participating designers
Company: Raymonda Samawi Haute Couture
Studio #: (718) 849-4883
Cell#: (917) 693-4684
As a New York-based fashion designer the passion for couture took me, at the age of 20, from my native Lebanon to Paris, the world capital of bespoke fashion. I have apprenticed at Carven Haute Couture, one of Paris’s august design house, where I honed my mastery of the craft of custom draping fitting. In this fertile setting, my true artistic sensibility came into being. I have designed clothing for clientele ranging from royalty desirous of my own couture creations to music video directors looking for custom elegance and style. In New York, I recently designed a made-to-measure gown for a national Revlon ad campaign. Based in New York, I design one-of-a-kind looks for artistic performance and other memorable occasions. I’ve included two images and I leave it up to you to choose from the selection.
Designer Name: Madona Cole-Lacy
Company: Madona Cole Originals
Phone: (516) 783-9178
Textile Designer/Cultural Arts Educator, Madona Cole-Lacy, brings to Madona Cole Originals™ a world of diverse textile and fashion influences gained from cultural experiences and formal training in art and fashion design in Europe, Africa and the United States of America.
Her Madona Cole Originals Collection offers an array of one-of-a-kind and limited edition wearable art fashions and accessories into which she incorporate her own unique fabric designs. She employs a combination of techniques, such as hand-dyeing, hand-screening, tie-dyeing, batik and hand-painting to apply her designs to silk and other natural fabrics using her own exclusive methods. It is not unusual for Madona Cole-Lacy to also incorporate into her designs, authentic handcrafted fabrics from traditional sources. Her pieces are timeless and preserve a sense of dignity and decency while being chic and stylish.
Madona Cole Originals collection includes cruise/resort wear, overlay, scarves, handbags/purses, neckties and vests, as well as special occasion attires. The highlight of the Collection is her Dignity™ Headwear which includes the recently introduced Carolyn Series Turwrap™ and the Rinde ′wrap™. "These pieces have been created to meet a need that has not been adequately addressed by mainstream designers – one for moderate to upscale functional and yet stylish head-coverings for women and girls looking to maintain their dignity in the face of hair lose due to chemotherapy and alopecia. They, as well as the entire Dignity Collection, are ideal gifts which can enhance the wardrobe of all woman and serve as an ideal solution for 'bad hair days'," says the designer, Madona Cole-Lacy.
Nandini Sinha
Jhoomer
718.875.2998
Contact:
Nandini Sinha attended FIT with the intention of starting her own jewelry design and production business. Jhoomer is based on the concept of stridhan, woman’s wealth, and since inception it has steadily grown to offer clients a variety of jewelry. Collections include, exquisite one of a kind 18kt gold pieces, a bridge line, and Bougainvillea: the silver and semi precious gemstone fashion jewelry collections. Bougainvillea offers a multitude of looks, and every season a few more lines are added, using colorful hand selected gemstones, to diverse new styles. Every piece of Jhoomer jewelry is made with careful attention to detail, quality, and sense of uniqueness. Whether it is an expensive gold piece, or one of the latest Bougainvillea pieces, each item is carefully hand crafted in New York City. Jhoomer jewelry is sold at specialty high-end boutiques across the US and Japan.
Designer Name: Christine Gant
Company: Everlasting Glass
Phone: 718-541-8440
I take personal pride in sculpting beautiful glass jewels to be used in creative designs that you won't find anywhere else. First I create the beads using Italian Moretti glass or bullseye glass, then I create unique designer jewelry using high quality materials. Every glass piece is an unique individual work of art.
Designer Name: Zebi Williams & Wendy Del Orbe
Company: BORN AS A RAGGAMUFFIN, LLC
Phone: 646 - 525 - 6764
COMPANY SYNOPSIS: Born As A Raggamuffin represents Individuality, Revolution and Style! Constructed from deconstructed materials that we cut, tie, and lace into a variety of expressive forms, our designs speak to those women who prefer to follow their own path in their own individual style.
COMPANY BIO: 2 young designers raised wild in the hills of Jamaica and el barrio de Santo Domingo, currently residing in NJ making clothes in our living rooms. Self-taught, all pieces are hand sewn, and made from recycled materials or whatever else catches our eyes. In general, we design clothes that have attitude, sex appeal, and cultural substance. This season our line is called “poetry in motion”, it’s inspired by our love for words, their power and their beauty. We thought that it would be really interesting to sew poetry into the fabric of our clothing, giving the written word a new platform of communication and aiding in the expression of the fierce women who wear them. As a lifestyle brand BORN AS A RAGGAMUFFIN was founded on the principles of social and environmental sustainability. We started the company as an experiment in the merging of socialist and capitalist ideals. Designing clothes so that one day we can build enough demand and capital to establish a female co-op factory in our hometowns of the Caribbean. A model of outsourcing that will be based on humane labor practices and economic sustainability. Heading into our second year of production we are excited about the positive response we have received thus far and look forward to the rest of our journey.
Designer Name: Karen Allyson Hayes
Company: Precious Elements Designs
Phone: (917) 685-3293
My organic, bold, sensual design aesthetic utilizes ancient techniques and the inherent properties of metals. I blend in gemstones to enhance and echo the techniques and finishes of my pieces. I am of Afro-Native American heritage and a full-time artist entrepreneur. I have maintained a studio business in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for the past 4 years. I have an exciting new location in Southern New Mexico whose stunning landscape and gemstone resources continually inspire my work. E-Mail or refer to website for sales and information.
Designer Name: Alicia D. Ferriabough
Name of the Collection: Sukari
Phone: 646-649-4968 (p)/(f)
SUKARI, meaning "sweet" or "sugar" in Swahili, is a luxury handbag line that fuses modern architecture with classic structure and style. SUKARI handbags feature organic elements, such as Italian leathers, exotic skins and exquisite hardware finished 24 karat gold or rhodium silver. Each design is inspired by the yellow gold and vibrant colors of India; the wildlife, flora and fauna of Africa; the rustic textures and spices of South America; and the understated sophistication of European styling. All of these elements enhance the experience that is SUKARI.
Sukari…Because Life is Sweet!
Designer Name: Sarah Djarnie-Brown
Company: Guerilla Soul
Phone: 917-913-7790
My line, Guerilla Soul, was created in 2003 when I had the idea to make these funky clutches from denim jeans that were given to me by colleagues. Most of the jeans were not in my size but they were beautiful so I thought to make these items all one of kind pieces and it worked. I still consider myself a small business and I am promoting myself outside of Brooklyn and I have a following of women who love and wear my handbags and are happy to know that they are the only ones with their particular clutches or handbags. I primarily use designer denim and I look for jeans with great washes and details. I also love using leather and buffalo skins. My line is targeted toward women ages 18- 40. I love to design and to me this is all or nothing. When I create it is a release. What makes my bags special is the humor and the cultural conscience behind the designs for example a few of my bags may have an exposed pocket bag hanging from a pocket or I may make a bag in tribute to Fela Kuti or Stevie Wonder.
Designer Name: Andres Throckmorton Stickney
Company: DRES
Tel/fax: 718-802-1559
Mobile: 917-309-2827
Contact:
THE DRES TECHNIQUE STARTS WITH THE FINEST, MOST SUPPLE, THICK ITALIAN FULL ANILINE LEATHER CAREFULLY PERFORATED BY CRAFTSMEN WITH MASTERY OVER HALF A CENTURY.
PERFORATIONS ENHANCE THE LEATHER ADDING BREATHABILITY, DRAPE, TEXTURE, PATTERN, AND REDUCING WEIGHT. PERFORATING TRANSFORMS LEATHER INTO A GRID WHICH PROVIDES A FOUNDATION FOR EXACT CUTTING AND SEWING IN OUR NEW YORK STUDIO.
DRES ACCESSORIES ARE HAND SEWN AND CONSTRUCTED USING ONLY THE PERFORATED HOLES. EACH ITEM IS AS BEAUTIFUL ON THE INSIDE AS ON THE OUTSIDE. ALL SEAMS AND DETAILS ARE HAND FINISHED WITH PERFORATED LEATHER TRIM.
DRES started in 2003 with an accessory line of innovative rubber belts patented for their distinctiveness of elasticity, resilience, and durability. In Spring 2004 DRES, the company and a nickname of designer Andres Throckmorton Stickney, introduced a complete collection with Bryant Park's New York Fashion Week. Andres' prior job experience includes positions as designer for Ralph Lauren's Purple Label and Hussein Chalayan's line for TSE. Most recently Andres was a guest on ABC's "The View". He designed an outfit with co-star Whoopi Goldberg for a Peanuts/Met Life fashion show for New York's Fashion Week at Bryant Park. For a sneak peak please visit www.dresdesign.com
Jacquelyn LaCroix
LaCroix Designs LLC
1-888- MY-LACROIX (695-2276)
Contact:
Jacquelyn LaCroix brings a finesse of classic urban city girl on-the-go with her expanded line of over ten choices of fine leather handbags. She launched her LaCroix handbag line only a little over a year ago and has already been seen in the hands of celebrities such as Kelly Rippa, and singers such as Fantasia, Jojo, Missy Elliot, and Jewel. The collection has been featured in Accessories the Magazine, Fashion Manuscript, and the Tobe Report. She has been designing and marketing her line for the past year out of her New York City office and showroom. The collection is for girls with sass, who appreciates quality with detailed touches to add sophistication within her wardrobe.
Marcela Scvirer
Contact:
"Ready to wear sexy dresses and separates for women who want to be noticed."
Designer Name: Nancy Rybczynski
Company: URBAN CONCEPT JEWERLY
Phone: 212.280.2975
Contact:
Hand Crafted Silver Jewelry I'm a New York City based artist, creating sterling silver jewelry in a Manhattan Studio. My hand-fabricated pieces have been described as whimsical, minimalist and sophisticated. My work has a contemporary urban feel to it and is inspired by things all around me; from the architecture of Rockefeller Center to the clean lines of a lighting fixture. Often, it's just everyday objects that generate ideas. I began my creative career as a jewelry instructor at SUNY Buffalo. As a designer I'm drawn to geometric, modern retro and the absurd. My work is currently being sold at galleries in and around in New York City.
Designer Name: Dana Killion
Company: garnish
Phone: 212-721-5480
Contact:
Inspired by a frustrating search for a replacement lamp shade that yielded nothing more interesting than a basic white flare, designer Dana Killion launched Garnish Studio in Jan '07.
Utilizing her fashion design and art background, simple but sophisticated images are drawn by hand, screen printed using water based inks on linen, and ultimately fashioned into home accessories. Each piece is hand crafted, making a modern and elegant statement.
Lorina Pellach
The Original Beadscarf
917-833-6908
Contact:
Vintage scarves resurrected into funky accessories.
The perfect accent accessory combining the elegance of scarves with the ease of jewelry in one harmonious accessory! The Original Beadscarf™ is sure to satisfy all tastes and preferences with the seemingly endless variety of patterns and lengths available. Trendy and stylish, yet sophisticated enough to become as classic as the scarf itself. Wholesale orders Welcome.
Linda Cohen
L Line
646.942.3658
Contact:
Handmade Knit Accessories and Novelties
Zoë Schneider
Zoë Lou, Inc.
917.881.7779
Contact:
Playful designs handcrafted by native NYC gal, Zoë Louise Schneider. In addition to unique creations using vintage prints and trims, Zoë, a published historian, incorporates bygone NYC into many of her garments, making many one of a kind and limited edition pieces of wearable NYC history. Her creations are jolly and sweet. Her philosophy is that kids should be cute, not cutesy. All Zoë Lou designs are printed and stitched on comfy, superior quality American made (and sweatshop free) cotton garments, and beautifully packaged in organza gift bags. Adult sizes and custom orders available. Recently featured in Earnshaws magazine.
Jessica Taggart
Pietrabanchi
631.905.3893
Contact: