Katie Ermilio Young American Designer 1
K a t i e E r m ilio
Katie Ermilio As the granddaughter of Grace Kelly’s personal clothier, it’s easy to see a sense of history in Katie Ermilio’s clothes.
From the iconic Green Jacket her grandfather designed for The Masters Tournament at Augusta, to the Eisenhower Jacket he created for World War II, Katie’s legacy has inspired not only her love of fashion, 2
but also the garments she creates. Designing clothes from the time she was 12, Katie continues to draw on the heritage that shapes her work. At 28, a life-long education in tailoring acquired in her father’s custom clothing shop acquainted Katie with the principles of construction and fundamentals of design. Infusing each distinctly feminine piece with sharp tailoring and soft
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K a t i e E r m ilio drape, her clothes embody the modern interpretation of timeless dress. Today, Katie’s work has been featured on TEEN Vogue’s very pages and in publications ranging from The Wall Street Journal to VOGUE Australia. Her designs are sold across the world in destination specialty stores and boutiques including Barneys New York. The New York Times’ The Moment, ELLE, and Women’s Wear Daily have each highlighted her collections and career in design. Katie Ermilio knows her way around a pretty party frock. Each season, the up-andcomer (who is a member of the current CFDA Incubator class) finds new ways to 4
make her ultrafeminine occasion-wear feel youthful and modern. To achieve this balance, Ermilio focuses on clean, streamlined silhouettes that showcase her special fabrications. For Spring, the designer worked with a French mill to develop a dreamy velvet flocked chiffon that she cut into wispy slipdresses with delicate spaghetti straps. Instead of doing standard prints, Ermilio introduced pattern in the form of
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K a t i e E r m ilio a floral Chantilly lace found on graphic A-line skirts, off-theshoulder tops, and a retro bikini. While the latter didn’t belong anywhere near water, its matching bandeau and high-waisted briefs looked fresh mixed with pencil skirts or a longsleeved, open-front dress.
Elsewhere, Ermilio experimented with playful bow details (decorating the shoulders of a standout cocktail number) and plush fuchsia panne 6
velvet, which was featured on cute separates such as shorts, a car coat, and boxy tops that would pair terrifically with jeans. And speaking of jeans, Ermilio offered her own take on dungarees in luxe, faille-faced satin. “Steven Kolb [the CEO of the CFDA] was like, ‘I want a pair,’” she reported. Continuing to introduce more casual items like those jeans keeps Ermilio’s collections from seeming too girly or precious. 7