A FASHIONABLE FAMILY AFFAIR

Piccadilly started as a mission to create beautiful, functional custom clothing for children but quickly evolved to include styles for adult women that could coordinate. Piccadilly itself is similarly centered around family: They’re a family-owned business made up of a mother, Katherine Pugh, her daughter, Sadie Wilson, and Katherine’s daughterin-law Sadie Wilson.

The three co-founders started Piccadilly in 2020, bringing their individual passions for fashion into the mix. Together, they shared a desire to make clothing for women “who love to feel put together” and by creating a corresponding children’s line, they could make effortless style even easier.

“Most people think we’re crazy working so closely as a family, and we can assure you it isn’t without its challenges,” Katherine shares. “However, our love and respect for one another supersedes everything, and our confidence in each other is what ultimately makes Piccadilly work and keeps it fun!”

Katherine explains that there is a beautiful balance between the trio that allows each woman to wear different hats in different seasons.

“We’ve never stopped to assign specific titles because depending on the day or situation, our strengths always complement one another. We certainly step into roles of “the dreamer” or “the detailed one,” but there’s a constant ebb and flow of creativity all around.”

Here, Katherine, Courtney, and Sadie share their side of the story behind Piccadilly.

When did the business form and where did the name of your business come from?

Katherine and Courtney met during a chance encounter on a London tour bus. Katherine’s son, Ben, connected with Courtney back in the states and 10 weeks later…they were engaged. The name Piccadilly is a nod to the ever-echoing tube announcer voice that remained in our heads following this trip: “Next Stop, Piccadilly Circus!” It’s the best reminder of when our families first united.

Where does your love of fashion come from?

Over the years, we’ve all expressed our love of fashion and creating things with our hands in different ways. Sadie cofounded a bowtie business in high school and now works as a full-time artist in Charleston. Katherine has made and designed clothing and interiors for friends and family for at least two-decades. Courtney mainly safety-pinned her own creations along the way as she worked in corporate roles. Designing a line that is fresh and functional satisfies a love of fashion that’s always been there for each of us.

How do you decide on new designs or collections?

We look for inspiration everywhere: An amazing wallpaper in a restaurant bathroom, a dress on the cover of an Australian magazine, gingko leaves we’ve plucked from trees in Charleston — truly anywhere. We pull shape, structure, color, and inspiration out of mundane things and partner with amazing designers here in Charlotte and Wilmington to bring our vision to life.

How would you describe Piccadilly’s style?

Piccadilly was born to fill a market space in apparel we couldn’t find ourselves. Something posh and playful. Classic and different. Southern and European. Our mission is to give our customers beautiful clothing coupled with the freedom to live in it.

Do you work with anyone locally here in Charlotte?

We’ve had the privilege to work with some insanely talented women. We owe so much of our growth and success to a handful of women that have partnered or worked with us over the last two years and these relationships are the most treasured part of this journey. We couldn’t share our story without mentioning the following local powerhouses: Meredith Owens with Design A La Mere (based in Wilmington), Riley Goodman with Good Mood Design Co., Erin Bowman with Erin Bowman Creative, Anna Stallmann with Anna Stallmann Communications, and Lindsey Reagan Thorne for branding and partnerships.

Is there anything new or upcoming this year that we should know about?

Always! We have three new styles in the works for Summer ‘23, and this might be our favorite collection yet. Stay tuned for some sneak peeks and amazing collaborations in the weeks ahead.

Culinary Connections

Restaurant Constance makes a splash in Charlotte.

words ELEANOR MERRELL photos JAMEY PRICE

SSam Diminich is not new to the food and beverage industry. A 30-year food service veteran, he has worked in kitchens in Philadelphia and here in the Queen City, including BLT Steak at the Ritz-Carlton and Upstream Restaurant in SouthPark. He has also been one of only a handful of contenders to out-cook Bobby Flay on Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay. What is new, however, is the way Diminich is asking Charlotteans to think about dining and our local food system with his new venture, Restaurant Constance.

Restaurant Constance emerged as an extension of Your Farms

Your Table, a meal delivery organization Diminich started at the height of the pandemic, in part to support local farmers and suppliers who watched their orders plummet as restaurants across the nation shuttered. He viewed Restaurant Constance as an opportunity to bring his deepening connections with local farmers to a larger Charlotte audience. That opportunity was driven both by the natural growth of Your Farms Your Table and by Diminich’s personal growth as a leader, father, chef, and human. Having battled addiction for 30 years and homelessness for more than a year, this moment of opportunity did not come without struggle.

“Pre-sobriety, I wasn’t around much as a dad. I was pretty much gone for almost 2.5 years,” Diminish recalls. “So when I got sober and realized I could still cook, I promised myself if I ever opened a space I would name it after my oldest, Constance (which means ‘steadfast’). She was conscious of my struggles and saw most of it firsthand. So opening this restaurant has been really emotional and really special. It’s a great example of the possibilities of living a life sober.”

FARM-DRIVEN FOOD

At Restaurant Constance, the food menu shifts monthly in order to keep time with the changing seasons and harvests. That’s because every ingredient is sourced through local and regional farmers and suppliers, who Diminich meets through farmer’s markets, referrals, and generally shaking the farmer phone tree. “Our local food system is all connected,” explains Diminich. “We just have to find where it begins and bring that to the table.”

No matter the season, a typical menu at Restaurant Constance might feature raw bar selections, a smattering of appetizers, meat or seafood-forward entrees, seasonal sides, and desserts made in collaboration with Charlotte’s Wentworth & Fenn.

In addition to its flavorful food menu, the restaurant offers an extensive beverage program with a sensitivity to how tastes pair best together across the dining experience. A robust non-alcoholic beverage program, perhaps the best in Charlotte, leads the charge at Restaurant Constance, with an assortment of offerings made in-house and sporting quirky names inspired by pop culture references. Other beverage options include alcoholic cocktails, beer, wine, and coffee from Enderly Coffee.

FOOD-DRIVEN FELLOWSHIP

For Diminich, Restaurant Constance is more than a testament to his personal journey. His emerging role as a restaurateur is borderline hereditary. As a youth, he grew up in his father’s and grandfather’s restaurants, learning how powerfully food can create connections. When designing the interior of Restaurant Constance, he wanted to create a space that would prompt instant comfort and ease. “When guests walk in, I want them to feel at home,” says Diminich.

Concrete floors, a white cement wall, and an exposed ceiling give the bones of the restaurant a slightly industrial feel that is greatly softened by more rustic elements, like shiplap walls, a glass barn door that offers a glimpse into the kitchen, and framed family photos hung from the walls. The overall effect is an inviting interior that foregrounds the most critical ingredient at Restaurant Constance: People.

“Restaurant Constance is a culinary experience that’s…fueled by people,” says Diminich. “I see us more as a unifier of our food system than your typical farm-to-table restaurant.” info yourfarmsyourtable.com/ restaurantconstance

@restaurant_constance