Nanette Lepore

Originally from Ohio, Nanette Lepore now finds herself literally in the center of fashion in her design studio and showroom sitting in the heart of New York's Fashion District. "We really got on the map when we opened our showroom," she says.

Fun, flirtatious and feminine, that's Nanette's style. "Fabric is the beginning of every collection for us. Right now I am feeling the customer wants cotton," she says. Like these soft floral cotton jacquard dresses. "We spend a lot of time concentrating on fit, so when a woman puts something on, she takes it home with her." Here, a fitted "Mint Julep" jacket with a retro feel..paired with a matching shift.

"I think our signature is pretty detailing. It might be in a trim, ribbon, tucking or pleats." Featured here is a gypsy floral cotton blend dress. Mad for plaid in this sheer ribbon plaid cotton-silk blend dress with portrait collar and cap sleeve, or in this laminated cotton raincoat over pinstripe stretch dress trimmed in dyed cotton lace.

Walking tall for fall...a merlot iridescent brocade cotton-blend coat. What's in the future for Nanette? A signature shop in the hip New York neighborhood of "Nolita", north of Little Italy and east of SoHo.