After nearly 20 years, Sarah Phillips is relaunching her fashion line ”” not from the streets of Manhattan, but from the comforts of her Wilton home.
Once famous for designing Hillary Clinton”™s inaugural ball gown in 1993, Phillips retired at the top of her profession in 1995 to start a family and later move from New York to Connecticut. But with her son off to college now, Phillips says it”™s time for a comeback.
“It”™s a multitude of feelings ”” anxiousness, anxiety, stress,” Phillips said of the relaunch of Sarah Phillips New York. “We”™re nervous and excited. The hard work is finally coming to fruition.”
For years, Phillips”™ clothing could be found at Saks Fifth Avenue, Henri Bendel, Neiman Marcus and other specialty boutiques. But this time she”™s starting off differently. She”™s selling directly to private clients, allowing them to choose specific colors and get a custom fit. Her first trunk show will be held at the J House hotel in Greenwich May 18 and 19. Additional shows in Connecticut and New York will follow.
Phillips”™ new line features silks and lightweight wools and a design she calls sculptural, dramatic and timeless. Several of her pieces in the roughly 25-piece collection are based off her original collection in the 1990s.
The fabrics are from Italy and France, but Phillips said it was important to her that the clothing be made in the United States. A factory in New York City sews the clothing.
“With the economic climate right now, it”™s very important to support the country as best we can,” Phillips said. “I do manufacture in the United States and the way that we work benefits the client because they don”™t have to pay retail. It”™s direct from the designer to the client.”
The price of the line ranges from $500 to $2,600, which is about half as expensive as it would be in stores, Phillips said.
As Sarah Phillips New York gets up and running, its principal said the company has been running very smoothly, but noted that it has been difficult to restart her company in Connecticut. It”™s more expensive, there are more taxes and there are too many regulations, she said, especially compared with when she started her company more than two decades ago in New York.
In terms of running the business, Phillips also said it”™s also more complicated operating in Connecticut, considering she can”™t just run across the street to meet buyers or factory employees. She”™s not as close to the high density of customers either. But this time around, she also has access to the Internet and email, which makes some of those meetings less necessary.
Despite those challenges, Phillips has no plans to leave the state. Her home and employees are all in Connecticut. As she grows however, she plans to keep a New York City office and create a sales team across the country. She also plans to eventually sell her collection in stores.
“I”™m a small business owner, which is one thing that this country desperately needs,” Phillips said. “I have eight part-time employees, but the business climate is difficult. We need to encourage and do as much as we possibly can to help small business owners. It”™s extremely difficult to start a business and it”™s much more difficult than it was when I first started in the ”™90s.”
