With the proliferation of eighties inspired fashion and the burgeoning popularity of vintage, it's no surprise that a line that combines the best elements of both would be a noteworthy. Designed by Amy Schimel, Myth and Ritual is a line inspired by "the humor and creativity" of the 1980s with an emphasis on vintage details and high-quality fabrics.

Trained at Parsons with internships at Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui, and Nicole Miller, Schimel was previously the design assistant at Chaiken. After her experience there, she realized there was a need for clothing that was of designer quality while still being fun and comfortable. A few years later, Myth and Ritual was born, starting with knits and slowly evolving into cutting styles and wovens.

"The greatest strength of Myth and Ritual is its wearability," explains Schimel. "Customers are always attracted to the interesting prints and styling details, but they really appreciate how versatile the pieces are. When I design, I like to picture the garment being worn in a variety of settings including at work, at a party, at the grocery store or -- my favorite -- out in nature somewhere."

And her clothes do feel like they can go just about anywhere. A little of Laura Ashley (in the good way) mixes with little bit of bold '80s solids to create a line that is, as Schimel puts it, "young, playful, and romantic." Yellow, red, blues, and purple solids exist alongside white, yellow and blue prints for their spring 2007 line. With both fitted garments and loose sun dresses, the line will appeal to a variety of women, with something for the most sophisticated and the most casual. While the line is not very mix and match, count on the pieces you acquire to make a statement among your regular basics.

And it is this very idea of versatile, wearable statements that showcases the ethos of the Myth and Ritual line. Schimel believes in "fashion as language." As Schimel explains, "I love how fashion reflects the myths and rituals of our culture and how one can use fashion, whether intentionally or not, to play out these myths." Whatever your taste, Myth and Ritual can likely help you live out your own personal myth.

Check out their site for more details.

- Julie Fredrickson

RANDOM TANGENT:
In Hindu mythology, demons are called Asura. But in Zoroastrianism, they are benevolent. Or, at least, that's what Wikipedia told us

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