WHO IS THE M. MARTIN WOMAN?

ALEX:  The M. Martin woman is a dynamic, confident woman with a strong sense of personal style. She wants her clothes to feel effortless and comfortable, and builds her wardrobe around the classics, wearing them in her own modern way.

JEN:  She's a woman, a grown up who expresses elegance through a sense of ease.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU FOR YOUR RESORT 2016 COLLECTION?

JEN:  Resort 2016 layers in vibrant colors to our core palette. Inspired by the California modernism of David Hockney's pool paintings and the refined easy attitude of a Slim Aarons photograph, Resort is a tight capsule collection of clean lines in nostalgic hues. Evocative of a forgotten era of classic style, this season is adding to our ideal of comfort and elegance with a cool understated sense of luxury. We wanted to design sportswear designed for a getaway spirit and made for everyday living. A clean balance between novel and minimalism, we evolved Resort 2016 from Fall 2015's classic debut and introduced a sense of whimsy & detail.  

WHAT IS YOUR UNIFORM?

ALEX:  Jeans and an oversized knit, always flat shoes...Navy, cream and grey make up most of my wardrobe.

JEN:  I have a smurf closet. Any variation of a poplin shirt (I am convinced) goes with everything. And my red Celine trio. It's a hands free wallet.

DESCRIBE THE AESTHETIC OF YOUR HOME.

ALEX:  I live with my husband Scott and 3 kids in a NYC apartment and it's a constant effort to keep things as simple and peaceful as possible. I should this question with what I dream for: a cozy yet modern home in a palette of creams and grey and maybe a pop of Hermes gift box orange.

JEN:  Very clean color palette. Lots of whites mixed with greys which is hilarious considering we have a black French bulldog and a 3 year-old. We did inherit really beautiful antique pieces from my husband's grandparents which has been slowly incorporated into our very white space over the years. My husband is a closet pack rat and I have a habit of purging. We start to collection pieces of art from traveling and from auctions which has been a nice addition.

WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO BEAUTY PRODUCT?

ALEX:  I can't live without Laura Mercier tinted illuminating moisturizer.

JEN:  A girlfriend of mine got me into Beauty Counter and it's been life changing. I also can't live without homeoplasmine -  when I go to a Paris drugstore I make sure to stock up and it's the only thing I can put on my lips and cuticles.

WHAT MADE YOU START M. MARTIN?

ALEX:  It was kismet...When Jen and I met two years ago while working on a different project we had an instant connection and a friendship was born. Despite our different backgrounds and ages, we both share a style sensibility that we could only find in the designer market and we were very frustrated shoppers. We wondered if it was possible to create something of the same standards but at a more reachable price point. After much research, we realized we could. We are both so excited to create beautiful clothes for women to feel good in. It feels like a dream sometimes that we get to do this everyday.

JEN:  As consumers, Alex and I constantly felt there was a hole in the advanced contemporary marketplace that was not trend based and has a clean, elegant aesthetic. We wanted the same timeless silhouettes with the craftsmanship and fabrication one can obtain in the designer market but a reachable price point. We kept on talking about it, and eventually decided this was too good of an opportunity to pass up and went for it.

HOW DO YOU FIND BALANCE IN YOUR LIFE?

ALEX:  I am still working on this. It is a constant focus to figure out how to balance work with motherhood and also have a marriage. Thankfully, we all support each other at the office. We are all working women and most of us have kids. Jen and I continue to figure out how to be the most efficient in a normal work day - it's so important to us that we all have a quality life at home too.

JEN:  Laughter! We are a walking comedy show. Anyone in our lives (whether they like it or not) understand we are both constantly living in a world of craziness. If we can't laugh, not sure how any of this would work! We are also incredibly fortunate to work with not only the best, but the most fun people out there. Our office is always full of laughter...and ice cream (which certainly helps)!

Shop the collection HERE.

 

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