Though it’s well known throughout Asia, contemporary men’s and womenswear label Raoul has remained undiscovered in the U.S. thus far. Husband and wife co-designers Odile and Douglas Benjamin launched their line in 2002, originally homing in on men’s shirts and accessories. The pair had been involved in fashion separately for over a decade: Douglas grew up working for FJ Benjamin, his father’s Singapore-based fashion label, while Odile headed up design for babyGuess and GuessKids in Asia. After receiving repeated requests for shirting styles from their female customers, they introduced a small line of menswear-inspired women’s blouses in 2005. Since then, the label has grown to encompass ready-to-wear, shoes, bags, and accessories; the Benjamins have collaborated on knitwear with Tom Scott for the past two seasons. After the fall 2010 collection’s successful debut in Europe, Raoul’s spring line will arrive in the U.S. early next year, stocked at Henri Bendel and Shopbop.com. The spring collection is loosely seventies-inspired, marked by clean lines and feminine, easy-to-wear silhouettes. Click ahead to see more looks from the line.
