Summer is finally here, ushering in longer days and nights, lighter and brighter fabrics and warmer temperatures that heat up the search for a perfect dress that embodies it all.
Veronica Beard’s Dakota Dress, part of a six-piece capsule collection designed with artist Kate Schelter and featuring a watercolor print with yellow and green daisies on silk, is just that dress.
Schelter, an artist, illustrator, designer and stylist has made a name for herself working with brands like Dior, Diane von Furstenburg, Tod’s and One Kings Lane. She says her inspiration comes from painting what she loves: simple, everyday objects, and beautiful botanicals. “It is thrilling to see artwork leap from the page and onto a print. It never gets old,” says Schelter, expressing her enthusiasm for this newest collection. “The prints are so flattering and perfectly paired with classic silhouettes.”
As longtime fans of each other’s work, the trio settled on an illustration easily and the collaboration took on an effortless and organic feel. “We had an idea of what we thought would work for both Kate and Veronica Beard,” says Veronica Miele Beard. “We visited her at her studio and loved so many of her watercolors that it was hard to make a decision!”
Since their beginning in 2010, sisters-in-law Veronica Miele Beard and Veronica Swanson Beard have become synonymous with a classically cool, feminine style that is elevated yet approachable. While they won’t let us in on any upcoming collaborations (“We cannot give away any secrets!”), their latest collection with Schelter and a recent limited-edition line with artist Donald Robertson has allowed them to fuse art and fashion, something they hope to continue doing in the future. Their dream collaboration? Lilly Pulitzer. “We would have loved to collaborate with Lilly Pulitzer when she was alive,” says Swanson Beard. “She was a pioneer and a bohemian at heart.”
The simple yet elegant floral pattern and signature ruching detail of the Dakota dress make it a summer staple, and a great transitional piece for fall. “The Dakota dress is the perfect dress that works with flats during the day, and nude heels at night for summer, and in the fall layered with a blazer and booties.” Other pieces in the collection—which are available exclusively at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman–include the Samara Dress, Cara Jean Jacket, and playful tees. “These pieces embody everything that is fun and feminine about our brand,” says Miele Beard.
