The pandemic is finally over… at least it feels that way. I know there are parts of the world where that is not the case, but in the US, we are mostly vaccinated, and that is cause to celebrate. It’s especially perfect that we are going into summer which always brings a sense of joy on its own.

My wedding was cancelled in March 2020. We were so close, we could taste it and then… COVID. Like much of the world, my husband and I found ourselves in a depressive state. Despite all of that, I couldn’t help but think about how incredible our wedding would be when it did happen and how incredible life would be when the pandemic was over. I had no idea then that it would be over a year away.

I began designing Dress Up with a hunch that I would have at least some time to create it. I always planned to launch it when we had a vaccine, in celebration of life coming back to us. I imagined what we all might want to wear after being stuck at home in our sweats for so long. Dress Up ended up being my main focus for all of 2020 and it was an incredible distraction for me. It reminded me to feel hopeful and see the light, while watching the world struggle daily.

Because the pandemic lasted so long, there is a bit more of an adjustment phase back to normalcy than anticipated. It’s not the big celebration that I imagined because there was no clear end. It’s just a gradual change back to the way it was, with some awkward fist bump hugs along the way. That being said, I plan to party this summer and I plan to party HARD at my wedding this fall. I’m so happy to be hugging my friends and family again. I’m also thrilled to be dressing up again, pulling treasures out of my closet that haven’t seen the light of day in quite some time.

This collection is meant to bring you joy. I imagine you wearing the long, sparkly earrings with your hair in a loose bun on a rooftop in New York as you watch the sunset with a martini in your hand. I picture you toasting your loved ones, rings piled on, holding the champagne flute high, at the engagement party or shower that kept getting put off. I see you walking the streets flaunting your boldest outfits, the ones you didn’t have the courage to wear before, but now it’s obvious - life is too short to go without color.