<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"   Photo: Courtesy of Madewell  When J.Crew alum Somsack Sikhounmuong took the reigns last February at Madewell, we knew we were in for something great, and our predictions were confirmed\u2014and then some\u2014when we got a first look at Sikhounmuong&amp;#039;s inaugural collection last October. Related: Madewell&amp;#039;s New Designer Debuts His First-Ever Collection for the Brand Now, we get to see it all come to life in the spring/summer lookbook. There&amp;#039;s unkempt hair, half-tucked tops, a bit of nautical influence, and lots of denim (oh, the denim)! It&amp;#039;s a collection of visual inspiration for the casual-chic French girls we all on some level strive to be. Also, note that the baseball cap is about to have its moment as the It-accessory, and sexy overalls are a thing. And we can&amp;#039;t wait to figure out how to pull that one off. Eager to get some more insight into these ch-ch-changes, we asked Sikhounmuong about this new direction, Francophilia, and mastering the art of looking effortless, not sloppy. Photo: Courtesy of Madewell Does this collection represent a new direction for Madewell, or was it more important to stick to the company&amp;#039;s signature aesthetic? For me it&amp;#039;s about capturing both\u2014the new and the signature. A good example is our denim. We&amp;#039;ve worked really hard to maintain what we love\u2014cool washes, great fits\u2014while keeping it fresh by introducing new fabrics and bodies. There&amp;#039;s a killer pair of overalls for spring that I&amp;#039;m excited about; they are slimmer and sexier. How would you describe the girl who wears this collection? Effortless, cool, and considered.  Photo: Courtesy of Madewell What&amp;#039;s the key to striking the chic balance that&amp;#039;s portrayed in the lookbook? Casual but never sloppy. All those touches\u2014a rolled up jean, half tucked shirt\u2014make an outfit more personal. There are so many different versions of the roll: one, two, half tuck, left half, right half, skinny half or generous half\u2026I could go on. What you choose to do makes your look yours! So experiment and try a few things out to find what feels natural and looks good.  Photo: Courtesy of Madewell There&amp;#039;s definitely a French influence to the collection. What was the inspiration behind this? Travel was key for spring &amp;#039;14 at Madewell. We looked to a lot of places for inspiration and, yes, were influenced by French dressing. I have always had an affinity for French style. There&amp;#039;s an off-handed, easy but always put together take on dressing that I gravitate towards.  Photo: Courtesy of Madewell Is the baseball hat the new &amp;quot;It&amp;quot; accessory? I can&amp;#039;t pick just one! I love a baseball hat but for this spring, you&amp;#039;re also going to need a pair of our new chunkier sandals, a small cross body bag, and one (or two) of our sash belts to go with it. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elle.com/fashion/news/a14908/madewell-spring-2014-somsack-sikhounmuong-interview/>