Which NYC-based Fashion Designer Did We Meet?

A short walk away from NYSOM’s offices in NYC’s Flatiron neighborhood, tucked between the Flower District and Times Square, one Garment District studio is buzzing with the words “bobbin” and “stitch,” but not as directives for their sewing routines. Here, these names were wittingly and wittily chosen for one fashion designer’s urbane Norwich terriers. We sat down with this New York City-based designer (and her pups) amidst the countdown to her Spring 2014 show.

This designer may not originally hail from New York, but she has called NYC her home for over 20 years. On a sunny morning in her studio, we spoke with her about everything from career advice to dinner party tips. All of her clothes — from the raw materials to the samples to the finished product you’ll find at places like Bergdorf Goodman — are made and manufactured in Manhattan’s Garment District, but this designer has left no New York neighborhood unexplored. Dating back to her first catwalk show (at Christie’s in 2005), each of her fashion collections has been inspired by a particular artist (Gerhard Richter, Alex Katz, Man Ray). Yet she also references the streets of New York, —“any street, all streets” — her favorite works of art. Her single best day in New York, she says, “was when my husband and I took our kids and dogs out to Governor’s Island with our bikes and had lunch out there.”

Even in a light rain, this designer is committed to commuting around the city on her one-of-a-kind bike. In addition to a caged basket in front (for her terriers), an aft wooden cart carries everything from her two children to fabric bolts to greenmarket groceries. One might catch her at the Union Square Greenmarket exchanging recipes with ABC Kitchen’s Dan Kluger for her next dinner party at her home in TriBeCa. Like the streets of New York and the diversity of its neighborhoods, this designer’s collections feature bright, bold colors and prints, designed to compliment “the confident woman” (and she always includes a hint of citrine, her favorite color). Her inspiration for her Spring 2014 collection? “Chairs, all kinds of chairs,” she tells us. Look out for this designer between runway shows and after parties this coming fashion week, and read her story in our November issue (and comment below if you think you can guess who we’re talking about)!