Shipley And Halmos

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, their country club aesthetic remains. Collegiate-chic knit cardigans, shrunken blazers, and oxford shirts are paired with sophisticated uptown staples like pencil skirts, tailored trousers, and tuxedo 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.