Clearly well-groomed from her days on NBC’s Fashion Star (which partnered with Macy’s on a line by its winner, Kara Laricks), Nicole Richie referred to the “Macy’s buyer,” “the Macy’s girl,” and the “Macy’s woman” no fewer than a dozen times when she showed The Cut her new capsule collection for the store’s Impulse department. Joining the retailer’s previous high-end collaborators like Karl Lagerfeld and Alberta Ferretti, Richie created a 25-piece range that resembles her pricier clothing line, Winter Kate. “I wanted to focus on that Macy’s girl and make it extremely accessible and affordable, but have it still be ‘me’ at the same time,” she explained, pointing to her peacock-printed chiffon dress with navy tulle insets and an asymmetrical hem.
The clothes will all be priced from $49 to $149, and as Richie demonstrated, look great with Givenchy heels and her own House of Harlow 1960 rings. Operating with the understanding that the “Macy’s girl” likes an eclectic look, Richie created lots of mix-and-match printed chiffon to combine with things like studded faux-leather leggings and “statement” pieces like emerald velvet dresses and faux-fur-sleeved motorcycle jackets. “Right now American women are wearing many different hats. We are not just one-dimensional anymore and I wanted to make the collection a nod to that.” So what role would Richie play, if not a designer? “A backup dancer for Britney Spears,” she said. “Or a hairstylist. I’m really good at doing hair.” The collection hits Macy’s stores on September 12; see all the looks in our slideshow.