After 15 years of building the brand, how has your creative process changed from those early days to now?
So much has changed from the time I started, just with everything, creative process, business, the world. But originally it was items I wanted that were high-end designer, but felt a little pricey, so I thought, let me see if I could make it myself. In the beginning, a lot of my inspiration was based on everything that was out there and somehow changing it to be more of a sexy, glamorous look. Today, because I’ve grown the brand so much over time, we work differently in terms of the production calendar, but creatively, I still think the same way. Nowadays, I look a lot at vintage more than I did when I started. I’m inspired by the 1970s Halston era, and I love to go digging in vintage stores and vintage fairs to get inspiration.
When you’re beginning a new collection, what usually sparks the first idea?
It’s funny because we design a year in advance. For example, we’re already designing into summer of 27 and a lot of it starts with, I wish I had that and I’m so bummed we didn’t make it for this summer, so it’s filling that void of everything I thought I was missing in the season before, but also certain destinations or artists or colors inspire me. A lot of it is inspired by different trips that I’ve taken, especially summertime. I love European beaches, towns like Capri, Saint-Tropez, or Mykonos. So I’m always inspired by the world of that aesthetic, that color, that vibe, how it’s like late lunches, dancing on tables. So a lot of my travel inspire my collections.
You have been coming Out East for a long time. Are there certain Hamptons moments that have directly inspired a collection or design?
My friend used to host this dinner party and she was right on the beach, which was the most insane view, but also a little windy. The summer in the Hamptons doesn’t start off hot, so I want to make sure that I have some type of topper, like little sweater or a little jacket to wear out at night. I make sure that I have something in the collection that you could layer with, so you could still wear all the fabulous summer clothing.
When you think about the women who wear your brand, what kind of lifestyle or energy are you hoping to capture through your designs?
This is a woman who’s multitasking. She’s busy, and she’s somebody who is social, and cares about feeling good about herself. She wants to put on clothes that make her feel confident but also wearable. She could go to the office, but also run from work and watch her kid play soccer. I find her to be fascinating, and she spans between ages. We always say it’s like 18 to 80. We have girls buying dresses for sorority rush and we have women buying it for a black-tie benefit. It’s a bit of a range, but the vibe of this girl is upbeat and wanting to just feel great about herself.
One area of growth for the brand has been jewelry. What inspired you to expand into that category?
When I started with my tops, they were all meant to be these beautiful, solid, silky tops to show off jewelry. I always felt like three people could wear the same black top, but it’s your jewelry that makes you look different. With almost everything we design, I think about what jewelry I am going to wear with it, and up until a year ago, we were doing photo shoots and lookbooks with other people’s jewelry and getting a lot of questions and comments on how much they liked it. So I thought it was time that we did our own. We started with some collaborations with other jewelry designers, which were great, but I wanted to learn how to do it ourselves. So that’s where we’re now, and it’s been a fun process.
What’s your approach to designing jewelry?
What I like about the jewelry that we’re designing is that it’s inspired by almost all my jewelry that I’ve collected over the years or jewelry that reminds me of my mom. A lot of it is designed from pieces that I’ve had for almost a lifetime but a little more modernized. We also want to make it easier for the customer, like I love layering, so we make a necklace that comes already layered for you. This way you don’t have to worry about buying three different pieces, and it’s all done for you in one. So I try to make it convenient and easy.
Are there any standout pieces from the collection that you’re especially excited about?
I have this piece. It’s a triple chain, and every season we update it. For this summer, we have turquoise mixed in, and I love it. It goes with all these fun summer colors like white, coral, and blue. We also have it in just solid gold, but I think the touch of turquoise this summer makes everything look so much better.
Can you tease anything about the upcoming fall collection?
I’m obsessed with the fall collection. It actually launches in August, so you don’t have to wait too long. We have some beautiful rich jewel tone colors and some super unique faux furs that I’m excited about.
