1. Where did you grow up?

Seoul, Korea.

2. How did you discover your interest in fashion and how did you get your start?

I developed an interest in clothing growing up as the youngest of four daughters in a family that was (and continues to be) dominated by women. My mother paid a lot of attention to how my sisters and I presented ourselves, dressing us up in printed frocks and braiding our hair every morning.

After holding design positions at several companies, I launched DEMYLEE based on what I appreciate most in my own closet–sweaters!

3. If you could do anything else as an occupation, what would it be?

I would love to paint . . .

4. What time period do you identify with most?

The ‘80s and ‘90s.

5. What is your greatest achievement?

My loving, dynamic, and supportive family. My husband and I have two daughters, Lia Sophia and Lena Alexandra. Raising them is my greatest joy.

6. If you could travel anywhere tomorrow, where would it be?

Machu Picchu

7. What is your most favorite meal in the world?

Hard to pick one . . . Sushi with chilled Sake

8. Dogs or cats?

I am a dog person all the way.

9. Favorite live music experience?

Duran Duran & Erasure, 1987.

10. Who is your favorite artist in any field, living or dead?

Egon Schiele.

Shop DEMYLEE here.

This is a light pasta that you serve warm but not piping hot. Some ingredients are cooked, others not, so you can still enjoy it in the heat.

Ingredients:

1 box Spaghetti… I love Garofalo (available at Fairway)

1 head of fennel

1 lb. of large cleaned shrimp (or do yourself to save money, but definitely adds time)

1 box yellow cherry tomatoes, any baby variety

8 small red tomatoes, any small variety

3 ears of corn

2 cloves of garlic

1 bunch fresh basil

1 bunch flat leaf parsley

Canola oil, or other neutral oil

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Fill a very large pot with water, leaving only about 2-3″ at top… I cannot stress enough how important having lots of water in the pot is to the success of your pasta.  Do not add oil to the water. Bring to a boil.

While the water is heating up, slice the fennel into pieces about 3″ long, and put into a pan with about 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Lightly salt.

Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring every few minutes on medium heat… you don’t want the fennel to become totally soggy and you do want to get some color here for enhanced richness of flavor.

Do not wash pan.

Steam the corn:  place all in a pot with 1″ of cold water; turn on high heat, cover.  Turn off once water is boiling, pour off water and let the corn steam for 2 minutes… we want it crisp still.

Put corn and fennel to the side, can be in same bowl.

Rinse and pat dry your shrimp, place in bowl with 1-tablespoon canola oil and 1 roughly chopped up garlic clove.  Add a pinch of salt and fresh pepper.

Chop up the tomatoes, place in a separate bowl with 1 clove of raw garlic through press.  Add salt and pepper to your liking, and 1-tablespoon olive oil.

Chop up a generous amount of parsley and basil (make sure to rinse both of these well so no sand or grit remains on the leaves), place in a bowl.

Once water is a rolling boil, add a good amount of salt to the water – taste it – it should be pleasantly salty (not like the sea, in this case).

Add the pasta, do not cover!  Use a fork to stir the spaghetti about, make sure none is sticking to itself or the bottom of the pot. (Make sure to test your pasta after about 8 minutes… take a piece out and eat it… Usually will need about 10-12 minutes but better to try a few tastes until you have a sense… each brand is different).

Using the same pan as for the fennel, turn the heat on high; add about 1 tablespoon canola oil. Place the shrimps in when the pan is hot; do not overlap the shrimps if possible.

Cook each side until just pink… about a 30-45 seconds each side.

Slide all into the bowl with fennel and corn.When the pasta is “al dente” (still has a little resistance or “tooth” in center), strain the pasta. DO NOT RINSE… in fact, try to keep a bit of that tasty pasta water sloshing about in the strands.

Immediately put back into the pot it boiled in.

Add the tomatoes, fennel, corn and shrimp.  Give a good stir about with tongs or a large wooden spoon.

Add a generous amount of parsley and basil, stir again.

Taste to see if you need to add some more salt or pepper.

Serve immediately, using tongs so you can get shrimps and all the yummy veg well distributed in each serving.

Garnish with basil chiffonade (cut into strips), a little splash of olive oil and fresh pepper.

“I could probably go shopping with my eyes closed, that’s how tactile I am.  I shop with my hands.”  Raquel Allegra perches in her tall chair, surrounded by the comforting swirl of her studio.  Her dark hair is gathered in loose braids beneath a black brimmed hat.  She has the lucid, glowing beauty of someone whose life is flowing.  Someone who’s expanding empire of clothing, built upon the foundation of covetable basics with deconstructed elements, is captivating women around the world. ”I love layering. I think I layered just for you today, because I usually wear paint-splattered sweats everyday,” she explains. “We’re making some in the spirit of those, these are our test run—here feel the inside.”  She gestures to her ankle where the bottoms of her white sweat pants are cuffed.  They feel like a cloud.

Allegra’s genius is in making clothes that are sensual.  You slip them on and seem to inhabit your body more.  She began by taking shirts from Salvation Army, picking them apart and crocheting them then wearing them into her day job at Barney’s.  Her customers responded to what she was wearing and wanted to buy them, “they wanted these vintage tees and I think it had a lot to do with the hand,” she says.  “Did it feel soft, did it feel worn enough.  They were more concerned with that even than the cut.”  She moved into subtler deconstruction, was urged on by some serendipitous celebrity enthusiasm, and found inspiration in XXL discarded LA county prison tees.

Fast-forward ten years and the designer has moved into an expansive 8,000 ft. studio loft in downtown LA with a dedicated team of designers, pattern-makers, and sewers. She emphasized that her process is a collective one.  “You can’t do everything yourself.  You have to have people you can trust to do their own version.”  But she obviously has her hands in every aspect of the business.  When I was there, she fielded questions from just about everyone, from the e-commerce model who shares her shoe size to the production manager.  Allegra says that every step of the way, she has been influenced by the people around her and by feedback from people wearing the clothes.  “Every time I’ve taken the materials that I work with and really worked with it and pushed it and had an epiphany, it’s because someone asked for it or said something inspiring or asked a question and got my mind thinking in a new direction. I want to make people happy! I want to make things they want to wear.  I don’t want to just create in a bubble.”

Allegra grew up in Berkeley and now lives in Los Angeles, so California permeates and provides a base for her collection.  She is known for earthy, textural tie-dyes that make the clothes feel like they could be camouflage in the desert stretching outside LA.  The clothes both exemplify and transcend the haute-hippie moniker.  She tells me that the dyes and fabric can be so capricious that the weather affects them.  They can come out perfectly one day, and the next will be ten degrees cooler, or raining, and the colors will be completely different. Spring 13 is the first time the collection has included a hand drawn print (see it at Bird HERE) and Allegra says that progression was a no-brainer.  “My mom is an artist and I grew up with art all around me, so I’ve always had the inclination to doodle,” and assures that there are more in the works.  Her pallet is often muted, perhaps in homage to Louise Nevelson‘s art, but Allegra’s recent trip to India has left her yearning for more color in the collection, particularly the effortless, almost accidental color combinations she encountered there.  “I used to be afraid of color in the collection, I’d play it safe most of the time.  I feel braver now [since India].  I feel a little more brave to speak my mind and in my relationships and in how we’re approaching the collection.”

“I used to cut clothing and wear it wrong when I was little and my mom would get really mad at me.  I loved clothing.  I had so little when I was growing up, I had one pair of pants until I was twelve.  I didn’t have clothing and I always wanted it. I guess I’ve been doing this my whole life in one way or another just for my own joy. If I hadn’t been working at Barney’s and getting the chance to interact with all of those people, who knows what I would be doing.  Sitting at home and crocheting tees by myself maybe.  I didn’t even know this was my dream.”

Check out Raquel Allegra’s most recent video CAT FIGHT.

Shop the collection HERE.

Nora Beckman reporting from Los Angeles with photos by Andrew T. Vottero

Bird loves color and prints, but all New York fashion fans love their blacks and midnight blues. We find some middle ground in new arrivals from Rachel Comey and Rag & Bone. For night time concerts and cocktails, for afternoon interviews and second interviews, and for anytime at all. Because it’s black. And it’s always a good idea.

In case you’re wondering about Jack’s bag, please jump to our post on the incomparable Porter collection at Grand St.

Of note we’re all wearing Shipley & Halmos sunglasses.  Because they’re fantastic on everybody all of the time.  Each style is named for an inventor, Tesla or Edison, and comes engraved with a quote from the man.  We’ll leave you with one, and you can guess who said it.

“I have harnessed the cosmic rays and caused them to operate a motive device.”

Beach Bird is located at 183 North Ferry Road on Shelter Island, NY

Phone: 631.749.5763

Store hours:

In June, Friday and Saturday 11AM-6PM, Sunday 11AM-5PM

July through Labor Day, Monday – Saturday 11AM-6PM, Sunday 11AM-5PM

Full Terms & Conditions: By entering the Rideaway Giveaway, you will be added to Bird and Papillionaire newsletter lists and will receive email updates about new products, trends, and promotions. No purchase necessary. Entries accepted June 1, 2013 12:01 AM (ET) through June 30, 2013 11:59 PM (ET) online or in stores. Limit one entry per person and per email address. Open to legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia 21 years of age and older. Prizes shipped only to addresses in the contiguous United States. This promotion is in no way associated with or sponsored by Facebook, Twitter or another social media site.

For more information about Papillionaire, click here.

Saturday, June 1 was a gorgeous day on Shelter Island, NY and we were thrilled to celebrate the opening of our latest outpost, Beach Bird! All afternoon our friends popped by to say hello, have a splash of rosé and toast the new locale.

Come see us next time you are on the east end, we have all the best of Jen Mankins’s designer favorites, with a focus on sun, swim and summer fun. We are located in Shelter Island Heights, across the street from Reddings and down the block from the liquor shop, we know—convenient! We hope to see you out there soon!

Beach Bird, 183 North Ferry Road, Shelter Island Heights, NY, 631.749.5763

Let’s hope we have a great tomato summer! I love love love gazpacho… this is a traditional puréed kind with stale bread… it is super yummy and satisfying… a big bowl could easily be lunch on a hot summer day. This is quick and easy to make… the only real time involved is for the soup to chill and the flavors to integrate… at least 1 hour in the fridge… best 6 to 24hours!

Ingredients:

3 huge super ripe tomatoes

1/2 box Pomi chopped tomatoes

1 English hothouse cucumber

1 Spanish onion or other sweet onion

2 red bell peppers

1 yellow bell pepper

1-bunch chives

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 baguette or 2 slices stale bread, no crust

Olive oil

Red wine vinegar

2 large garlic cloves

Salt

Fresh ground pepper

Boil a pot of water.  Remove the stem of the tomato with a small knife. Peel the tomatoes by scoring the bottom with a “x” and dropping them one by one into the boiling water for about 30 seconds each and then immediately into a bowl of ice water.

Remove the skins… they should peel away easily.

Slice the tomatoes in half, across the belly. Remove seeds with your fingers. Roughly chop up the tomatoes and place into a large bowl.

Reserve 1/4 of the cucumber for garnish, peel the other 3/4 cucumber and remove the seeds with a small spoon.

Chop up the cucumber, one red bell pepper (I leave the skin on, and save the other for garnish), 1 Spanish onion (if it is really large, 1/2 will suffice), and add to bowl with tomatoes.

Push 2 cloves of raw garlic through press directly into bowl.

Cut the crusts off of your stale or day-old bread (must be white bread) and tear into bits, add to bowl.

Add 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar to the bowl.

Mix well with a spoon.

Add 2 cups of chicken stock (of course, best if you have your own home made but if you don’t a good quality boxed chicken stock will do just fine).

Add 1 teaspoon salt and some black pepper.

Purée all in bowl using a hand blender.  You will not get a perfectly smooth purée but you can get a very nice slightly textured purée. (If you want totally smooth, use a Vitamix)

Taste it! You will definitely need to add more salt, and you can add a bit more now, but remember it is going to sit in the fridge for a few or possibly many hours where flavors will develop… best to do final seasoning right before you serve it.

Cover and put in fridge for minimum 1 hour, maximum 24 hours for ideal flavor.

Just before serving, dice up cucumber (I keep skin on for color here), bell peppers of our choice and chives, garnish each bowl or place the garnish options on the table for your guests to dress their own soup.

You could also use mint, basil, homemade croutons, or flat leaf parsley as garnish.

Serve with bread, some divine goat cheese and olives and rosé on a sunny summer day.

“I like to make the most out of every travel experience, even if it’s just upstate or someplace close by. I like to look at everything that is there, look at the people. I like to go to grocery stores in a new place and see what people are eating. It’s very telling and soothing as well.”

It was a gorgeous and sunny spring day when I went to visit Rie Yamagata in her studio in New York’s garment district. Her corner atelier is high over the jostle and crowds of 37th street, bright and white and airy—a perfect place for creativity. Rie seems quiet at first but she is fooling you. She has a twinkle in her eye that reveals wit, mischief and an innate curiosity. “I like weird things” says the designer as we poured over a book on Salvador Dali’s fine jewelry. “To me, it’s weird to look at fashion as inspiration for designing fashion.” And from the meandering line of our conversation, it’s clear that Rie has a myriad of interests and influences that direct her work.

Rie is from California, where she grew up in a creative family. Her father is a visual artist, her mother’s family is in textiles, however she was always interested in fashion, and went straight to Parsons The New School for Design after high school. After two years in New York, Rie transferred to Central Saint Martins in London, from which she graduated before embarking on her career. Her experiences have sent her around the world and back, with a stint in Los Angeles, a few years in Tokyo ensconced in Tsumori Chisato’s design studio and then back to New York City again to work for Phillip Lim. Yamagata launched her namesake line, Rhié, in 2011 with a knitwear capsule collection, and soon expanded to wovens.

“I think there is a lot to explore in sweaters that really hasn’t been done yet.” I love Yamagata’s passion for knits. She tells me about the different tensions, gauges, washings . . . the possibilities seem endless, and it strikes me that this is clearly what draws in the curious young woman from California. Rie also loves working with prints and “anything unusual: sponged, flocked . . .” this list of delightfully different fabrics goes on, and her eyes light up when she explains to me how the mill produced the pink polka dot flocked fabric from her spring 2013 collection—in case you are wondering, they put glue on the tulle and then sprayed it. Voilà, polka dots!

We compared notes on vintage shopping, social media, inspirations and favorite travel spots, and I left with a great admiration and respect for Yamagata. She is one cool lady that knows what she is doing and where she is headed. Bon voyage, Rie!

by Starrett Ringbom