range designed by Sheila McKain.
“We started looking at Chrissie’s own archives and what she really loved or has worn over and over again. We took these pieces and reworked them to make them feel more relevant and even more easy to wear. For example, some pleated front back trousers Chrissie wears again and again and they have reappeared in this new collection,” said McKain in an interview.
She also focused on clothes worn primarily at home, such as nightwear and loungewear.
“But our timeless colors and silhouettes meant these pieces were increasingly worn with jeans and dresses. The range grew organically as customers trusted us more and more to create elegant, flattering pieces that became their go-to wardrobe building blocks,” McKain added.
The White Company’s new clothing range designed by Sheila McKain.
The collection will be available at all The White Company stores, but only the Marylebone High Street and Symons Street stores will carry the full range.
A Christmas collection is already in the works and will be unveiled in the fall.
The White Company has been offering clothing since 2004, but this is the first time a dedicated designer is overseeing the design direction.
McKain is not scared to label her debut collection quiet luxury or as she puts it, “quietly beautiful clothing.”
“As a brand, we’re all about gentle fluidity, flattering fit, softness and femininity. You remember the friend you hugged who was wearing cloud-like cashmere and being enveloped in their softness — that’s the feeling we want to bottle,” she said.