HOW DID YOU INITIALLY GET INTRODUCED TO JONATHAN COHEN?

I met Jonathan and Sarah when we both competed in the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund in 2018. Needless to say, it was a big bonding experience and we have been close ever since.

WHAT HAS DRAWN YOU TO WEAR JONATHAN COHEN'S GARMENTS IN YOUR OWN LIFE?

Jonathan Cohen’s clothes are the perfect combination of practical, beautiful, and well-made. I remember Jonathan was shocked when I got a stretchy bodycon dress of his; the print appealed to me so much that I went outside of my comfort zone of big poufs and wore his sexy dress.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR LOOK FROM FW25'S SHOOT RESONATES WITH YOUR PERSONAL STYLE?

I loved the denim top so much, how he took a rough, ordinary fabric and created such a beautiful shape that sucked me in perfectly. If you can elevate denim and cotton poplin, like Jonathan consistently does, you’re my pal.

YOU BEGAN YOUR CAREER AS AN ATTORNEY BEFORE TRANSITIONING INTO FASHION. DID YOU EVER ENVISION THIS PATH?

I never would have thought I had permission to work in fashion! I was a dorky kid from Queens and I just set out to be smart and productive. But I always had a strong sense of personal style and I just started to really run with it more and more until it actually meant making clothes for myself and having other people want to buy them too.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ASPIRING DESIGNERS LOOKING TO BUILD THEIR OWN BRAND WITHOUT A FORMAL FASHION BACKGROUND?

You need to have a strong idea of what you want to make and you can learn as you go, as long as you are comfortable with some (fun) chaos. Ask for advice from people around you (do you know a good pattern maker? a good fabric supplier? etc, etc).

YOUR WORK DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM YOUR FAMILY’S IMMERSION INTO AN ORTHODOX LIFESTYLE. IN WHAT WAYS HAS THIS INFLUENCED YOUR APPROACH TO DRESSMAKING?

I used to go to a lot of Shabbat dinners or to Synagogue and wonder why I couldn’t find fun dresses that worked in those environments, so that was part of the impetus to make my own.

MODEST FASHION, INSPIRED BY AMISH WOMEN AND AMERICAN HOMESTEADERS, HAS GAINED POPULARITY AMONG BOTH MAJOR AND NICHE BRANDS. YOUR DESIGNS BLEND VICTORIAN AND MODEST AESTHETICS WITH ELEMENTS THAT SYMBOLIZE RESTRAINT AND REPRESSION. HOW HAVE YOU NAVIGATED THE FASHION INDUSTRY WHILE DRAWING FROM THESE INFLUENCES?

When I started, trad-wife symbolism seemed like a fun thing to play with. Nowadays, it’s shockingly becoming too real– The Handmaids Tale times that we are in– so I am sort of veering away from Victorianism a touch now. That said, I love a dress that is practical and that elevates the mundane chores of daily life. I try to make what I want to wear, not what the fashion world insists we should be wearing.

YOU COLLABORATE A LOT WITH YOUR HUSBAND, ALEXEI HAY, A FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER. HOW HAS THAT EXPERIENCE BEEN?

Working with Alexei is the best. We really fell in love taking pictures on film while we traveled and walked around the city. Since I made my first dress, he has been my partner in image-making, whether it meant taking pictures of me in a kitchen sink or a model with painted light around her.

AS A QUEENS NATIVE AND STUYVESANT ALUM, WHAT CHANGES HAVE YOU OBSERVED IN THE NEW YORK FASHION SCENE SINCE YOUR SCHOOL DAYS?

New York is not as cool, says me and everyone else over 40. Really, I think I grew up in a particularly great time in NYC, the 90s. When I opened my store last year, I wanted it to be like one of those cool shops I remembered from my teenage years– Daryl K, Smylonylon. The NYC streets are always a feast for the eyes but it was next level back then.

OVER THE PAST YEAR, YOU LAUNCHED YOUR OWN BRICK AND MORTAR. HOW HAS THAT CHANGED YOUR EXPERIENCE IN BOTH THE BUILDING OF THE BRAND AS WELL AS THE PRODUCT OFFERING?

I love being at the store. I get to experiment with different pieces and test them out there. I get feedback from actual customers and I get to know who they are. It really feels like I am hanging out in my closet all day and friends are just dropping by and trying things on.