Trina Turk really sticks to her guns. A successful practice it seems, evident in the launch of yet another of her famous boutiques, this time in South Florida’s Bal Harbour Shops. Bold neon splashes of color reminiscent of old school Miami décor please the visual palette as you enter the store, much like the 80s-inspired colors in her new line, popping brightly against the understated backdrop of white concrete blocks and contemporary furniture. With her beachy, resort gear and colorful year-round prints, it seems a move to Miami was in the stars for the design goddess.
“We do a lot of print and a lot of color, and that’s kind of what we’re known for,” said Turk in a sit-down at her grand opening event on November 12. “I think Miami embraces color and print in a big way, and it just seemed like a logical place to be. Plus this is one of the best malls in the country and I love its modernist architecture, which is kind of a hobby of mine, so we were really excited to be invited to open a store here.”
Known for her extensive women’s apparel collection, Turk began dabbling in the design of soft goods and textiles for the home, including rugs and pillows with prints reminiscent of previous apparel designs, and now has a residential store in Palm Springs as well, which she playfully calls “her laboratory”. Her new 2009 Resort and Holiday line, which is one of ten distributions each year, is the first of two resort lines to be released this fall. Trina completed her design degree in the 80s, an era from which she drew her obvious inspiration for this new collection, with bright pink, turquoise, and neon yellow integrated with a ton of black in different textures and designs. Think a toned-down ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’, minus the Cyndi Lauper cheese factor. The funky inspiration behind Turk’s many innovative ideas always emerges in a refined, yet artistic fashion.
The holiday line will incorporate some of their jewelry design as well, which is a new addition to the collection. The designer herself was wearing a stunning gold and turquoise piece from her spring line at the event, a stark contrast to the backdrop of her one-shoulder black dress. Also incorporated into the collections housed in each of her seven boutiques are a number of vintage clothing and jewelry pieces, which Turk shops for herself. Not one to follow rules or compartmentalize the brand according to trends, there really isn’t any one fabric she doesn’t use in her design—with exception to polyester, thankfully—and does most of her prints on silks, cottons, different blends, knits, wovens and sweaters. Swimwear is a huge element of her brand as well. The full Trina Turk swimwear collection is also carried in the Bal Harbour boutique.
Developing the fabric for her signature prints and textiles is her favorite part of the business, though she admits it can be a challenge to get her customers to break free from last season and try something new. Even as a designer, she admits it can be difficult to not get caught up in trends, but she maintains that “whatever the trend is, sticking to your guns sort of interpreting it in our own way, in the way that it works for you” is a key element of personal style. Wherever her inspiration comes from, the elements of her design are born from a natural evolution and a continued dedication to a passion she has followed since she was a little girl.
“I started my company in 1995 in a spare bedroom in our house and it just has kind of slowly but surely grown,” said the versatile designer. “When I first started, it was a very small apparel collection. Now we’re doing the swim, we’re doing the home, we’re doing the jewelry, going into spring we’re doing bags, like beach bags and tote bags, beach towels, and so it’s just much more complex now. I started off only doing wholesale and now we’re doing retail as well. I love every aspect of my business and am involved in every facet of the day-to-day operation. You know, this is my baby.”
Thanks to Trina Turk, our cocktail party and poolside luxury lifestyle just got a much-needed bold boost of color and chic style, guaranteed to change the landscape of some of South Florida’s hautest beaches, from happy hour to after hours. Welcome to Miami, Trina.
Via: Trina Turk, Miami
