Karmela Alperez | Caravan Stylist Studio

Caravan Designer Highlight: Michelle Vale Made In New York

Knowing what you want and how you want it is a talent, that handbag designer Michelle Vale puts to excellent use. She is a chic family oriented mother who has finally given women versatility with their handbags! Since her father was a Senior VP of a major denim brand she would spend her weekends filtering through city fashion at Patricia Field looking for vintage jeans and show up to school wearing a hip motorcycle jacket or cowboy boots two years before they even hit the stores. For quite sometime Michelle rejected the idea of a career within the industry but later on realized that her constant exposure to a fashion forward lifestyle lead her to eventually adapt the European mind set of quality conscience shopping. She now puts quality over quantity in all aspects of life and especially uses that as an influential theme in the Michelle Vale Made In New York collection. Armed with determination to succeed, a commitment to keeping production in New York, and years of creative influence on her side, Michelle is able to produce some of the best quality, New York made handbags out there!

We’ve all had that moment where you find what you are looking for except it’s not exactly what you are looking for. If there is one thing you will love about Michelle Vale, Made In New York, it’s the versatility and style with each bag that will keep you smiling. When you purchase any clutch you will notice a removable chain strap where you can choose either a gold or silver chain for the purse or opt to buy both and it doesn’t stop there. Michelle also features several convertible and 3-in-1 bags which can be used as a crossbody, shoulder bag, or a clutch. Rest assured that all of these bags are absolutely interchangeable for day to night events. Obviously, Michelle knows that girls need their options, so be sure to check out her Balancé Linen Cluthes for an on the go side wallet with your tote or as a clutch for evening! Another fun feature is the gargoyle pin you can purchase to place on your new tote, which is the brand symbol of Michelle Vale, which is meant to “ward off evil”. You can pin this on the side seam of your tote or any other place your heart desires. Michelle has designed a solution to every girl’s needs, wants, and fashion savvy must haves so when you are looking for your next handbag, look no further. You will have tons of fun shopping online at michellevale.com or at select specialty boutiques across the county including Intermix

One of the best aspects of Michelle’s line is that many of the materials used are made in America and the production is done exclusively in the heart of New York City. Keeping the manufacturing of her line here in New York is of great importance to Michelle because she believes in supporting the NYC Garment district; which is evident in the recent addition of Made In New York to her logo. Producing in New York not only allows for complete quality control but also contributes towards more green practices. By having design, manufacturing, and all steps in between done within walking distance of one another it significantly reduces the companies carbon footprint. Her favorite characteristic of the New York garment district is the history and culture that comes with it. Michelle hopes to help rejuvenate the district to what it once was and to bring awareness of all the real opportunities it has to offer. She shared some historical stats with us when we met, including this: In the late 50′s – early 60′s, 78% of the world’s production used to come through our NYC Garment district and now that percentage has dwindled down to around 5%. She also shared with us that once NYC became known for its designer ready-to-wear, combined with the chic social life it had to offer, voices turned from promoting manufacturing to solely focusing on design. This sadly left our beloved garment district far behind the scenes. With facts like these, no wonder Michelle Vale has made the commitment to keeping things local.

We thrive off of insight and advice from all the designers we are able to meet and Michelle’s advice to anyone looking to be successful in this industry is to always be hungry for the opportunities. She told us, “You have to keep going even if you hear no no no, and find ways to turn that into a yes.” Keeping yourself focused and having a business mind or partner, is a must, in order to succeed in business. ”If you are looking to start a line, persistance and passion are key.

We believe Michelle Vale, Made In New York, defines New York quality and versatility.

Caravan Designer Highlight: Nona E. Rose by Rachel Sax

In an attempt to define herself, designer Rachel Sax has created a fashion forward classic line of belts called Nona E. Rose; and will soon branch into the exhilarating world of accessories (we are EXCITED to see a necklace and bracelet set!). Her story begins in Maryland where she grew up sewing clothes for her dolls and loved every moment of it. From then on she knew that fashion was her passion and went on to study at Syracuse University. During her journey she gained valuable insight through her internships, the first being at Bloomingdales and then later on with Betsey Johnson, her first designer icon, in departments ranging from retail to visual merchandising and the design studio.

The name of her line, Nona E. Rose, is after the most style influential people in Rachel’s life which are her three grandmothers. The core of her inspirations stems from her grandmothers as well as vintage accessories stating; “vintage gets lost today and I want to revive glamour, a vintage lady-like aesthetic is a concept that isn’t as prominent as it once was. ” Within the Nona E. Rose line the essence of vintage is clearly present in her designs with the ever chic, golden metal accent on each belt. When designing a piece meant to last a lifetime Rachel finds creative bliss balancing the aspects of fun and glamour along with being interchangeable for all seasons. She believes there are so many different ways to style your outfit especially with the perfect belt, as long as it represents yourself and works with your body.

Next on the check list for Rachel is to increase presence in more boutiques, strengthen online sales, and you can’t go wrong with a trunk show (Look out for one this August!). Rachel shared with us her story of the rare opportunity of being accepted to a seasonal Bendel’s Trunk Show, after waiting in the cold for hours her distinctive classic brand was the factor that made her shine as a winning designer out of many. If there is any advice she would give to fellow designers it would be to never miss an opportunity in this industry. You should pay your dues and start somewhere because retail experience can be a major help along with cold calling and taking freelance positions; those can create real opportunities. Her advice is to be willing to put yourself out there and best describes cold calling by saying, “it’s not like calling a boy, no one is going to say; you call too much” and we whole heartedly agree! Nona E. Rose was built through Rachel’s inspirations and dedication.

Bendel's Trunk Show Setup

Access to the treasure chest of materials which is New York garment district, and living exposure to the anything goes New York fashion, Rachel feels free to be creative because there will always be a customer to wear the designs. She strives to be known for quality and producing major statement pieces; “a game changer” that can really define an outfit. Nona E. Rose is identifiable because Rachel commits to “taking the things you love and carving it into a model that is truly yours,” focusing on feminine, preppy and vintage features. Her audience is a wide range of customers because she aims to attract people who can appreciate quality. Customers of all ages, can sport the traditional elegance branded with the Nona E. Rose collections by Rachel Sax.

You will be happy to know that all products are available to order online at Nona E. Rose and we are sure you will value the vintage sophistication Rachel has brought to her collection just like we did! Enjoy!