Express To Finally Unveil Guest-Designed Line

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Not content to sit back and watch Target, the Gap, Kohl's and Uniqlo have all the fun, chain store Express is also jumping on the designer collaboration bandwagon. They've chosen an unusual partner: British printmaker Celia Birtwell, the woman behind Ossie Clark. The LA Times has some of the first photos of the limited-edition line, which will hit 100 Express stores April 7th and will include (printed, of course) breezy tops and floaty dresses; Birtwell will design four mini-collections for the retailer.

More on Celia Birtwell for Express, from WWD: "The first collection includes two silk chiffon blouses in six different prints retailing for $79.50 and one silk chiffon dress in two different prints for $128, about 15 to 20 percent more than most of the store's offerings, but among the most fashion-forward yet. Birtwell combined some of her vintage patterns with new ones to create the styles, which have an updated bohemian vibe...'I think people will like them because they are pretty and wearable, and affordable, [she said] which is especially important now with finances in flux.'"
· Celia Birtwell delivers romance to Express [LA Times]
· Express Teams With Birtwell [WWD, subscription req]