Nanette Lepore Biography

Nanette Lepore's Biography

Designer Nanette Lepore’s collection reflects the true gypsy spirit she cultivated as a child traveling with her family. These bohemian influences are apparent in her use of strong, vibrant prints and lush colors that are juxtaposed with delicate fabrics and flirty silhouettes.

At the age of nine, Nanette created her first couture look when she draped a bedspread around a neighborhood friend, clasped a beaded choker around her neck, and painted sunflowers on the girl’s face. Posing her friend in the front yard behind a hand-lettered sign proudly bearing the name "Lepore," Nanette had begun to follow her dream of fashion stardom.

Encouraged by her mother and father (a fabulously stylish kindergarten teacher and abstract painter, respectively), she often stayed awake late at night stitching up new designs. Feeling like "a little gypsy" on her family’s annual summer road trip to California on Route 66, Nanette developed a lifelong taste for travel that would eventually lead her to New York.

After graduating from Youngstown University, Nanette completed a design degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology and married artist Robert Savage. He urged Nanette to strike out on her own and together they set up shop. The small rooftop office in New York’s garment center would quickly become a party destination for their community of fellow artists, dancers, and writers.

Years of hard work followed, and Nanette opened her first boutique in New York’s NoLita district, which quickly led to additional boutiques in Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Las Vegas. In Spring 2004, she launched her premier women’s fragrance. Inspired by her daughter Violet, the floral fragrance is classically feminine and true to Nanette’s bohemian, spirited style.

Today, her collection attracts celebrity devotees like Jessica Simpson, Paris and Nicky Hilton, Drew Barrymore, Uma Thurman, Hilary Duff, and dozens more. Television and film stylists feature Nanette’s pieces regularly, most recently on Jennifer Garner in "13 Going on 30," Reese Witherspoon in "Legally Blonde 2," and Sarah Jessica Parker in "Sex and the City"

Nanette’s plans for the future include opening more boutiques around the world, but her main priority is her family and friends. Looking for "any excuse for a party," she is most content and inspired when celebrating the people she cares about.

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