Fresh from winning the coveted CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, Sam Shipley and Jeff Halmos, two of Trovata's founding designers, bid farewell to the label they created as college boys and set off to start namesake line Shipley Halmos. Jumping coasts and trading sleepy California style for a buttoned-up Northeast vibe, the duo relocated to the Big Apple and let the city sights sink in. Shipley Halmos has a light-speed success story: After debuting their women's collection in February 2008, the twosome has already drawn serious recognition, taking home The National Arts Club's Young Designer Award and attracting a fashionable fan base that spans across the country. Although the boys have grown up—gone are the whimsical linings, mismatched buttons, and elaborate story lines—their country club aesthetic remains. Collegiate-chic knit cardigans, shrunken blazers, and oord shirts are paired with sophisticated uptown staples like pencil skirts, tailored trousers, and tudo jackets, creating charming clothes that would be fit for our other favorite New York transplant, Holly Golightly. It's not hard to imagine Audrey Hepburn flitting around the city in Shipley Halmos's little black dresses, and their cozy shawlneck sweaters seem made for singing "Moon River" from the fire escape…or from the front stoop of the designers' new downtown digs. —CASEY LEWIS
Shipley Halmos
