Our designer partners
Christian Siriano
Award winning CFDA designer Christian Siriano launched his eponymous collection in 2008 following his studies in London under Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen. Known for whimsical and show-stopping design, the collection is shown each season at New York Fashion Week and sold in retailers across the globe. In 2012, the first flagship Christian Siriano store opened in NYC, then in 2018, “The Curated NYC” opened in Midtown Manhattan, and now his most recent retail venture, "The Collective West" has opened in Westport, CT. Siriano’s designs have been worn by current FLOTUS Dr. Jill Biden, former FLOTUS Michelle Obama, Angelina Jolie, Oprah, Zendaya, Ariana Grande, Julianne Moore, Lady Gaga, Tiffany Haddish, Billy Porter, Cardi B, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson, Whoopi Goldberg and Julia Roberts to name but a few. Siriano was named among Time’s 100 Most Influential People for his leading contributions on body diversity on the runway and red carpet. Christian is the youngest person to ever appear on Crain's "40 Under 40" list and a member of "Forbes 30 Under 30".
Christian has been heralded for leading the PPE charge during the COVID-19 pandemic. His atelier shifted entirely from clothes to masks and to date he and his team have shipped over one million masks to frontline workers in the New York area. 2020 also saw Siriano launch his own digital BRAVO talk show called “SO SIRIANO” which saw him break down all things fashion and pop culture with guests ranging from Drew Barrymore, Leslie Jones, Billy Porter, Ashley Graham, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Sia. And Christian fulfilled a longtime passion when he added interior designer to his impressive list of credits with the debut of his newest venture, Siriano Interiors and a full custom furniture collection. With over a decade of fashion experience, the Siriano design studio continues to celebrate beauty and diversity in this ever changing Fashion industry. Most recently, the prestigious SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design) MUSEUM OF ART presents Christian’s first ever solo work retrospective with the CHRISTIAN SIRIANO: PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE EXHIBITION, which ran in Savannah from October 2021-January 2022 and recently moved to the Atlanta location and remains on view through October 9th, 2022. In 2017, he added the title of Author to his credits when he released a photographic retrospective book with Rizzoli Books called Dresses to Dream About, now in its third printing. Due to that high demand, he released a new version in Fall 2021 titled Christian Siriano: Dresses to Dream About Deluxe Edition, it features brand new images from his ever growing/impressive body of work.
CHRISTIAN COWAN
Christian Cowan is the founder and creative director of CHRISTIAN COWAN, a collection of womenswear and accessories that is available online and at select retailers around the world. Renowned for his ability to create pieces that are at once fabulous and wearable, Cowan has been described by Vogue as “the go-to New York designer for high-octane glamour”. He was a finalist of the Council of Fashion Designs of America
(CFDA) / Vogue Fashion Fund in 2018, the year after he relocated to New York. Since launching in 2017, CHRISTIAN COWAN has grown up rapidly from its origins of “performance-ready dresses”. “The must-have cocktail party dress” (FT How to Spend It) and “The ultimate rehearsal dinner gown” (Marie Claire) are now joined by strong tailoring and refined silhouettes that have cemented the brands positioning in day-to-night dressing. Cowan has expanded the line with “Sleek silk tanks, blazers, skirts and gowns, with clean, unfussy lines” (VOGUE), and is developing accessories that are debuting this Fall.
Born in England and raised in Spain, Cowan studied fashion at London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins. His career began whilst still in school, when Lady Gaga purchased his entire second-year collection.
AREA
AREA is a fashion and accessories design studio known for its quality craftsmanship, textile development, and innovative embellishment. Founded in 2014 by designers Piotrek Panszczyk and Beckett Fogg in downtown New York City, AREA has garnered a cult following with its modern and timeless take on beauty and glamour.
Beckett is originally from Lexington, Kentucky, and Piotrek was born in Poland and raised in Holland. After experience at Calvin Klein Collection and Chloé, respectively, they met at Parsons while pursuing their Masters in Fashion Design and Society. The designers meld their uniquely diverse backgrounds to explore history, aspiration, and conceptualized ideas of glamour through AREA.
Exploring perceptions of femininity and beauty are an ongoing reference for AREA; the ways in which these ideals evolve and change across time and cultures is a driving inspirational force for the brand. Through examining and challenging the evolution of beauty ideals, AREA celebrates duality and togetherness.
AREA’s signature style is multi-faceted; witty, inherently glamorous, playfully decadent and injected with a pop energy. The brand shares its name and spirit with the iconic 80s Manhattan nightclub, known for its fusion of art and performance in conceptually-themed nights attracting an eclectic mix of uptown and downtown scenes along with international celebrities.
Currently stocked at leading retailers around the globe, AREA has grown beyond its Downtown roots, spreading its ethos of inclusiveness and irreverent glamour around the globe.
Simkhai
SIMKHAI designs for the elevated everyday with innovative techniques and timeless craftsmanship.
Founded in 2010 by designer JONATHAN SIMKHAI, the studio takes inspiration from architects and sculptors alike, blending progressive construction techniques with intimate hand-detailing to create truly special garments and lifestyle design.
A 2015 winner of the prestigious CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund, the studio has earned recognition for its original silhouettes, quality constructions, and timeless elegance.
SIMKHAI continues to nurture an inspired creative community around the brand’s home in Los Angeles, sharing their designs and stories with women around the world who live artful, unapologetic lives.
Jonathan Simkhai honed his technical skills at Parsons School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology before launching his first womenswear line in New York City. An early inductee to the CFDA Incubator program, he quickly developed an eye for craft and quality. Today he leads the brand’s creative studio, drawing inspiration from his travels and the cities he and his husband call home.
LUAR
LUAR is the reversed namesake label of Brooklyn-based designer Raul Lopez, former co-founder of Hood By Air. Of Dominican descent, Lopez began to design at the age of 12 and growing up was inspired by the fluidity of the downtown New York scene. The philosophy of LUAR lies in the intersection of New York City and the Dominican Republic, promoting the constant curiosity of tomorrow. LUAR has been worn and supported by the likes of Dua Lipa, Shawn Mendes, Bella Hadid, Christina Aguilera, Future, Kylie Jenner, Lourdes Leon, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Solange Knowles, Tyga, Theophilus London, and more. In 2018, Raul was a finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund and in 2022 he won the American Accessory Design of the Year Award. In 2023 he was named to the TIME 100 Next list of emerging leaders from around the world who are shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership and was named a finalist for the LVMH Prize.