Six years back I was given a flowy white blouse with mod-dots stitched all over in the same mono-chromatic white. The square neckline reminded me of something from another time and the shirts back buttons made me grin. The blouse was from a little known boutique brand I could not even find to buy online. The name stitched onto the tag was Milly New York.
 |
| Michelle Smith/MillyNY |
Several years and many fashion seasons later and I stand in awe looking into the front window of Shooze (located in Kingston, PA). The window is filled with nothing but pink and tweeds that make up the Milly NY Fall 2011 collection. As I walked into the store I was filled with a sense that I had not felt since childhood. The feeling you get when you are a little child on Christmas morning, when it is possible that everything you want to make you happy is just feet away from you and the whole day stands before you. As I walked through the clothing racks, lined with what is in my opinion is perfection, I felt the urge to learn more about Milly NY and by the end of the day I was idolizing the brand's creator and designer Michelle Smith.
Smith started out her journey into the fashion industry at FIT in NYC, working her way through her education at the Hermes boutique in Manhattan. If that were not impressive enough once she graduated from FIT she wrote the president of Hermes and asked for an internship, making Smith the first American employee sent to work in Paris. Being the ultimate multi-tasker, she took a slot studying at ESMOD while interning at Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior Haute Couture and Torrente. After taking full advantage of all the Europe had to offer she returned to New York and created my favorite brand, Milly NY.
 |
| MillyNY |
Milly is a combination of something from a more tasteful time merged with mod silhouettes and a youthful bounce. Each of the collections is more perfect than the previous and so covetable. Milly seems like so much more than just a brand. Michelle's inspiration board is something right off of my own door of happiness, prominently featuring an old Vogue cover, Holly Golightly of Breakfast at Tiffany's and the Eiffel Tower. Images that perfectly define the Milly NY collection.
 |
| MillyNY |
MillyNY is a brand that epitomized the classic style of the lady who lunches who wants to look party perfect after-hours. As seen in the pictures are two completely different looks that are classy yet oh so fun. While the printed knee-length skirt on the far left would be ideal under a white trench on any given day of the week, the grey and black ensemble right of the aforementioned is absolutely gorgeous. The feathered skirt has a strong retro vibe of a modern flapper, while the grey lace top could be worn under a blazer during the day or (paired with the mini) is perfect for date night with your boy or girls night out with your ladies.
 |
| MillyNY |
Smith does a spectacular job of capturing the essence of a modern lady with clothing tailored to fit and flatter almost anyone.
On the 10th anniversary of the brand, Michelle Smith launched her very own handbag line as well as Milly Minis. The collection of handbags was referred to by Clinton Kelly in Fall of 2011 as the future Birkin bag, the highest compliment that a purse could be given. The line is just as flawless as her clothing collection.
Any doubts I had about the MillyNY Mini line were dashed the moment I saw that you could dress your child like you but not in a small adult way. Late fall I finally made my way to the Milly mothership, the Madison Avenue flagship store. Like the line, the handbags and the minis, the flagship store is style perfection. It was the the most welcoming store on Madison Avenue. The sales associate was so friendly, as you would imagine she would be, and the store itself is designed to neat freak perfection. Asking me if I would like to see any new merchandise, if I needed a size, if I would like to try anything on, letting me know where the clearance section of the store was and above all making sure that my shopping experience was preptastic. All reasons why MillyNY is one of my favorite brands.
No comments:
Post a Comment