Over the course of his career as a fashion editor and stylist Matthew Edelstein has had plenty of opportunity to form opinions about American fashion - and now, with his new clothing line, he's decided to do something about them. "In the past few years it's become all about heritage," he says. I want to pull away the heritage, strip away the nostalgia and do modern sportswear. I love the idea of taking back that easy, modern spirit that designers like Claire McCardell and Geoffrey Beene and Perry Ellis had. Friends & Associates, named for what Edelstein considers the collaborative spirit of creative ventures, does just that, focusing on bright, polished pieces that make getting dressed in the morning a breeze. The resort collection, which is available beginning today on the Friends & Associates Web site, features lots of crisp cottons and an oversize polka dot print in what Edelstein calls "candy store" colors; spring offerings, pictured here, are a continuation of the same athletic-inspired theme with a buffalo check thrown into the mix.