Wed Dec 28, 2005

Discover New Designers: CharmaineLouise New York

Remember a few years ago when we started hearing about stars like Uma Thurman knitting and crocheting during their down time? It took a while, but knit swimwear abounded this summer. In the next evolution of the craze, a luxury hand-crochet atelier has made its debut, CharmaineLouise New York. An atelier is a fancy term for a design studio (I had to look that one up). The very pretty collection is four lines strong, each with its own theme (Diana/glamorous, Lena/classic, Ginger/flirty, Jackie/the ultimate) and ranges from $360 to $1,845. You know me by now, I’ve found a piece I’d just love to have! It’s a sweaterlette, just a touch longer than a shrug, made from 8-ply hand-dyed cashmere yarn. CEO Charmaine Louise Shelton taught herself the craft while recovering from a fall and found herself a new career. Smart gal. And in a stroke of genius practically unheard of, CharmaineLouise will also take custom orders. Find CharmaineLouise at charmainelouise.com.

Kim Mitchell
SheFinds.com