Em Steel and Illisa
Vintage Lingerie
25th Street
Nestled upstairs in
the Showplace Antique Center in the heart of Chelsea is a beautiful little shop
of Vintage Lingerie. Gowns of satin, silk velvet, lace and ribbon and baubles
and beads fill every corner, cabinet and cupboard of this tiny bit of feminine
heaven. The embodiment of a bygone era, Styles by Illisa is the personification
of Em Steel's own mystique as a blooming artist.
Romantic not tawdry,
these pieces hold the magic this self-described
Post Millennial Nouveau embraces as her own.
Illisa, pictured with
Em, has thousands of these items gathered and collected over the course of 30
years. She began her career selling to all the designers, costumers, “virtually
everyone”, when she would set up each weekend in the market lots dotting the
Chelsea neighborhood. After several
years of the outdoor market scene Illisa moved into the Chelsea Garage growing her
business and clientele. Styles by Illisa
are now worn in plays, television productions, photo shoots and movies.
HBO’s Boardwalk
Empire, Broadway’s latest Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Breakfast at Tiffany’s are
a few to mention. Clients from around the
world find her to purchase her finds.
Her latest coup is a Cover Shot on V Magazine with Kate Moss and Rihanna
featuring Kate in Illisa’s style.
So it was a great
afternoon for Em Steel to spend the hours she did with Illisa poring over a
past and putting on the fashion she craves.
No comments:
Post a Comment