Tuesday's Fad features James Coviello

After visiting the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side this past weekend, it was only natural for us to look forward to poached eggs and mimosas afterwards followed by a stroll down Orchard St. to peek into some of the boutiques. Since I am a certified Shopoholic, I squeeled—yes squeeled, when I reached the James Coviello shop located at 70 Orchard St. If the sign outside the door isn’t rustic and vintage enough, wait until you step inside.

James Coviello, is an Italian designer who surprisingly grew up in Fairfield, CT. Immediately after high-school, he enrolled in Parsons School of Design. In 1987, he left Parsons to design jewelry for Erickson Beamon. Soon after, his eye for accessory design gained him recognition in the press; especially with his hat collection. James eventually met Anna Sui, who asked him to help her create a line of hats and knitwear for her first runway show. To this day, it is still a flourishing line. Then in 2000, James created and put on his first runway collection that included ready-to-wear, knitwear, and accessories. His latest project, JamesCoviello.com, is a website designed to stimulate viewers around the world about his many-faceted interests and specific design philosophies.

His only shop, located on Orchard, is filled with carefully detailed floral dresses, vintage post cards and sunglasses, hand made headbands, and tons of one-of-a-kind accessories. I was in heaven. What it made it more heavenly, was the fact that James himself uses the space behind his boutique to design his latest creations. The girls who work retail there also assist him in designing. I picked up some sunglasses and a turquoise dress that had fall colors woven into the fabric.

If you are in the neighborhood, I would strongly suggest stopping into James Coviello’s expert shop. It is one of those rare shops that still represent the magic of a designer—not feeding into the desires of the public but staying true to his own.


http://www.jamescoviello.com/