This Fall, In Kind Magazine interviewed Nikki about her personal style for its Issue No. 7. If you don’t know of In Kind Magazine, then you must subscribe. It’s a biannual print magazine created and edited by Leah Melby Clinton and Hannah Weil McKinley that focuses on career, motherhood, and style. Nikki’s Instagram selfies caught the eye of Leah and Hannah, who then reached out to include her in the magazine. In Nikki’s feature, she discusses the art of dressing for herself and finding inspiration. We’re including a sneak peek of In Kind this week to dive deeper into Nikki’s outfit formulas for each season.
For fall/winter in New York, where Nikki was born and raised, she says she’s a coat and pants girl. “Pants are what I love to start with and build my look from there.” Nikki says her go-to pieces are “a button-down shirt from KULE, trousers, and a great coat or jacket.”
In the spring, Nikki likes to layer and still keeps a favorite jacket like the KULE Rox Trench with which she wears a KULE tee (the Wynn Baby Tee is her current favorite), great pants, and sandals.
Interview as told to by Hannah Weil McKinley of In Kind. For more of the interview, including some of Nikki’s go-to brands to mix with KULE, packing and style tips for travel, and her approach to design these days, you can order a copy of In Kind issue No.7.
We are thrilled to share that last week, we became an official Atlanta resident with a brand new store in Buckhead Village. This is our first store in the South and third current store (our others are both in New York: at Rockefeller Center and Cobble Hill, Brooklyn). As a New York brand, we are excited to branch out and have this new space, our largest one yet. You have to see the magic of the space, decked out in–what else–stripes! There will never be a substitute for in-person shopping, and our stores fill the experience with warmth and smiles 🙂
The most remarkable feature of the store — one you cannot miss — is the stripes across the ceiling and down the wall of the space. Nikki wanted you to feel encapsulated in stripes, a feature inspired by The Beverly Hills Hotel during a trip to LA this past summer.
Nikki at The Beverly Hills Hotel this past summer
Makes you want to paint stripes on your ceiling, huh?
The store is a labor of love starting with Nikki’s design conception of the space; the largest KULE storefront she’s taken on yet. With the help of Debora Cicchini and her sketches, they worked on the space from New York and when they arrived in Atlanta is somehow all came together 🤪
To customize the space, Tracy Morgan made all of the striped paintings and colorful sculptures, we adorned the walls in many of our favorite KULE editorial images shot by Mei Tao, and Debora Cicchini made that ginormous KULE tee in the window by hand (while en route to Atlanta)!
The store features more than a dozen striped paintings by artist Tracy Morgan
Debora Cicchini hand-made this ginormous KULE tee for our window
The store has so many personal elements to Nikki such as the knickknacks and art that are items she has collected from each city we have previously had a pop-up (the Mr. Santa Barbara painting from our Montecito pop-up now resides in Atlanta). Nikki also loves to find local store owners and artists. Also included is another new painting from her favorite Buckhead discovery and neighbor in the village, Bella Cucina, and its amazing owner, Alisa Barry (she provided the greenery for the store as well).
Special thanks to the KULE team lead by President Jim Kuerschner and Head of Retail Kara Love for your hard work in making this space come to life 💪
Our captains 🚢
If you couldn’t make it, we’d love to have you come check out the store at 247 Buckhead Avenue Atlanta, GA 30305. It’s just peachy 🍑.
Last week, KULE friend Jenna Lyons hosted a night of shopping, sipping, and lots of laughing at our Rockefeller Center store. Guests included Jenna’s fellow Real Housewives of New York City cast members Brynn Whitfield, Jessel Taank, and Ubah Hassan. They shopped the latest collection of KULE just in time for fall.
Nikki first met Jenna through mutual acquaintances (hi Sarah Clary! 👋) and being in the same business. Jenna recommended KULE as one of the shops at Rockefeller Center in 2021 when she worked with them to reimagine the retail mix.
Jenna wears the Lucca sweater styled around her waist
Nikki recently traveled on a two-part vacation to the South of France and Ischia, Italy, to kick off the summer season. We always look to Nikki for packing tips because she often visits more than one place when she travels and needs to be smart about how she packs. She also has excellent advice on where to eat, shop, and stay. Read below for a peek into Nikki’s early summer getaway and her travel tips.
Packing for a vacation any longer than five or so days is difficult because everything must be multifunctional. Nikki says she wound up wearing almost everything she brought on her recent trip, a success that comes from a sort of formula, which she shared with YOLO Journal earlier this year. “When it’s a beach vacation, I pack fun patterns, prints (stripes), and some basics.” She also mentions packing fewer shoes/ones that only take up a little space and keeping enough room for workout wear, as she likes to run. Wearing an outfit for the plane that you can also incorporate into your vacation wardrobe is an important part of packing, too.
Nikki says the Finn sweater was perfect for travel because it’s versatile and soft, and great to layer with. She wore it on the plane with her High Sport pants, which are her go-to for travel because they are stretchy and super comfortable. Here she re-wears the sweater with the Suki pants, Hereu sandals, and a pouch from The Row
The Finn Sweater
The Suki Pant
Hereu Sandals
The Row Bag
High Sport Pants
Nikki and her husband started the trip in the South of France, with three nights in Saint Tropez, where Nikki hadn’t been in over 20 years.
Nikki matching with a Ugo Rondinone sculpture at Le Pre de la Mer, Saint Tropez. Wearing K. Jacques sandals, a brand that happens to be based in Saint Tropez!
Near Saint Tropez is Saint-Paul de Vence. Nikki went to dinner La Colombe d’Or and is here on the property with an Alexander Calder mobile from the 1930s. Highly recommend for the sights and food.
A packing tip from Nikki is to have small bags that are versatile. Pouches with long straps in neutral colors are best for traveling around because they easily go from day to night.
Loewe Bag
The Row Bag
Inès Bressand Bag
Chanel Micro Bag
One of Nikki’s favorite places to eat was Le Club 55 in Saint Tropez.
Nikki loved the Port Bleu shop in Saint Tropez, which hosts three independent brands in one boutique.
Nikki is here wearing a pair of Matisse-inspired Saint-Martin sur Mer pants. The brand has female designers hand-paint motifs on vintage work jackets and trousers.
They then went to Villa La Coste, a historic town of Aix-en-Provence, where they stayed for two nights. The hotel is 500 acres of vineyards mixed with art by great modern artists, including Louis Bourgeois and Richard Serra.
Nikki next to a monumental stack sculpture by Annie Morris on the grounds of the Villa La Coste.
Don’t you wish there were more things as quaint as this? A perfect copper pot-embossed stationary at Francis Mallmann, an Argentinian Restaurant at Villa La Coste
They drove into town and visited the Atelier de Cézanne, located in the hills of Aix-en-Provence. This is where Cézanne worked from From 1902 to his death in 1906.
They then drove to Lourmarin and Saint-Paul de Vence, which, Nikki says, are postcard perfect and exactly how one would imagine the South of France to look.
They stayed at Le Moulin de Lourmarin for a night. The raffia hats are very KULE Summer 2023
Nikki et Le vin de Lourmarin
The hillside of Saint-Paul de Vence which is picture-perfect
Why are colors so much more vivid on vacation?
The homey menu at La Colombe d’Or Hotel and Restaurant, where Nikki stayed and highly recommends.
As for part two of the trip, they headed to the Italian island of Ischia for four days, where there was no shortage of beautiful architecture, bright blue waters, quaint little sea towns, and some great food and vacation cocktails to round out the trip.
The view from the Mezzatore Hotel, in Ischia, with only striped umbrellas separating you from the sea ⛱️
The Mezzatorre Hotel is a peachy castle up on a hill looking over, what feels like, infinite waters. Everyone sits outside by those umbrellas for cocktails in the evening.
View from the other side. La dolce vita!
Nikki says the striped silks were a staple day-to-day. She wore the Silk Ponza shirt and Silk Elba Pareo multiple times as beachwear and daywear. The new navy/cream color way is her personal favorite.
Stripes with a view
The Silk Ponza
The Silk Elba Pareo
The Silk Lido
The Silk Capri
The first day, they drove from the Mezzatore across the island to Cavascura, which is so picturesque it’s no surprise they filmed The Talented Mr. Ripley there.
There, they visted Terme di Cavascura, an area hollowed into the rock of a deep valley, to visit the thermal and mud baths it’s known for 🧖♀️.
They then met up with friends and visited the surrounding Italian Riviera by boat stopping at Nerano and Positano.
They met up with friends and ventured out exploring by sea, which is the best way to see the vertical hillside building of Ischia.
The boat trip lead them to Lo Scoglio in Nerano, which Nikki recommends for fresh, delicious food.
They also stopped at La Sirenuse in Positano for a drink. Nikki is wearing a Charvet striped shirt dress and yellow terry pouch she got at a gift shop in Ischia.
La Siranuse interior was sho charming with cheery color combinations and patterns.
Michael Kors, Lance LePere, and Nikki on the mountainside, on the boat ride back.
KULE is proud to support the LGBTQ+ community, and we are especially proud of our ongoing partnership with Ali Forney Center, whose mission is to protect LGBTQ+ youths from the harms of homelessness and empower them with the tools needed to live independently. Last month we were a sponsor of their annual gala, and this past week hosted a Pride Event at our Brooklyn store, donating 20% of all sales from that evening to AFC. Both events remind us of the importance of Ali Forney Center’s work and how much we love our community, whose dedication and support make a difference. Read below for some highlights from both events in support of Ali Forney Center.
KULE is proud to be a sponsor of Ali Forney Center’s A Place At the Table annual gala
Early last month, Ali Forney Center hosted nearly 1,000 people at Cipriani Wall Street to celebrate its annual A Place At The Table Gala. It was the Center’s most successful event to date, with a fundraising total of $1.8 million. We are proud to have been a sponsor of the event and grateful to our KULE friends for coming to support with us.
Just last week, we also hosted our Pride Event at KULE Brooklyn, donating 20% of all sales from that evening to Ali Forney Center.
The KULE team wearing the Pride collection, rainbows, and smiles
We will also continue to donate $20 from each tee and $10 from each hat sold online and in-store from the new Pride collection, a collaboration with illustrator Grace Miceli.
You will always meet great people at a KULE party! Our community is the best, and it knows how to have a good time. With some fuel (sips and sweets) and lots of KULE (it’s a ryhme!), we were ready to party for Pride.
This past week we launched our collaboration with ONE/OF, an NYC-based brand that creates elevated, one-of-a-kind pieces using reclaimed materials. Founder Patricia Voto, whose extensive experience in fashion and keen eye for detail is evident in each design, combined KULE’s happy and playful designs with ONE/OF’s whimsy and romance, creating a truly special collection.
We had the pleasure of talking with Patricia about her background in fashion, what inspires her, her love of Italy, and the best place to spend a fancy night in NYC. Without further ado: meet Patricia!
Patricia Voto, Founder of ONE/OF in her NYC Studio
I am a New Yorker born and raised. I studied at Parsons and received a BFA in Product Design. In 2009, I developed my senior thesis just as sustainable practices and climate discussions were gaining traction across many industries. The concept was a timely closed-loop manufacturing process of luxury goods in developing countries. This idea coincided with the emergence of brands like Suno and Alabama Chanin. At the time, only a few companies were implementing responsible practices, so I pursued working with emerging brands at the designer level. While our practices were better than in the mass fashion market, we still had leftover fabrics at the end of each season, and they started to add up. It dawned on me that something could be done with the fabrics aside from collecting dust. That’s when I decided to ask our creative directors if I could take some [of the leftover fabric] and make something out of it for myself. And the idea of ONE/OF was born. – Patricia Voto
Left: ONE/OF x KULE Trench Coat with Collar, Floral Jessica Skirt, Small Tote with Flowers, Vlinder Slides Right: ONE/OF x KULE Trench Coat with Cuffs, Small Tote with Flowers, Patchwork Hooded Dickey Photographed by Louisiana Mei Gelpi
I love seeing these precious fabrics become something our clients can cherish and wear forever. I want to create pieces that fit a body perfectly and be the first thing you reach for in your closet – it’s surreal to see people embracing what we make and how we make it. Our creative process starts with the fabrics. It’s an emotional process for us. We fall in love with the materials we find throughout the world. Knowing they’re finite, we carefully and creatively pair them with the perfect silhouette.
Left: ONE/OF x KULE Floral Jessica Skirt and Small Tote with Flowers, and Vlinder Slides styled with KULE Fede Cardigan Right: ONE/OF x KULE Rachel Pant, Raleigh Sweatshirt with Flower Brooches, and Vlinder Slides styled with KULE Hutton Shirt
Now for some tea 🫖 with a quick round of questions!
What is your favorite piece from the ONE/OF x KULE collection? Where would you wear it?
The Jessica Skirt in the yellow floral warp printed taffeta. I would wear it any day with an oversized sweater. I love KULE’s “The Betty ” sweater, and it would look amazing tucked into the KULE striped waistband on the Jessica Skirt.
What is your go-to outfit, and how does that differ from the pieces you design for ONE/OF?
Nowadays, I am in a sweater and jeans because we are running around from place to place, but if I had it my way, I would probably have an oversized sweater tucked into a high-waisted voluminous skirt. I love our Jessica Skirt (part of our KULE collection) and Thais Mockneck Sweater. For everyday jeans, I love Jeans No. 2 from Commission. I bought them in two sizes since they’re unisex. One for a more relaxed look and the other for more tailored. The wash is a beautiful indigo and then their signature back detail is so special.
ONE/OF x KULE Floral Jessica Skirt, Vlinder Slides, and Floral Brooches styled with KULE Hutton Shirt
KULE Betty Sweater
ONE/OF Jessica Skirt
ONE/OF Thais Mockneck Sweater
Commission Jeans No. 2
What would you do if you didn’t work in fashion?
I would have my own gift-giving websites with all different combinations of gift boxes. I love giving gifts: a beautiful soap set from a trip I took, a set of lotions, or a uniquely scented candle. These small things make up how we live our lives and bring so much joy into our lives. While studying at Parsons, I used to work at Kate’s Paperie and learned all of the Japanese gift wrapping styles: mixing papers, pleating, and beautiful knotting. I find the presentation is equally as important as the gift itself!
What are some specific gifts you would recommend?
– Soap: I love Laguna Cyprien’s Soaps. They come in beautiful shapes and beautiful packaging. I gift them and use them daily.
– Lipstick: Folk Orange is my go-to color from Dries Van Noten in the Spring/Summer. It looks great with a tan. I love the refillable cases, too.
– Candles: We are obsessed with Maison D’Etto. We carry the candles in the studio. I love all the scents, but Karat EG and Canaan are the studio favorite.
Laguna Cyprien Soaps
Nature of Things Body Creme
Dries Van Noten "Folk Orange"
Maison D'Etto Candle
What does a work day look like for you, and what do you do on the weekends for pleasure?
Work days are busy! We have clients in our studio all the time for fittings, we have meetings with fabric mills and our factories. It is really non-stop and we are so lucky to have such incredible clients who are really supportive of our mission. Weekends, I like to go visit my family, especially my niece and nephew, in New Jersey. Reality TV shows are a true guilty pleasure that I love to indulge in during our moments of downtime.
Left: ONE/OF x KULE Cydney Dress and Vlinder Slides styled with KULE Spaghetti Tank Right: ONE/OF x KULE Bettina Dress and Vlinder Slides
Where is your favorite place to travel? Where would you live if not NYC?
Italy. Definitely Italy. Rome has to be my favorite city.
Where in NYC is a favorite place to get breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks?:
– Breakfast at Lodi. They serve the best maritozzo con panna (I live for cream fillings) and make the perfect cappuccino.
– Lunch at Le Botaniste. The best place to go for something healthy, flavorful, and fast.
– Dinner for a fancy night: Majorelle. Dinner for a casual night: We’ll pick up from Burger Joint.
– Cocktails at The Carlyle. This is right near my apartment uptown, so when it is the end of a long day, we pop over there for a quick drink.
ONE/OF x KULE Striped Jessica Skirt with Flowers, Vlinder Slides styled with KULE Len Tank
Thank you to Patricia for your time to talk and for creating this collection we are so proud of with us! To shop ONE/OF x KULE, visit KULE Rockefeller Center, where it is exclusively sold. If you can’t make it to the store, click here to make a virtual shopping appointment.
