A Look Inside the Golden Hour Collection
Portrait by Chelsea J. O'Leary
Earlier this year, I met two beloved friends in the desert for several days. Months prior, over a catch-up dinner, the conversation turned to work. We discussed our desire for a long stretch of time to think, dream, and plan. If only we had more time: uninterrupted, focused. Specifically to work on creative projects that felt hard to schedule into neat time slots on the calendar, and specifically away from the distraction of home--pets, babies, dishes, errands. We half-joked about a "creative retreat" in the desert, miraculously, it came together, and we found ourselves together in Joshua Tree.
It was a quick three–day trip, but the distance from home and the otherworldly landscape immediately did the trick for all of us. We each spent the days working alone on our own projects. We’d have dinner together at night and recap our day, often sharing perspectives and finding commonality and synchronicity with what we were each feeling and working on.
We closed out the trip feeling energized and a little giddy. On our last night, we drove into the park to take a few photos as the sun set. The glow of golden hour was as magical as ever, and we squeezed in portraits of each other until the light was gone.
In the months since, I have been pulling together new materials and colors (my primary focus during our retreat), narrowing down options, and deciding what makes sense and when. This grouping of three seasonal shades in our Midweight Linen was the first to get nailed down. The trio is warm, grounded, and earthy–but still vibrant and full of life. It was only in hindsight that I realized, as a whole, that they perfectly evoke the desert at golden hour.
Portrait by Chelsea J. O'Leary
You may have seen the collaboration earlier this month between Chelsea and Elise (my companions in the desert and my eternal muses!). Centered around curiosity, connection, and friendship, it includes an exquisite photographic print from Wiley and a curated vintage collection from Duende. The colors and textures, bursting with light and warmth, felt like the perfect artistic reference for this limited-edition palette.
On Tuesday, you'll find three of our most beloved and dynamic tops in three seasonal shades of Midweight Linen inspired by the first and last light of day. In the meantime, I highly recommend exploring the Wiley x Duende collaboration (there are still 'Golden Day' prints available and a few exceptional vintage beauties).
