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The Beach Behind the Midsummer 2018 Ivey Abitz Collection

The beach in the background of the Midsummer 2018 Ivey Abitz Bespoke look book is very special. Read about how Cynthia Ivey Abitz loves this beach and used it in her latest photoshoot. Read it here or in the Press Release for Midsummer 2018 Ivey Abitz Bespoke.

A look from the Midsummer 2018 Ivey Abitz Bespoke photoshoot on the beach of Lake Huron at sunrise.
A look from the Midsummer 2018 Ivey Abitz Bespoke photoshoot on the beach of Lake Huron at sunrise.

A New Day of Elegant Dress Inspired by Ivey Abitz

Ivey Abitz shows how to dress elegantly at the beach in a new look book for its Midsummer Collection. The designer returns to her Michigan roots, the shore of Lake Huron, to photograph her latest collection of elegant women’s bespoke clothing.

Ivey Abitz, a bespoke clothing company, photographed its 2018 Midsummer collection on the sandy shores of Lake Huron. The Michigan location represents a return to designer Cynthia Ivey Abitz’s roots, where she spent summers growing up. Her mission in setting her new collection amidst the sand and waves was to connect the past with the present, just as Ivey Abitz connects the past and present in clothing design.

Clothing with Historic Sense

Many describe Ivey Abitz clothing as historic yet modern. The sense of history comes from the designer’s love of historic garment design and the respect derived from wearing naturally proportioned and aesthetically purposed attire. The modern feel comes from new weaves made from the finest natural fibers available. The collection also embodies her personal freedom to make life choices and her desire for universal freedom from the historic oppression of women. As a result, Ivey Abitz dresses women in respectful liberation.

More than a Beautiful Backdrop

The beach serves as much more than a beautiful backdrop for the new Midsummer collection, available to view at IveyAbitz.com. It was the backdrop to Cynthia’s roots growing up, blooming as an artist, and marrying the man who would soon be her business partner. The name Ivey Abitz is the combining of Cynthia’s name, Ivey, and her husband’s name, Abitz. The fact that they both legally took the Ivey Abitz name was a daring display of independence from a culture that traditionally sheds the woman’s name in favour of the man’s.

Family Roots at the Shore

Cynthia’s grandparents were among the first cottage builders on this glorious beach. They passed the tradition of cottaging on to her father, who in turn imparted the tradition to the designer herself. For Cynthia, nostalgia for the meaningful memories of summer at the beach are a wistful way to clothe the mind and the body.

Inspired by Mother Nature

As an artist, Ivey Abitz internalized the beauty, design, and chaos of Mother Nature. The beach was ever-changing as storms reshaped the shoreline. Trees sprouted near the receding shoreline one summer and drowned in rising waters the next. But some things stayed the same: fine silky sand, the scent of pine, and the sound of waves. Such order and beauty inspired the young artist through her painting, photography, sculpture, and clothing design.

Art Imitates Life

As a young woman in her twenties, Ivey Abitz felt so connected to the beach, she and her husband held their wedding reception there. For one summer afternoon, and into the evening, the beachside family cottage was transformed into a gathering place for the community of souls who cared for the new couple. Guests enjoyed dinner on the shore to the music of crashing waves and the swinging of a jazz trio.

Throughout her years in New York, Ivey Abitz has expressed her connection to such a nostalgic place through her clothing design. Many garment names come from the area, such as the Trelawny Frock, named after a cottage of the same name along the shore; the Three Trees Frock is inspired by a row of trees on the beach in front of the cottage; and countless nature-inspired fabric names and colours such as Beach Grass Wispy Washed Linen and Misty Fog Floral Voile. You no longer have to imagine the sunrise through the fog on the lake—you can wear it.

Summer at the Lake Represents Freedom

Ivey Abitz considers the lake a gift. It’s a gift of freedom: freedom from school in the summer; freedom to explore the outdoors; freedom to leave town and go up north; freedom to find a better life; freedom to be who you are; freedom to marry who you love; freedom to dress like no one else; freedom to be authentic. This freedom is the gift wrapped in every Ivey Abitz garment, and it is visible in this Midsummer Collection look book.

Ivey Abitz is a company that makes elegant bespoke clothing for women that celebrates the history of good design and respectfully honors the authenticity of each woman who wears it. Sold exclusively through the Ivey Abitz website at IveyAbitz.com.