Although designers Megan Balch and Jaime Barker have been designing their Flagpole Swim collection for two years and already sell to Barneys New York and Net-a-Porter, they held their first New York Fashion Week presentation Wednesday on a sundeck at Chelsea Piers. After just a glance at the 13-piece lineup, the reason for the buzz and early success was obvious.
The boldly color-blocked maillots and two-piece suits are made in New York with Italian fabrics and “are modeled after a leotard’s construction,” explained Barker. “These work for volleyball, swim, playing with children. They are constructed to have no mishaps.” A one-piece suit with long sleeves, a cutout top and a high-cut bottom was at once sexy and functional — attributes all the styles can claim. Balch and Barker chose to confine their prints, namely stripes and geometrics, to their cover-ups: short jumpsuits, long skirts, shorts. While comfort, construction, fit, function and durability matter here, nothing trumped the collection’s terrific visuals.
