Figuring out the psychology of our clothes doesn't usually get more complex than picking out a baggy shirt on a fat day, or setting off a summertime tan with a neon dress. And that's probably just fine for starters, because designer Ellen Van Dusen is happy to school us a little deeper with her line Dusen Dusen. Eschewing the traditional fashion school route, she put together a major of her own creation at Tufts University, studying a degree in the Psychology of Design. "I wanted to learn why some images are successful while others fall to the wayside," she says. Which ultimately begs the question, what is beautiful, and how do we separate the beautiful winners from the losers in our own closets?
Dusen Dusen spring 2010 probably isn't a bad place to start at all. The Brooklyn-based designer might only be a season deep with her label, but already she's created a collection that makes us feel happy from the inside out. The designs for next season, she says, are directly influenced by her status as a fledging New Yorker, which might also explain why many of the looks come accessorized with an array of practical and gorgeous backpacks. There's definitely something energizing about the graphic prints in a bold monochrome palette (spliced with a good shot of turquoise blue for good measure), something that has summer in the city all over it
