Article: Designer Alex Carleton has been handed a tall order: give Maine- based L.L. Bean some edge.

NEW YORK - The invitation said the party was for L.L. Bean, but the gathering at a fashionable Hell's Kitchen art gallery two weeks ago felt light-years from the Freeport, Maine, retailer and its woodsy world of fleece, comfort mocs, and wrinkle-free chinos. Waiters in crisp shirts circled the room with trays of wine while some of the country's top fashion editors eyed the two-dozen models who stood on a raised platform attired in preppy-chic designs. Oh, look over there, it's Anderson Cooper.

Despite the disconnect between the name on the invite and the party itself, this was very much an L.L. Bean affair. The models wore the Maine retailer's new specialty line, L.L. Bean Signature - an ...

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