by Laura Tomase
One of my favorite fashion designers hails from somewhere quite unusual... not fashion capitol Milan; nor the city of lights better know as Paris; not even New York City. Better yet, this designer hails from the Midwest – Youngstown, Ohio to be specific.
Nanette Lepore was born circa 1958 to a tres chic mother and a painter father who encouraged her creativity and independence knowing it was in the family blood. She was prone to 4AM sewing stints and late-night sketches. At age nine, she draped a gypsy bedspread/dashiki around a neighborhood friend, added a beaded choker around her neck, and painted sunflowers on her face as the girl stood in the front yard with a cardboard sign that read "Lepore". Already a little businesswoman advertising her brand, this was only a hint of what was to come.
After earning her degree at Youngstown University, Lepore followed her heart and left for New York City to study design at FIT. She soon married painter, Robert Savage, and struggled at finding jobs. Her husband consistently encouraged her to start her own company. With hard work, an entrepreneurial streak, plus a $5000 loan from her father, she opened her first boutique in New York's NoLita district. More stores opened soon after in Tokyo, London, Boston, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Her line was snatched up immediately by famous retailer, Barney's Co-op, and can be found today at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and select Anthropologie stores.
Nanette Lepore says that road trips down California's Route 66 with her parents made her feel like a gypsy, and was later a clear inspiration for many of her clothing items, known for their impeccable lines, bright colors, feminine accents, and chic prints.
She recently extended her brand to include two fragrance lines, "Nanette Lepore" (inspired by her daughter, Violet, age nine), "Shanghai Butterfly" (inspired by Thailand, and brief stopovers in Russia and China), and special edition "Love Bird". Lepore's first shoe collection debuted in the fall of 2006 and in 2007 she collaborated with popular brand Keds to do a collection.
Today, her collection attracts celebrity devotees like Jessica Simpson, Drew Barrymore, Uma Thurman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Hilary Swank, and many more. Television and film stylists feature Nanette's pieces regularly, most recently on Jennifer Garner in "13 Going on 30," Reese Witherspoon in "Legally Blonde 2," and Sarah Jessica Parker in "Sex and the City".
Nanette Lepore sale at eDressme.com
Her latest boutique opened November 1st, 2007 in Chicago's Bucktown shopping district. "What's exciting about Chicago is that most of my shops are in warmer climates," Lepore says. "So, Chicago will be a fun, more winter-y business." Go see for yourself and watch your inner whimsy shine through – after all, in Nanette Lepore clothes, transformation is imminent (just bring a cold compress and try not to faint).
Visit Nanette's website at NanetteLepore.com
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