Alice + Olivia by Stacey Bendet has collaborated on a gender-neutral capsule collection with New York-based streetwear brand Overt.
Overt was founded by Jasper Johnson Weinberg and Bryce Lorenzo, two New York City high school students whose Instagram handle is @overtstreetwear.
The four-piece capsule will be available online and in 23 Alice + Olivia stores on Feb. 23, ranging in price from $250 to $495.
Weinberg and Lorenzo are known for their gender neutral and environmentally sustainable streetwear. The two young designers’ goal is to spread awareness of the LGBTQ community and promote gender diversity in the fashion industry.
The cobranded collection includes the Cityscape Jacket, Bullseye Black Crewneck, Cityscape T-shirt and Side-stripe jeans.
“Producing a gender-neutral collection with Alice + Olivia, a brand that traditionally garners toward women, is not only a surreal opportunity for our teenage selves to pursue our dreams during an influential stage in our life, but also a step toward normalizing gender-neutral clothes in the fashion industry and de-stigmatizing the need to create garments based on someone’s sex,” Weinberg said.
Related Galleries
“The freedom of anyone’s self-expression should not be held back by the chains of a gender-specific cage. No matter how young we are, we are not afraid to advocate on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community,” Lorenzo added.
Bendet told WWD that she met Weinberg through his dad, Jason Weinberg. “Jason showed me Jasper’s streetwear collection, and I was so impressed I offered to mentor him and that is how the collaboration began,” Bendet said. She said that she really wanted the capsule to be about Overt, “their style, their vibe, bringing a gender-neutral perspective to our Alice + Olivia customers.
“We executed their designs using our materials and development resources,” Bendet said.
She said the collaboration was conceived to bring awareness to Weinberg and Lorenzo and their talent, as well as to create a capsule that appealed to men as much as women. They are starting with one collection, and the company said they both want to work together again, but nothing has been set.
“I was so impressed with Jasper and Bryce, their talent their passion, their connection to pop culture and a younger audience. I love their work and love being able to help young designers pursue their passion,” Bendet said.
FOR MORE STORIES:
Poet Mahogany L. Browne Pens ‘Song of She’ for Alice + Olivia Fall Collection Video
Stacey Bendet Launches Creatively, a Networking Platform for Creative Industries