Calendar Girl

April, May, the latest fashion outing from former Paul & Joe designer Diane Sitbon, is a polished womenswear and accessories collection that refuses to be ordinary. Bringing a fresh brand of modern femininity to the forefront, the collection aligns itself with the season's more childlike, playful vibe: a blouse's embroidered detail, a thoughtful tuck in a shorts cuff, and bright, bold prints. "I love a woman with a good sense of humor and self-derision," says Sitbon.

Godard's classic 1963 film Le Mepris cast Brigitte Bardot's curvaceous, calculating character as an ultra-feminine contrast to the liquid carelessness of her male counterparts. Bardot, along with screen icons Catherine Deneuve and Audrey Hepburn, characterize the quintessential April, May woman to Sitbon, implying a wide range of silhouettes in her clothing that disclose a woman's youthful, sexy side.

Tops and bottoms balance each other with imaginatively constructed shapes and pop with a colorful pocket trim or geometric overlay. A simple but irresistable shift dress with a single ruffle skimming the bottom boasts a glamorously oversized floral print, giving the right amount of punch for day or night. Sitbon's attention to detail makes each piece easy to wear alone or partnered with unlikely counterparts: eyelets and Bermudas, checks and chiffon, or crochet and pleats.

"She twists her hair with a pen and says so greatly 'Diamonds are tacky under 40,'" says Sitbon of Hepburn. "I would love to hang out with a funny woman like her! And there's so much of that sense of fun and attitude in these clothes, too."

The new line April, May from Paul & Joe alumna Diane Sitbon turns the street-chic city girl into an ingénue at heart.