There are many wonderful and talented people we are so proud to see wear KULE. Mei Tao and her husband Darrick Harris, who are longtime friends of the brand, are two of them. Mei has been working with Nikki as our editorial photographer — a visual magician if you will — since the beginning. Her husband Darrick, the Visual Director of Town & Country Magazine, is also incredibly talented. They’re a power couple with great style 🙂. Get to know Mei and Darrick a little better and see how they wear their KULE this Fall.
“We’re in Montreal in these photos. I was there for work and D [which is what Mei calls Darrick] came on the weekend to join me for a little fun getaway.” – Mei
Mei and Darrick have been together for 23 years. Darrick is a native New Yorker, born and raised, and Mei was born in China, raised in Brooklyn, and has been in New York since she was 10. The story of how they met? Darrick says, “She stalked me for years,” and Mei says, “He waited for years for me to be single to ask me out.” 💗💗
As for Mei’s connection to KULE, she’s known Nikki since 2011 and has been with us since. Mei is not only an incredibly talented photographer making magic behind the camera but also somewhat of a brand mascot who styles KULE as her own.
“My go-to outfit is a good pair of pants or jeans, a men’s style shirt, a navy blazer, and a good coat or trench and comfortable shoes.” – Mei
The Nelson Blazer
The Hutton Shirt
The Rox Trench
The Modern Long Tee
The Sinclair Cashmere Cardigan
The Raleigh Sweatshirt
“I’ve been working with KULE since the beginning. It’s been so much fun realizing the brand’s vision with Nikki through photos. I’ve been a big fan since day 1.” – Mei
Mei and Darrick both say they love to travel together and, as Darrick added, “we love to watch foodie shows together.” Speaking of food, they are two people who definitely know where to eat in NYC. Some standout places they recommend include Omen Azen, Aurora Soho, The Odeon, and Big Wong. You’re welcome!
Mei on Darrick’s style: “I’ve been dressing him for 23 years, but he does accessorize himself”
“[Finding time to be together] can be challenging. But as we are in the same business, we are often able to be in the same cities.” – Darrick
“We find the time — I like him.” – Mei
Follow Mei @taomeitao for some of her entertaining content, great style, and photos, and Darrick @delroyslim for his humor, behind-the-scenes of his job, travel, fabulous hats, and adorable family shots. Shop their outfits here🙂🙂.
With the unofficial end of summer behind us, it is full speed ahead into Fall. Here at KULE, we’ve been excited for this season since we photographed the collection and got our first peek into Fall 👀, several months ago. It’s filled with colorful stripes, collegiate knits, and tons of cozy layers. And yes, pasta and corn are on the menu 🍝 🌽. Read on below for a behind-the-scenes look into the making of KULE Fall.
In characteristically KULE style, we’re knee-deep in stripes this Fall
Before every shoot, we do a “style-out” at our office where Nikki conceptualizes looks to then be perfected on set. We get even more excited about the clothes and ways to wear them, too
The Bryce
The Rox Trench
The Hutton Button-Down Shirt
Miu Miu Loafers
Officine Générale Trouser
Photographer Mei Tao brings the energy on set with our megaphone prop 📣
The set is always carefully considered in our shoots. We choose a location (this one was in Brooklyn) and build the rest from there. This is the backdrop for our pasta-themed group 🍝 designed by Cecilia Elguero
Model Nadine Ammeraal catching the light in striped silk at our KULE “Trattoria”
The Modern Cacio e Pepe T-Shirt
The Striped Ponza Silk Shirt
The Cacio e Pepe Kap
The Elba Pareo Silk Wrap
Sleeper Shearling Slides
Nikki designed the pink group long before she knew pink would be on the cover of nearly every magazine. This multi-pocket colorblock fleece was a bestseller last Fall, so we brought it back in two different colorways for 2022
The Beanie Fleece Colorblock Jacket
The Modern Striped T-Shirt
The Yale Sweater
The Striped Rugby
The Capucine Cardigan
The Alvise Vest
The Russell Cardigan
The Darcy Vest
The Patch Rugby
The Rugby
The Joey Polo Knit
Models Nadine and Jelixza twinning on set. We loved pairing our models together to show how the same item can look two different ways
Our pink color palette and Nadine’s natural beauty are magnified by Summer Tran and Susie Lee’s makeup
More twinning! This time in checks, which are sprinkled throughout the Fall collection. We love patterns! And here, it’s perfectly paired with our new puffer wrap scarf
Here we style-out another chock-full-o-checker look in the KULE office kitchen (note the fridge) 😂
The socks also come in one of our feature colors for September: Forest Green. They’re styled here with our new jacket, which is a hybrid between a trench and a peacoat and perfect for layering
The Smile and Stripe Knee High Sock
The Smile and Stripe Knee High Sock
The Cosmo Peacoat
The Russell Cardigan
The Patch Rugby
And finally: it’s corn! Nikki used corn as a theme in the Fall collection, coincidentally designed long before the viral Corn Kid 🌽.
Corn and checks: I can’t imagine a more beautiful thing 🌽 🎶
We even scored ajumbo corn stool, seen here in tow on the way to the photoshoot. We actually did a call out on Instagram to see who had one to lend just days before, and the KULE community came through 🌽
And if you haven’t seen our Corn video yet… you’re welcome.
The Corny Raleigh Sweatshirt
The Corny Sock
Third Drawer Down Giant Corn Stool
Check out the full KULE Fall collection at KULE.com or any of our three stores to experience it in person 🍝 🌽 🏁 🍂.
We recently opened our third store – and the first on the West Coast – at the Montecito Country Mart! We’re excited to bring our signature stripes and smiles to California. In honor of the pop-up, Nikki takes us on a tour of The Mart, showing us her favorite places to shop, eat, and stroll. Read on to see what Nikki saw while setting up shop.
Nikki at the KULE pop-up at Montecito Country Mart
“I’ve always loved Montecito, especially the Montecito Country Mart, which is such a fun local mix of curated boutiques and fabulous food. I’ve been friends with [Country Mart developer] Jim Rosenfield and his wife Heather Rosenfield [owner of Poppy Marché, our new neighbor at the Mart] for a long time. KULE fits in perfectly with the retail community Montecito Country Mart has created.” – Nikki
Jim Rosenfield created Montecito Country Mart, Brentwood Country Mart, and Marin Country Mart. Nikki’s drawn to his aesthetic taste in creating, what she says, is a “shopping experience that feels more like a small village rather than a shopping center.” The curation of brands and restaurants is unique, which makes it a destination for all tourists and locals alike.
Jim Rosenfield in his home in Montecito
The KULE pop-up welcome sign at Montecito Country Mart
Some of Nikki’s favorite shops at the mart include Poppy Marché — founded by Jim’s wife Heather Rosenfield and her business partner, Jenny Belushi — a luxury children’s clothing store that carries the best brands from all over the world (including KULE!).
Heather Rosenfield and Nikki at KULE’s Montecito Country Mart pop-up with their husbands and Heather’s son photo-bombing in the background 🤣
Poppy Marché at Montecito Country Mart — Miley and Alex are KULE stripe fans too 🙂
Another favorite of Nikki’s is Mate Gallery — founded by Matt Albiani and Ron Brand — which has vintage, textiles, out-of-print books, art, and home goods, all with a New England/East Coast vibe, but in California.
A colorful corner of shorts at Mate Gallery
Nikki found the very kule striped plates of course!
As for food — which Nikki says is a highlight at the mart — there are places you must visit. Her favorite restaurant is Bettina, owned by Rachel Greenspan and Brendan Smith (coincidentally, Rachel was KULE President Jim Kuerschner’s roommate for several years after college!). Nikki’s favorite place for morning coffee and lunch salads is Merci Montecito, created by acclaimed pastry chef Elizabeth Colling. Nikki says to order the cauliflower soup, which she had almost every day during her visit.
A visit to Bettina. Zoom in on that menu 🍕😋
One of Nikki’s favorites at Merci Montecito: the cauliflower soup
Nikki came up with the store concept well before arriving, and Debora Cicchini — who works with Nikki on store designs and displays — sketched it out (which you’ll find on the wall in the shop 🙂). We used Montecito local contractor/surfer Justin Huntsman (of Justin Huntsman Construction), and Nikki went to local antique and thrift stores to decorate the shop.
Nikki at KULE Montecito with knick-knacks on the floor during set up
On the final day of set-up, Kara Love — who heads the entire KULE retail team — lead the unpacking of the new KULE collection with which to fill the shop. Nikki and Debora hung all the knick-knacks and striped artwork by Tracy Morgan (who does prop design for KULE’s photoshoots!), and did the finishing touches. They ended the [very long] day with Negroni Spritzes from Bettina.
A photo Nikki found of LA in the 1970’s at a local Santa Barbara thrift shop
Knick-knacks at the KULE Montecito shop include custom striped art by Tracy Morgan, and a portrait of the founder of Santa Barbara and wooden fish Nikki found at Summerland Antique Collective
Here are some of the KULE items Nikki packed for her week in Montecito:
The Finn
The Baja Featherweight Tee
The Alix of Bohemia Raleigh
The Gingham Wayne Knit Scarf
The Modern White
The Suki Pant
The Louise Cardigan
The Baja Featherweight Tee
The Modern Cream
… along with what she styled them with:
Loewe Woven Basket Bag
Nanushka Sandals
Totême Barrel Jeans
Thierry Lasry Sunglasses
SCHA Bucket Hat
K. Jacques Sandals
Another highlight of her trip was finally meeting Dewey Nicks — photographer, film director, and friend of KULE — in person at the Birnam Wood Montecito Country Club. Nikki also loved visiting Lotusland — a non-profit, 37-acre botanical garden (once owned by the late Madame Ganna Walska) with unique gardens — with Heather Rosenfield. She also had the opportunity to visit Raoul’s Textiles Store in Santa Barbara and meet its founder, Sally McQuillan.
Nikki with Dewey Nicks, both in KULE 🙂
Lotusland, Montecito
Sally McQuillan’s studio in Raoul’s Textile Store
Nikki and our entire KULE team are so excited to be at the Montecito Country Mart, and we hope you’ll stop by soon and see this beautiful happy corner of California 🙂 🌴.
The KULE pop-up at Montecito Country Mart is located at 1014G Coast Village Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108
We’re big fans of cacio e pepe at KULE, hence the Cacio e Pepe tee from our new July capsule. While cacio e pepe is a fairly simple dish (it really only has three ingredients), there’s nothing like a classic that is done perfectly. Just like a tee 😉! We rounded up our standout spots in NYC to go for the best plate — with Nikki’s own personal favorites — and wanted to share the delicious secrets! So read on, and grab a fork… and a tee 🍝.
Nikki’s favorite places to get cacio e pepe are I Sodi and Sant Ambroeus. I Sodi’s cacio e pepe is a classic spaghetti with black pepper and pecorino. A comfort dish made classically perfect. Owner Rita Sodi says it’s her most popular pasta dish. Sant Ambroeus (which has multiple locations, but only some offer cacio e pepe, so check first!) uses a tonnarelli pasta — which is thicker than a spaghetti and has square edges instead of round — great for a perfect coating of aged pecorino romano and fresh ground pepper.
Altro Paradiso is a fan favorite (and a popular place to snap a food pic). Unlike the traditional cacio e pepe preparation, theirs uses giant thick and hollow candele noodles, great for the cheese to get into. You may even need a knife with this dish.
At Piccola Cucina — which has three locations in New York (one of which is dangerously close to KULE’s office) — your pasta comes right to the table in a giant pecorino wheel, from which the server plates for you. So, you know it has a good amount of cacio.
Lupa on Thompson — a NY-famous Roman osteria — is widely known for its cacio e pepe, something you’re basically required to order when you go. It’s made with a thinner “bavette” noodle, so there’s a delightful cacio/pepe to pasta ratio.
Via Carota is a well-known and much loved trattoria in Greenwich Village. Their cacio e pepe dish is piled high with cheese, and they use a tonnarelli noodle. If you can get a table, this is top place for a plate.
The rigatoni cacio e pepe at Charlie Bird seems to only be on the lunch menu (there’s a traditional spaghetti version on the dinner one), but if you’re a cacio e pepe connoisseur, you should head there midday to try it. The flavors cover the grooves and openings of the pasta, making every single bite a treat.
La Pecora Bianca — which has six locations around NYC — uses bucatini noodles with their cacio e pepe. Bucatini is a hollow spaghetti, so it makes hidden nooks of cheese the same way rigatoni does, but with the joyful fork twirl of any long noodle. They also have a cacio e pepe fritter appetizer on their menu, if you want a full course cacio e pepe meal.
Nikki’s love for travel stems from living abroad, visiting places for work, exploring with family and friends, and searching for inspiration. She recently went to Greece for the second time, and came back with memorable stories, experiences of great sights and food, and — lucky for us — travel tips and recommendations! Read on to see everything from her trip, including how she packed, the amazing places she went, and of course, the best spots to eat.
Nikki went to Greece with some of her family and friends. She spent a week in Mykonos followed by a week traveling to different islands. Between touring on foot, swimming, and dining, Nikki packed only what she knew she would wear. That included swimsuits, caftans or loose fitting dresses, pareos for the beach, flat sandals, and some workout wear.
Nikki says that slippery leather or plastic sole sandals aren’t easy to wear on the cobblestones in Greece, and recommends packing sandals that won’t slip and slide, like these from The Row, which she wore the most on her trip.
“I like challenging myself to wear every single thing I pack and I think I only didn’t wear two things. I wore a lot of Greece-appropriate white and blue, plus some of our colorful KULE items like the crochet Harmonie.” – Nikki
As for the food, Nikki says it’s the best. The seafood was a highlight, as everything is so fresh. One of her favorite restaurants was Spilia in Mykonos located on a rock, carved out in the water. You can go by boat to have the freshest seafood.
“Spilia in Mykonos is a restaurant on a rock, carved out in the water. You can go by boat to have the freshest seafood.” – Nikki
At the beach club near Spilia.
“I’m not a dress person, but I really felt they were so much easier and fit the island/beach vibe. I love this one by Bode. I also packed a floral one by Michael Kors, a green one by Lemaire, and a crochet one by Auralee” – Nikki
Nikki describes Mykonos as one big party and says that all the restaurants have music playing as you eat. There are plenty of nightclubs — her favorite being Scorpios — that are so fun and unlike anywhere else.
“I was at Mykonos for a week. It is a big party. All the restaurants have music playing as you eat. It’s so fun and unlike anywhere else.” – Nikki
“I wore a lot of pareos (I love KULE’s new striped silk one, Lisa Corti, and Totême) tunics, caftans, and dresses. It’s easy to wear them over swimsuits, my favorite of which are by Eres. The striped caftan I’m wearing here is by MIKOH. Sarah Clary turned me onto the brand. I cannot resist a stripe.” – Nikki
“Look at the size of the prawns! The size and freshness of the seafood was amazing.” – Nikki
“This is at Nammos in Mykonos for dinner. It’s a very cool vibe with a tranquil setting in the sand. We went with a big group, but it is also very romantic.” – Nikki
On the other islands, it was more about the scenery and serenity. The picturesque sights are incredible, with vibrant colors and crystal-clear waters.
“I loved Paros. It’s a port city that’s very young, vibrant, and fun.” – Nikki
“This is a cove in Polyaigos. I loved being in the water. We did paddle boarding and water skiing a lot. The waters are so beautiful and clear.” – Nikki
As for shopping Nikki says, “I got a pareo and a striped cover-up — go figure!” Other than that, she didn’t really shop. She says it’s mostly about the water and beaches, food, and exploring.
A specific spot Nikki loved and recommends going to — from the idyllic setting, to the architecture, design, and the views — is The Rooster in Antiparos. It was a perfect finale for her trip.
Featuring one of the views at The Rooster in Antiparos.
“The Rooster is in Antiparos, one of the most secluded islands in Greece. It’s so serene.” – Nikki
Last week, we hosted a party at our Brooklyn store in celebration of Pride Month. We invited customers and friends of the brand to celebrate together with sips and snacks, rainbow tees and LOVE. If you missed the invite or couldn’t come, you can still shop the KULE Pride collection online! We are donating 20% of the sales from our event and Pride products to Ali Forney Center, the largest organization dedicated to LGBTQ+ homeless youth in the country.
The KULE team dressed in the KULE Pride tee and rainbow colors
The KULE Brooklyn store has a beautiful backyard with tons of greenery and seating, perfect for our Pride Party, where guests gathered for the evening.
We are donating 20% of sales from the evening to @aliforneycenter, the largest organization dedicated to LGBTQ+ homeless youth in the country.
We listened and danced to a curated playlist by Gabe Benzur, sipped on Mezcal Margaritas, and, as you’d expect, dressed for the occasion.
