Elza Wandler had always wanted to expand her namesake brand beyond the sculptural bags that earned her legions of fans. First came footwear in 2019; now, the label is branching out from accessories altogether with minimalist denim and leather trousers.
If pants haven’t made their way back to the front of your wardrobe yet, Wandler’s first styles will convince you otherwise. The drop includes six silhouettes spanning voluminous wide-legs (the Dahlia) and flares with a high-waist (the Aster), in various washes and leather finishes. Sizes range from 24-32; prices begin at $193 for denim pants and $1,210 for leather bottoms.
“To be honest, denim wasn’t the first thing on my list to expand Wandler’s style code,” the designer tells BAZAAR.com of deciding how to expand. “But when defining what my own needs are for 2021/2022, bottoms were the first category I was drawn toward.”
Wandler adds that pants pack a one-two punch: They draw the designer’s past experience in apparel (she started her career on the merchandising team at Levi’s), and they can be designed in fabrics that harken back to the brand’s beloved leather accessories.
The quality fans love in Wandler’s bags is front and center within the debut pants collection. All trousers are made with premium Italian leather, while denim is woven from responsibly-sourced cotton.
Design signatures may stay the same with each new category—sleek lines, vibrant colors, quality materials—but arriving at the final pant silhouettes was “a totally different ball game” for Wandler. “You need to keep in mind that you’re designing for various body types and you want to make sure that every woman feels powerful in a pair of Wandler pants,” she tells BAZAAR. “Not to forget, the denim and leather pants also need to have the elevated luxurious look and feel which Wandler is known for—our interpretation of formal dressing in this time and age.”
When the designer dresses up, she's partial to the wide-leg Chamomile jean paired with Wandler's leather Rosa boots. “It’s going to be my go-to fall uniform this season,” she says.
Take home a pair of our favorite Wandler pants (and accessories) below, or shop the entire capsule at matchesfashion.com. On October 1, you can also find the new line at wandler.com.
Halie LeSavage is the fashion commerce editor at Harper's BAZAAR. Her style reporting covers everything from reviewing the best designer products to profiling emerging brands and designers. Previously, she was the founding retail writer at Morning Brew and a fashion associate at Glamour.
