I first discovered AO\ american outfitters when I was designing children's wear and traveled to Antwerp for design inspiration. Antwerp is a small city in Belgium about 40 miles southeast of the North Sea, with expansive docklands along the Schelde River. It is also a place where the Royal Academy of Fine Arts opened up its Fashion School in 1963, since then, Antwerp has been a mecca for young fashion designers (Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten and Walter Van Beirendonck are all graduates of the Royal Academy). So I was of course excited to travel to this quaint European city to explore their fashion scene. I immediately fell in love with AO\ american outfitters, it felt and looked like a brand that would be in America-- the stylish and fashionable clothing for women and kids has an American Casual attitude and look . AO\ american outfitters is owned and operated by 3 sisters, Nathalie is the general manager, Caroline leads the sales, and Patricia is the creative brain. Together they have created a top Belgian brand with a sense of simplicity that has gained worldwide success. The AO\ american outfitters fashions are bold but subtle combinations of color, original prints, and use natural fabrics and materials. Here are some looks from their kids Spring/ Summer 2014 collection.
Photos | AO - American Outfitters