July 16, 2021
Style & Beauty,
Shop Natalie Bloomingdale’s personally curated e-boutique featuring two Atlanta designers’ summer collections.
Abbey Glass for The SIL embroidered organza Lara dress PHOTO: BY MONROE ALVAREZ
So much of fashion these days is trend-driven, fast, convenient and, frankly, cheap. Los Angeles-based closet collective The SIL (shopthesil.com), or The Stuff I Love, was created in 2017 by Natalie Bloomingdale to be a shoppable collection of made-to-order, all-female, small-scale designers from all over the country, including Dallas, Houston, New York, L.A., Louisiana, South Carolina and, of course, Atlanta. What started as an incubator of sorts has since evolved and grown to encompass brands that create pieces exclusively for The SIL. Although The SIL isn’t new to us, its exclusive summer collections with Atlanta designers Abbey Glass and Caroline Ann are. “I wanted this latest mini capsule for The SIL to embody a really elegant playfulness,” says SCAD alum Ann of her summer pieces. “This customer enjoys color and uniqueness, so I designed details that would feel a bit daring for her, but balanced by putting them on a more approachable silhouette.” Atlanta designer and Tory Burch Foundation fellow Glass’ summer collaboration will feature fun applicays and classic shapes. “The exclusive collections at The SIL are all about taking classic shapes we know our customers love and ramping up the designer fabrics and details,” says Glass. “We are working on some easy, elegant dresses for fall weddings and special occasions in Natalie’s favorite hues. The SIL customer loves a modern spin on refined classics, so the collaboration with Abbey Glass is a match made in heaven!”
Atlantan Katherine Mason and SculptHouse continue to grow their partnership with Italian shoe house Esseutesse with a series of limited-edition capsule collections.
Esseutesse limited-edition Lauryn Bosstick, The Skinny Confidential collection shoe PHOTO: COURTESY OF SCULPTHOUSE
When Katherine Mason opened her Buckhead workout studio and athleisure boutique SculptHouse in 2016, she noticed a customer arriving for class in a pair of fringe sneakers. Not only did she want a pair for herself, but the idea of comfortable footwear without sacrificing style was perfect for her new concept. The maker of the fringe shoe was Italian fashion brand Esseutesse. Esseutesse started as a passion project of factory owner Claudio, who had previously produced shoes for Armani, Versace, Barbara Bui, Casadei, Ralph Lauren, Etro and more. Now, together with Mason, the two are releasing a number of shoe capsules, the first inspired by podcaster Lauryn Bosstick. “I fell in love with designer initially for the quality, style and attention to detail,” says Mason. “The designs are also uniquely their own and aren’t trying to re-create something.” The shoes are handmade, with each pair taking about six hours of stitching, molding, buffing and more. Every single detail, from the leather to the lightweight sole to the insert that has incredible support, was meticulously designed to ensure the product would compete with any couture fashion shoe on the market. “This collaboration and the limited-edition capsules will be the way that we further differentiate ourselves in the marketplace,” continues Mason, “giving our customers looks they have been asking for and contributing to designs so that SculptHouse can put its own spin on the brand.” 3167 Peachtree Road NE, Ste. Q, sculpthouse.com; esseutesse.it
A factory worker in Italy forming the leather shoes. PHOTO: COURTESY OF ESSEUTESSE
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