Knit Wit: Marcia Patmos Goes It Solo, Shares Her Spring Wardrobe Staples

By Bee-Shyuan Chang
April 28, 2011

M.Patmos

M. Patmos Spring 2011 fashions, images courtesy of the company

Top fashion designer Marcia Patmos knows a thing or two about what women want. As one half of the duo behind beloved but now shuttered design line Lutz & Patmos, she and former business partner and designer Tina Lutz spent the last decade putting out the kind of super soft cashmere knits we could cozy up all day in. After closing Lutz & Patmos in 2010, Marcia Patmos launched her first solo collection, M. Patmos, whose first pieces just hit stores for spring. The wearable collection, available at Barneys and other top specialty stores, features sunny stripes in yellow and mint, and of course, must-have knit fashions such as a short sleeved chunky open-stitch sweater in ecru.

The top fashion designer chatted with eBay's The Inside Source about going solo, her hot weather closet staples and her love for eBay.

Marcia Patmos The Inside Source: Spring 2011 is your first solo designer collection. Is it a different design experience?

Marcia Patmos: Tina and I designed and brainstormed together, so now there is not the same collaboration, but I find inspiration everywhere I go, so I am happy to be able to draw on it all!

The Inside Source: Being that Lutz & Patmos was known almost exclusively for knit fashions, is it nice to be able to branch out to different textiles?

Marcia Patmos: Yes, I enjoy researching and thinking about other fabrics, textiles, etc. It's fun working with new techniques such as lace, beading and leather.

The Inside Source: What were you inspired by when dreaming up your Spring 2011 fashion collection?

Marcia Patmos: I was thinking about things that make one happy and things I am inspired myself to buy: great color, interesting texture, lightweight and multipurpose pieces with unique details. These days, people are a bit more careful about what they buy. A great seller this season was the lace group—not at all a necessity in one's life, but very cute and easy to add into your existing wardrobe to make it all look new.

The Inside Source: Fashion trends tend to move quite a bit faster since everything has gone online. Do you think that's helped the M.Patmos launch?

Marcia Patmos: The blogosphere is so powerful that it does help get information out there much quicker. Good press can certainly travel quickly and in so many different veins than you could ever imagine.

The Inside Source: So now that spring finally seems to have arrived, are you looking forward to even warmer weather?

Marcia Patmos: I am so excited that the days are getting longer and it is now a bit milder. In fact, I spent the entire weekend outside. I walked all over Brooklyn yesterday, ate brunch outside, walked shops, stopped by the farmers' market, the park and ran errands.

The Inside Source: It seems New York residents tend to flock to the countryside or beach when the sun is out. What's your escape of choice?

Marcia Patmos: I can’t wait to go to Montauk when it gets a bit nicer. It is so nice to be able to be there in just a few hours in the car or train. But it is beautiful upstate too; I love the Catskills and Vermont. New Yorkers are lucky because there are nice escapes in every direction.

M.Patmos

The Inside Source: What are your summer wardrobe staples?

Marcia Patmos:

1. Great flat sandals are good for walking or biking around the city that can also work for the beach. Nude and natural is a pretty neutral for summer, but sometimes a color or metallic can be more fun.

2. Lightweight cardigans for air conditioning chills.

3. Lightweight scarves for breezy nights. Both of these items are good to have in many colors so you can layer.

The Inside Source: Have you shopped eBay online auctions before?

Marcia Patmos: Yes, I love eBay! As a designer or creative person, it's a great source when you are looking for a particular genre or are in a particular decorating mood. It depends on my current obsession, but I have bought Victorian clothing and watch fobs, lots of vintage textiles, mid-century glassware and ceramics, vintage bird-watching books. I occasionally look up a particular current designer shoe that is sold out everywhere to see if someone has listed it.

The Inside Source: What other fashion trends will you be hunting for this season?

Marcia Patmos: I am always on the lookout for good new accessories and layers to change up the daily uniform, like good t-shirts, sandals, rings and bags.

(images courtesy of M.Patmos)