For designer Kara Mendelsohn, fashion isn’t all about the big runway shows or flashy statement outfits worn once and tossed in a maybe/never dry clean pile.
Her line, Cooper & Ella, named after her two kids, sprouted from a desire to create a single piece, the “date top,” she said in her 39th Street showroom on Wednesday.
A veteran of major New York City fashion houses Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Thakoon, Mendelsohn capitalized on 18 years of experience and a constant request for going out tops to launch her own brand.
“It’s hard,” Mendelsohn said of breaking into the fashion industry in NYC. “I think I had an advantage because I had already been working in the industry for 18 years and had 18 years of experience and 18 years of contacts rather than launching a brand straight out of school.”
