Big news! Everybody’s favorite couple and design duo Tanner Richie and Fletcher Kasell are engaged.

“We’ve been together for 10 years, so it’s about time,” joked Kasell at a preview in their Chelsea studio. The proposal, which took place around Christmas under the Washington Square arch, could’ve come from a scene in a forgotten Nora Ephron movie. Remembering the moment when he saw Richie walk toward him, collecting roses from friends and family along the way, Kasell admitted: “I was like ugly crying.”  

Even as the pair embark on a new journey by solidifying their union, coincidentally, Tanner Fletcher is breaking apart. For fall, the brand introduced a new, affordably priced tier they’ve dubbed “Cabin Wear,” which a PR rep likened to Polo Ralph Lauren. Breaking his own rules last month at the menswear shows in Milan, Lauren presented Polo and Purple Label together, proving all the various points where his two lines converge. It made for a strong statement about the way real people shop and dress today, which is why Tanner Fletcher is smart to follow on a similar path. 

“We’re trying to hit every mark because our customers want the lifestyle,” explained Kasell. “We’re from the Midwest, so the idea of ‘Cabin Wear’ felt nostalgic to us growing up, like what our dads may have been wearing hunting or fishing.” 

Butching it up a bit, flannels, denim and chore jackets that dad might like were layered with higher-end collection pieces. Mallards and ducks, leitmotifs throughout, appeared as teeny antique pins on a collection suit, for example, and elsewhere woven into a Cabin Wear sweater in a shade of pink similar to that of J.Crew’s viral Fair Isle crewneck.

Naysayers dubbed it “emasculating,” but Tanner Fletcher would never shy away from blurring gender lines. Here, the designers held firm on the bygone femininity that makes their brand feel special, coming through best in their limited assortment of evening looks (collection, obviously). One standout was a black velvet gown with whipped cream ruffles that outlined the body like Man Ray’s Le Violon d’Ingres.

Similar to J.Crew and Ralph Lauren, Tanner Fletcher taps into the comforts of Americana, and the Cabin Wear model will allow the Richie and Kasell to explore it in many facets. Hint, hint: athletic wear could be next. Let’s just hope they come up with a better name than “Gym Wear.”