Rachel Comey
No independent brand has come to define the aesthetic of a creative class like the eponymous Rachel Comey. Conceived in New York City’s downtown art scene, the brand now extends in reach nationwide. Rachel Comey’s evolutionary definition of style transcends trend-driven design and rapid cyclical consumption, aiming to produce garments unique to the moment and wearable over a consumer’s lifetime. Were her customers – Cindy Sherman, Michelle Obama, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Tracee Ellis Ross, to name a few – questioned regarding Comey’s brand identity, you’d be certain to hear descriptions of “intelligence,” “integrity,” and “care.”
It’s this deep understanding and consideration for the customer – a tenacious focus on “the wearer” – that has allowed Rachel Comey both cult status and subtle permeation of popular fashion. Comey has pioneered the development of several now widely familiar styles including stacked heel clogs and booties, utilitarian jumpsuits, and unique denim.
Since the brand’s inception in 2001, Rachel Comey has become somewhat of an informal uniform for women fluent in their expression of intelligence, creativity, and style – a nod and a wink to a community of like-minded individuals seeking to add a bit of unexpected glamour to their routine. Throughout development, the brand evaluates the practical needs and visceral desires of their diverse clientele base. Their design process is driven by the relationships between a woman, her environment, and the materials she wears.