Simon Miller is continuing its world tour. Following trips to the Scottish Highlands and the Tuscan countryside, Chelsea Hansford found inspiration for her pre-fall 2024 collection in Tangier, Morocco. While her locales of choice are always awash with natural beauty, Hansford routinely takes interest in a place’s architecture. “I imagined this woman in our collection lounging in the beautiful kind of plant-filled arched doorways,” she said. This season, she leaned into colors and shapes endemic to the African port city, while staying true to the brand’s aesthetic.
The balancing act seems to pay off. Hansford is acutely aware of who the Simon Miller customer is and what they want. “It’s designed for the working creative,” she said. Thus, much of the see-now, buy-now collection is focused on transitional wear, with several tunics and matching pants available. The most adventurous of the bunch is a striped minidress-length vest over matching pants—a nod to the hand-painted Tangier walls. “You can wear it over the slacks to the office and still be bold and playful and exciting,” she said. “But then you can take the pants off in the evening, and throw on a heel.”
Hansford’s work is at its best when she leans into her innate sense of playfulness. A diaphanous mesh slip dress featuring (strategically placed) green hand-crocheted flowers is a particular highlight, as is a knit bodycon dress with a spiral of fringe encircling the wearer’s body. Some of the pieces—particularly the accessories—seem to be offering takes on existing items, when energy could be better spent elsewhere. While bejeweled mesh, crocheted, and intrecciato shoes may appeal to working creatives, chances are they’ve already bought them elsewhere. Still, we look forward to seeing where in the world Simon Miller will go next.