I remember that afternoon so clearly. Karol and I were in my living room with a dress form in front of us, pinning fabric, making adjustments and talking through what we wanted the cape to become. We knew we wanted something lightweight and beautiful that could be worn year-round, but more than anything, we wanted it to have range. It needed to feel special enough for an occasion without being reserved for one.
It's a memory that captures a lot about the way we design together. I tend to start with the bigger picture. I know the feeling I want a piece to have, the overall silhouette and how I imagine a woman wearing it. Karol has the design background and an incredible eye for materials, cuts and all the small details that ultimately bring an idea to life. I may know that something isn't quite right and she usually knows exactly why. Somewhere between the two of us, the Siena began to take shape.
We chose silk chiffon because it gave us the lightness and movement we were looking for, and the finished cape became exactly the kind of piece we had imagined, one that could change depending on what you wore underneath it and where you decided to take it.
I have worn mine to a wedding, to dinner with friends and recently to our pop-up at Oxford Exchange. Karol has even worn hers poolside. I love that there isn't one obvious way to wear it. Over a beautiful dress, it feels appropriate for an occasion. With something simpler underneath, it takes on an entirely different personality.
That versatility was always part of the intention, but it has been especially rewarding to see it play out beyond our own wardrobes. Siena has become one of our best sellers, and I think part of the reason is that women can see themselves wearing it in their own way. It doesn't have to sit in the closet waiting for a wedding or a formal invitation. There is something special about watching a piece become part of other women's lives when you remember exactly where it started.
For me, Siena will always take me back to that afternoon in my living room with Karol just the two of us standing over a dress form, pinning and adjusting fabric, talking through ideas and slowly figuring it out together. We didn't know then that it would become one of our most-loved pieces, we were simply trying to make something we both wanted to wear.
KJS
