Why Outerwear?

My mother’s coat is the definitive inspiration of my collection, but there are so many other reasons why I love specializing in this category of clothing. Read on for the details, plus some recent in-studio outtakes…

1) Fabric Feelings
When I made my first coat in fashion school, I fell in love with the tactile luxury of outerwear fabrics. Virgin wool, cashmere, suede, and lambskin feel so special and elevate my making experience.

2) Difficulty
I also love the details that allow me to express my fastidiousness - I get a lot of satisfaction from sewing because I can take a detail to the point of absolute, utter perfection. There is a pride in craftsmanship for a maker that is so fulfilling and outerwear offers a better opportunity to experience this because of its level of difficulty.

3) Wardrobe Status
I also see coats and jackets as wardrobe superstars, worthy of investment. Price per wear is unmatched, as is their ability to elevate any outfit. They get worn more often and therefore have the opportunity to carry with them more sentimentality for the wearer.

4) Fewer = Better
Being a specialist allows me to develop expertise in one specific area. The more jackets I create, the more I learn, the better my product becomes. I am obsessed with fit and have been evolving the patterns of our jackets and coats since I launched. I feel like we are finally at a place where we have an amazing, from-scratch, proprietary fit and look forward to applying it to a wide variety of styles before expanding into other categories.

Jacket: Bluff Pocket Blazer
Photos: Emma Palm