Stephanie Chen I knew from Parsons School of Design. She spent some time designing for Ralph Lauren. She now produces an exquisite lingerie and swimwear collection, Sapphire Bliss. Her line is truly local, made in New York.
Alice Cheng's boutique A Cheng in Brooklyn has been a favorite of the stylish Park Slope set for years. She carries her own line of effortless chic clothing and accessories. The shop also offers other carefully curated designers as well as jewelry and fragrance for fashionable gift giving. Alice is another of my Parsons alum.
Valerie Thompson is a knitwear maven for some of the biggest brands in the industry. I worked with her over a decade ago and she was always creating beautiful things. She saw a huge hole in the market for full figured, stylish designer clothing, made and fit for that market, designed by someone who actually wears it. There is a huge demand for this with the dollars behind it, but still, large corporate entities still seem to ignore this. Her venture, Cushie B. fulfills this much-needed niche.
Minji Kim was ruling the indie style set in the East Village and now Nolita with her Min-K boutique almost straight out of college. She creates her own collection of downtown chic and finds the most unique women's and children's wear discoveries that no one carries. In addition to her boutique, she is the costume designer behind stylish films like the upcoming Stealing Chanel.
Ready to shop small? There are also celebrations around each city spotlighting the best businesses in each neighborhood. Discover the best style in your own backyard for Small Business Saturday.
