fashion design – The April Diaries

NEW YORK, NY (February 1, 2021) – Dillard’s, Inc. (“Dillard’s”) (NYSE: DDS) and New York-based
designer duo, Michael and Alex Toccin, are pleased to announce the launch of LDT, a new brand from
the husband-wife team behind TOCCIN NY.

LDT offers a fresh take on American fashion with the powerfully feminine style of both the ‘60s and ‘90s. The mix of vibrant colors and thoughtful designs are perfectly balanced to create a collection that can be worn every day of the week.

“We are looking very forward to exclusively launching LDT with Alex and Michael Toccin,” said Alexandra

Dillard Lucie, Dillard’s vice president of merchandising. “They have built a fantastic team around the
TOCCIN brand, and we are eager to see their unique style and brand represented at Dillard’s.”
LDT leans into the couple’s ability to translate style and trends into pieces that women can wear, no
matter the occasion.

“LDT is about giving women a fun and fresh take on American fashion that makes every day special,”
said designers Alex and Michael. “We are thrilled to launch this new brand while maintaining our core
mission: to make women everywhere feel comfortable, confident and stylish.”

Michael and Alex named the brand after their young daughter Liv Dakota Toccin. Inspired by designs
that evoke a sense of youthful joy, the custom patterns and prints are combined with an easy-to-wear
style that gives the collection an ageless, elevated edge at an incredible price.

LDT will be available starting February 8, 2021, exclusively in 85 Dillard’s stores nationwide and online at Dillards.com.

About LDT:
LDT is a fresh take on American Fashion, an evolution of the signature Alex + Michael aesthetic for which they’ve become known + celebrated. Named after their daughter, Liv Dakota Toccin, LDT evokes a sense of youthful joy, while still serving up fresh fashion that women of all ages can wear every day of the week. While there are nods to the powerfully feminine style of the ‘60s and ‘90s, the real inspiration for the collection lies in “making everyday special.” Learn more about the collection at LDTofficial.com

Today’s the two-year-anniversary in which my poetry professor told me I have an “authentic and strong voice” in my poems, which led me to write my 60+ page thesis on docupoetics in 2019. Doing a thesis was difficult but after a heartfelt conversation via Instagram Live with my rock star fashion designing friend, Maria del Carmen Mercado, I came to a realization about writing, in general.

She said to me, take an apple and observe it. If you have to write about it, do it. However, don’t write about what society thinks about an apple. Don’t write about what your family thinks about an apple. What you think of an apple, is on YOU. It’s the same thing with fashion designing, for all my fellow fashionistas out there. You can research and get inspiration from any fashion designer, but what they did has already been done. With writers, it’s the same deal; you can research all you want for your book. But what other authors have already written about is already out there, no matter how much you try to put it into your own words. How do you feel about something like, love? Friendship? Marriage? Genocide? Every president of the United States that’s ever lived and served in Office?

It’s hard to tell what we’re feeling about a certain topic when we’re so influenced by other people. We can have our own opinions. We’re not stupid. And we’re certainly allowed to disagree with other people. Social media definitely plays a factor in how we are influenced. Oddly enough, I had a dream about dresses. Perhaps it’s because I’m not trying to spend my money on clothing, though I did “splurge” on an Emerson sweatshirt that I’ve always wanted when I was applying to graduate school (it was only $42.) Nonetheless in my dream, dresses were being judged. But again, who cares what other people think? Dress up for YOU, girl!

I said this in my very first blog post, The Art of Communication, but not communicating how you, yourself, feel about a topic means losing a part of yourself. Your argument gets lost in a sea full of other people’s second-hand research and opinions. This is especially what you need to avoid when writing a paper. Needless to say, this applies to my English Literature majors who are reading this, as well.