Amanda Mehl is a designer who consistently surprises us by offering collections comprised of materials repurposed and recontextualized in surprising ways often to a delightful and stylish effect. Fittingly her shows also consistently surprise and delight by placing the traditional fashion show in a new and unexpected context. Her inaugural show set on a bus was particularly memorable. For her SS 2019 collection, Mehl works from a very specific notion of a “Garden Party,” Mehl creates an insouciant array of looks, each touching on her theme in unique but related ways. Of course, the venue for the show was Manhattan’s flower district, which fittingly showcased both the floral, garden-inflections of the collection, as well as the more urban stylings made fascinating through the use of materials such as astroturf, plastic flowers, and other garden store essentials. All the pieces fit together very nicely as the Amehl label continues to grow, while staying true to its avant-garde roots.