Babe New York: Meticulously Made For The Woman Busy Living

Babe_NewYork_Clothing

We’ve all got our favorite brands–the tried and true labels we keep coming back to ever season. For us, it’s all about responsibly made timeless pieces that fit our lifestyle–form + function, right?

Well, we’ve just found a new gem. Ladies, meet Babe New York.

The Babe woman possesses a refined level of confidence, independence and curiosity. Their closet is a reflection of self-love, where every piece is uncomplicated, fits perfectly, and is made by skillful hands.

Babe-FW13-lookbook-LauraSelfridge-HayleyJumper-13

For Colleen Keller, founder and designer of Babe, this means her line is sustainably produced in domestically in NYC, and ethically source–all yarn and fabric is from superior vendors in Italy, Japan and Korea.

Her basics are for the woman on the go who is gracefully moving from work, to shows, to dinner, to drinks, busy taking care of family, traveling, reading, listening… busy living! “I like to think I’m making clothes that facilitate an active lifestyle while providing style, beauty and just a little something out of the ordinary,” says Keller.

The intended thoughtfulness Babe pairs with the modern women’s lifestyle holds one more special piece, different from many other labels.

Babe-FW13-lookbook-LauraSelfridge-KennedyTank-16B

Babe-FW13-lookbook-LauraSelfridge-SydneyBlouse-19B

What makes Babe special? Colleen Keller, knows a craft most designers will pass off–pattern making. She studied the art form at Cornell, where she went to school, and creates all the patterns for Babe. It’s what makes her line of contemporary womenswear basics stand out from the rest.

“Fit is extremely important to me”, says Keller. “I’m very particular about how a garment looks on the body, especially because my clothes are so minimal. I enjoy the challenge of assessing a garment on the body in a qualitative way and then translating any issues in a quantitative way to make pattern corrections.”

“I think when you’re making something perceived as ‘basic’, fit, construction and fabric all become that much more important because a customer isn’t distracted by the novelty of it all. It’s funny, I tried to negotiate pricing with a factory for one of my garments, arguing that it was much more basic than what they normally do. The owner just looked at me crazy and said, ‘you know it’s much harder to make something so simple.’ It’s true.”

Babe-FW13-lookbook-LauraSelfridge-KennedyTank-16C

Babe-FW13-lookbook-LauraSelfridge-SamanthaDress-LaurenDress-14A

What’s Keller’s favorite piece right now? The Lauren pleated dress, shown above. “I think I wear it at least once a week – I’m a big fan of layering it with button-ups or sweaters. It’s just easy – polished, but still relaxed and comfortable.”

Basics aren’t so basic, but they are essential. A simple detail can convey a wealth of knowledge and craft. And Babe has it all. Hooked? We certainly are.

F/W2013 is Babe’s second collection, and you can find her beautiful clothing in Steven Alan, Frances May, No. 6 store, Need Supply and Shopbop–or at their online store.

 

2 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.