Christy Rilling
The couturier's bustling New York City atelier is located in the heart of the Garment District
Can you describe your business?
I’ve been doing this for about 15 years, and the business has had a few evolutions over that time. Currently, we specialize in custom pieces for clients and made-to-order clothing on our website.
How did your brand come to fruition?
I’ve had an atelier in Manhattan for a long time where I ran two businesses in parallel. One was a celebrity tailoring business and the other was a private client services company. We’ve now opened up the brand to the wider public with the ability to purchase made-to-order pieces from the website. What really sets us apart is our ability to make beautiful custom clothing in our atelier. Each item is painstakingly constructed—our bustiers alone take 30 hours to construct. Gowns can easily take over 100 hours.
What is your creative process?
After years of measuring and tailoring for hundreds of celebrities, I know a body. We’ll create a form of the client in the atelier. From there, we drape, pattern, and cut the toile. I usually try to do at least three fittings for a new client, with our regular clients we can do less. But then it’s really my team. The hands we employ really are the best. They have years of experience.
Who are some of your well-known clients?
I really have an amazing roster of women and men. Michelle Obama; Bruce, Patti, and Jessica Springsteen; Brooke Garber Neidich; Paul and Nancy McCartney; Jennifer Lawrence; Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and so many more!
What are you most proud of?
I am really proud of the “Stay Home” robe collection. During the pandemic, we looked through all our deadstock fabrics and created these beautiful patched-together robes from red carpet cast-offs. We were featured in Vogue, and the first drop sold out in minutes. We gave 30% of the proceeds to NYC Food Bank, an organization that is close to my heart.
What do you think about the current state of American fashion?
I think there are a lot of brands doing incredible things in terms of sustainability and worker welfare, but there is a long way to go. I hope that with supply chain issues more brands will look to local, at least for part of their production needs.
-As told to Sarah Cristobal