Kate Boggiano in the News

Kate Coxworth of the quasi-eponymous line, Kate Boggiano is launching her classic, tailored, pret-a-porter tops into the revolutionary customized couture world with a Create Your Own line of investment-style, timeless and individualized blouses for women of all shapes and sizes.

Apr 6 2008

Kate Boggiano Launches the CYO Line

With a slight shopping addiction of my own, I have spent my fair share of time waiting in dressing room lines, and I cannot count the infinite number of times, when from behind fitting room curtains, I hear a deep sigh, followed by a distraught and disappointed voice that mutters, “ I just want one good shirt that fits!”

It turns out, I am not the only one hearing pleas for quality blouses that fit a woman’s body. The talented and classic designer and entrepreneur, Kate Coxworth has also been listening.

The young Chicago-based line, Kate Boggiano has already been dubbed the new Anne Fontaine for its time-tested, studied and thoughtful blouses which flatter real women’s figures and inspire confidence. But starting Monday, the already beautifully constructed and tailor made tops are about to get even more precise with the launch of Create Your Own Blouse.

CYO is a concept that allows clients to step into the virtual Kate Boggiano atelier and custom create a perfect-fit blouse, tailored to every curve and measured to fit like a favorite t-shirt. On the website (or upon appointment in Kate’s atelier) clients select the material, collar, cuffs, buttons and hem for their blouse. They then submit their measurements; or if a client prefers, she can send in a favorite fitting top and Kate and her team will re-create the fit. The turn around time? Ten short days.

A world apart from the well lit office space that she now inhabits on the 11th floor of Macy’s State Street as part of the Incubator program, Kate’s auspicious beginnings can be traced back to her paternal grandmother, who was a source of inspiration for Kate.

When I ask her about her grandmother, and the fact that her maiden name (Boggiano) is one half the moniker of Kate’s line, she laughs:

“Because we were both really strong we used to butt heads a lot. But now that I am older we get along great. She’s just amazing. She was really interested in fashion and never pursued it. She was actually in the medical field. And I was pre-med and then went into fashion, so we’re totally flip-flopped.”

Switching to fashion, after graduation, Kate cut her teeth in the Big Apple, landing a job as a technical designer at Polo, Ralph Lauren, and then later in the men’s merchandising department, where she learned the business and technical side of design. Knowing that she wanted to do something of her own, she understood that she had to be very targeted in what she offered and savvy in how she structured her business. With undaunted realism, “I thought, well what did Polo start in, well he started in neckties. He was very specific and focused. And I thought, that is definitely the key. But I was haunted by what niche I would get into. A few weeks later she had her epiphany.

“I literally went to bed one day and woke up and said, I know, I am going to do custom shirts. No one is doing custom shirts for women, they only do them for men; and women are ten times harder to fit than men.”

Two years later, with a thriving line, Kate is doing things right. Every Kate Boggiano top is an investment piece that stands up to modern abuse and outlasts trends. Providing twists and slight alterations to traditional shirts such as the oxford, the classic twill or with her own “skinny” or extra long versions, Kate has hit a chord with women. And the quality and difference in Kate’s tops is palpable. High-thread-count, and natural fabrics anchor the blouses in irreproachable luxury. All seams are French: not a single raw edge is to be found on any inch of her blouses. A rigorous beating is doled out to all buttons, to ensure that they can stand up to a little abuse. Those that make the cut are cross stitched in place with immoveable threading into bound buttonholes. The sleeves are adjustable, cuffs can be worn narrow or wide and of course, tailoring is immaculate.

Determined to play by her own rules, Kate has made the conscious decision to be an online retailer. She doesn’t have any plans in the works to open a boutique or to be sold in stores. Online, she can control the quality and doesn’t have to deal with cumbersome and stodgy retail overhead. She is building a brand, and wants to ensure that her own entity is precise.

With the launch of her Create Your Own and over 25 million combinations and possibilities for customized, perfect fit-blouses, next time I am in the dressing room line and I hear a woman complain about an ill-fitting top, I’m going to bamboozle her with Kate’s information.