For A.L.C.’s spring 2025 collection, Andrea Lieberman sought to tap directly into the vein of West Coast cool. “We really let the California environment inspire us both in lightness and airiness and natural fabrics,” she said. The designer more than achieved the lowkey, just-shy-of-polished brief with pieces like a paperweight crinkle suit and a raffia fabricated coat, not to mention the generally earthy color palette. Laidback doesn’t mean lazy, though. One standout detail was a gray blazer that subbed in dangling freshwater pearls in place of a traditional button closure. “I love the idea of jewelry as buttons,” said Lieberman.
She leaned away from occasion wear this season, opting for everyday pieces. Even the more formal—like a grass green crinkled off-the-shoulder midi dress and a knitted maxi with a fringed scarf integrated into the neckline—were fashioned in informal fabrics. With an artful balance of relaxed fabric choices, even structured shoulders and nipped waists, it all felt slouchy and nonchalant.
A.L.C. prides itself on being able to dress women across occasions. But this season Lieberman was finally filling a void: denim. “As a brand, we dress our woman for so many aspects of her life,” she said. “I wanted to dress her for more.” For spring Lieberman introduced straight-legged, wide-legged, and cropped flare jeans, as well as a denim midi skirt, sailor pants, and a chore coat with a tan corduroy collar. The pants in particular have potential to appeal to a large demographic of customers, while the trendy chore coat will speak to younger women. It is difficult to dress multiple generations of women, which Liebrman often claims is A.L.C.’s mission, but an expansion into denim seems like a shrewd way to actually do it.
A.L.C. shines when Lieberman embraces effortlessness. The less involved a piece, the better—a pair of wide-legged, long white lace shorts with a shorter modesty lining seemed a bit fussy. But the body-hugging scarf dress had a sexy simplicity, as did a brown leather jacket and skirt set that melded the utilitarian and the feminine while barely lifting a finger. That is the very definition of California cool.
