Simon Miller Fall 2021 Ready-to-Wear

Stepping into Chelsea Hansford’s home, tucked away in the winding hills of Los Angeles’s Studio City, felt like a time warp in more ways than one. I could smell the woody smoke coming from her dueling fireplaces upon arrival, prompting a flashback to our last Zoom call, when I first laid eyes (virtually) on her house. During the pandemic, Hansford transformed it into a Simon Miller escape, decked out with contemporary art, a plush blue couch, and an eclectic collection of vintage vases. Her bulldog, Marcel, greeted me at the door before I took in the fall 2021 collection, titled Bird Club. Hansford found inspiration in one of the most popular cartoon franchises of all time: Looney Tunes. She started with two standout motifs, a blue jay plaid and a tropical toucan, which she splashed over denim and twill sets. Extra fabric became the table linens in her house, and road-sign props from the look book shoot were placed around it to complete the experience. The “Kaboom” and “Beep, Beep” ones were nods to the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, but the “Free the Clogs” picket was distinctly hers. Hansford’s commitment to kooky props and set design comes from her mother, a professional party planner. “For me a theme can drive creativity, and it doesn’t have to be too literal,” she said. “How can I keep things fun?”