Sarah Staudinger has a talent for creating It products. From moon-shaped hobo bags to New Balance sneakers and “Birken-Staud” sandals, the Staud co-founder and creative director consistently taps into the fashion zeitgeist without sacrificing her SoCal aesthetic. The denim from a new Staud + Wrangler collaboration, available today, is no different.
“One of the things that excites me as a designer is being able to experiment in new categories,” Staudinger told Bazaar in an exclusive. “Denim is so engrained in my own personal style that it felt like a natural progression.”
The 16-piece collection takes a deep dive into the Wrangler archives, reinterpreting classic styles spanning eight decades. It came to fruition after Staudinger approached Wrangler with well-worn, vintage pieces from her personal wardrobe.
“Consumers want authenticity in collaborations,” Wrangler global vice president of design Vivian Rivetti said. “Sarah and her team had a desire to study Wrangler and the brand’s archives to pull specific, authentic, and iconic details, emphasizing classic denim construction.”
“The mood board was full of Wrangler’s advertising images from the 1970s,” Staudinger said. “One slogan, in particular, was resonant: Wrangler thinks Americans should get what they pay for, which couldn’t be more in line with Staud’s philosophy of intrinsic style for everyone.”
Though the styles may appear straightforward at first, upon closer examination they’re filled with imaginative design details. Denim skirts, jackets, and jeans feature Staud’s name rendered in belt loops. Two versatile washes—a faded light wash and a crisp dark rinse—allow for endless mix-and-match possibilities. “We thought a lot about how vintage denim has a broken-in feeling and how we can bring that element into this collection in updated styles,” explained Staudinger.
In addition to jeans, the Staud + Wrangler collaboration contains an oversized denim jacket, western shirts, jean vests and bra tops with the same contemporary Americana aesthetic. The designer’s personal favorites from the collection are the high-rise Loose Jeans and the low-rise, flared-leg Bikini Jeans, both of which feature the collection’s signature belt loops.
Staud + Wrangler is available for purchase on both the Staud and Wrangler websites, as well as in Staud stores nationwide. From the imagery alone, we can tell this collection contains more It-products in the making.
Sarah Maberry is a fashion and luxury commerce editor at Hearst Magazines, where she covers fashion, beauty and pop culture. A seasoned trend forecaster and fashion historian, she analyzes viral products and trends on a deeper level, helping readers determine what's worth buying. When she’s not writing for ELLE, Harper’s BAZAAR, Town & Country, Esquire, Cosmopolitan and other publications, she can be found roaming the Museum at FIT (her alma matter) or sewing her own couture while she binge-watches reality TV.