We Just Looked Into Our Gen Z Crystal Ball—5 Cool Staples That Will Take Over

Tell me about your personal styles.

Maddie Ziegler: We’re very similar honestly. Our personal style is definitely comfort based. We love one thing to be baggy and the other to offset that. I think it’s fun to switch up the dimensions and the sizing of everything to offset one or the other. For me and Kenzie both, we love ’90s-inspired items, and the model-off-duty look is our vibe.

Kenzie Ziegler: Totally, I feel like we have super-similar styles, so I agree with you, Maddie.

How has your experience with dance influenced your style and this collection?

MZ: Dance has influenced us because we have worn everything under the sun. We’ve really figured out what silhouettes are flattering. That was honestly really helpful in terms of making this collection. The silk skirt is something that we really got down on exactly what we want it to look like and the vest as well. We know where it should hit on the waist and how to make it as flattering as possible. There are a lot of things subconsciously we don’t even realize are inspiring the collection.

Take me to the design room—what was it like designing with your sister? What did the process look like?

KZ: The process was honestly so much fun, and American Eagle was so collaborative on this collection. I feel like we based the whole collection around our vest. That was our starting point, and I feel like we just wanted to make this collection super versatile and make sure everyone feels comfortable in it. What was really awesome was that the first time we went to see our collection, we got to try everything on and give notes. It was a super-fun process, and Maddie and I agree on a lot of things, so it was easy for us to agree on this collection.

Where did you get inspiration for the collection?

MZ: Our original mood board was predominately lots of Drew Barrymore in the ’90s. Think Kate Moss, Cindy Crawford, Julia Roberts, and even Jennifer Aniston—that model-off-duty inspo. A lot of images were also pulled from street style in New York City, which was a heavy inspiration. We love New York so much, and we’re inspired by it always. We wanted it to feel authentic to us but also to remain timeless, for it to live on and still be cute in 10 years.