JUDE FELLER JOINS VANCOUVER-BASED BRAND TO CREATE NEW COLLECTION
Story by Odessa Paloma Parker
Lifetime Spring/Summer 2012 “The Road Trip” from Lifetime Collective on Vimeo.
Founded in 2002 by Reid Stewart and Trevor Fleming, the Lifetime Collective’s goal has long been to artistically mark the changes that occur during our lives in a continuous way, rather than define moments through stylistic trends. The easy-to-wear pieces that make up their collections seamlessly slip into the wardrobes of the brand’s fans, and their new styles for Spring/Summer 2012 are no exception.
A change has marked this season’s offerings by way of Jude Feller, owner of the label lily + jae, who joined forces with the Collective to design for their womenswear line. “I was looking to scale things back with lily+jae at the same time as Lifetime was looking to expand their women’s division. Timing is everything,” Feller says of her transition from one brand to the other.
Her designs for Lifetime are a mix of sporty separates, feminine florals and plenty of comfortable, casual daywear pieces. “I believe in wearable yet unique design,” Feller says about her design philosophy. “The new Lifetime women’s collection feels fresh yet classic and comfortable.” Noting that she hopes the collection will “appeal to customers worldwide”, you can see hints within it of style sirens like Alexa Chung and Michelle Williams, whom Feller adds would be the one person she’d most like to dress.
“The collections range from very casual, to more contemporary to fashion forward,” she says about her pieces for Lifetime, adding, “I design for the woman who wants to feel good about herself yet wants function to play a part in her attire.”
A self-confessed “tomboy”, Feller feels there’s room for all sensibilities in one’s wardrobe. “I’m very much casual so that plays a large part,” she says of her own style preferences influencing her work. “I also like to be a girly girl from time to time but am a tomboy at heart.”
Dressing from the heart is paramount to both Lifetime and Feller’s approach; the personality brought to each garment when it’s worn is what makes Lifetime’s pieces so cherished by the wearer. Of her previous work, Feller says, “People tell me that they get the most compliments when they wear my designs. That’s such a nice feeling.” There’s no doubt her new collection for Lifetime will inspire similar sentiments.
