Footwearnews.com
Fashion mogul Alice + Olivia has been worn by big celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez and Carrie Underwood and has been sold at huge retail chains including Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. The company recently took an unusual step in the announcement that it will feature a Grateful Dead capsule collection to be released this spring. Founder and designer Stacey Bendet has often times been inspired by music, art and culture, but you may ask yourself, “Why would the woman behind the designs decide to bring the Grateful Dead to the main stream?” Some might think of this as “jumping on the bandwagon” as a result of this past summer’s Grateful Dead mania following the announcement and performance of the band’s final shows. The truth is that Stacey is actually a fan and is married to none other than film producer Eric Eisner, whom is currently working with Martin Scorsese on a forthcoming documentary about the Grateful Dead.
In a statement made to WWD, Bendet said,”My husband [Eric] is a hugely passionate Dead fan, and his is the first film to have the entire band’s participation, with usage of their archived music and old footage”. At first, Eisner was not convinced about the idea until he attended the Fare Thee Well shows in Chicago this past July. “Every girl came up to him saying how much they love Alice + Olivia”, Bendet explains, “And I was like, ‘See! There’s crossover [with the fans!]”
The selection will include some cute little dancing bear shoes, shirts and a ball gown skirt with prices ranging from anywhere between $150 and $1,200. Of course there will be a number of fans who think that this main stream exposure is a bit unconventional for the “dead head” norm. But let’s face it, some ladies who like the Grateful Dead are going to LOVE this collection. Keep your eyes peeled this spring for the release on the company website of retail stores.