Exploring Emerging Brand Land of Distraction's Creative Focus

Contemporary ready-to-wear brand Land of Distraction burst on to the scene only last year, but has already managed to capture the attention of fashion fans, including the New York Times. With only two collections in (the latest of which was just shown at New York Fashion Week), its story is already pretty well known: founded by Danita Short, and designed with Design Director Christian Juul Nielsen, Land has a distinctly ‘70s vibe, inspired by Short’s childhood in rural Canada.

“My [family] farm was 30 miles from a town of 1000 people. I always grew up quite simple, and secluded, and we had to entertain ourselves and be really creative,” she said of her youth. Growing up with 8-track players, playing dress up in her grandmother’s clothes, and the imagery and music her parents cultivated shaped her aesthetic, giving the brand’s nostalgic elements an authentic feel. “Those kinds of things always stick with me.”

The resulting collection features a range of day and outerwear pieces that are minimal on embellishments, but are luxurious in their textures. There’s a quiet sophistication to the clothes that at first give off a much more rock-and-roll vibe.

Though there seems to be a heavy focus on where Land has come from, and who they are now, that doesn’t mean Short and Nielsen aren’t forward thinking. If anything, they seem to be taking a slow-but-steady approach to growing the label (despite what their out the gate success with the press might suggest). Fans can come to expect season-less product drops to keep things fresh, and perhaps even capsule collections in the near future.