25 Apr New York For The Workaholics // Citizens Of The World
Our Creative Director dishes her tricks of doing business in NYC, & what to pack (!!), to the dynamic duo at Citizens Of The World.
(That’s Meghan to the left wearing our Bridgette Tee on a recent adventure to Hong Kong.)
Violeta Tentomas’ Leather Label, WEST 14th, is named after one of Manhattan’s most iconic strips of road so it’s safe to say that some of that oft’ celebrated NYC energy is firmly entrenched in the DNA of her designs and her life.
Day wear, evening wear, on-duty, off-duty, the beauty of her ultra-luxe leather pieces is that they cover all bases. Especially if you’re in town for business AND pleasure. Here, she gives us her never-fail rules to taking on the big city in style.
RULE #1: BIG LIGHTS WILL DEFINITELY INSPIRE YOU
New York is always on my mind. It’s part of the brand’s origin. Personally, I have so many memories and experiences of working in the city, meeting the girls for after work drinks, returning for business from Australia and of course seeing my family.
Each of these experiences have shaped their way into the narrative for West 14th. Each style is named after a NYC locale and a story of an experience is shared so the wearer can feel inspired to create their own memories in a West 14th piece – in NYC or anywhere else.
From a design perspective, I like to think our aesthetic takes influences from the grittiness of the meat-packing district after dark, to the practicality of braving the wintery temps roaming the streets in Nolita or providing that edgy structure to feel empowered in your board meeting.
RULE #2: DRESS THE PART
I have packing for business down to a science these days. I work around the investment pieces in my luggage such as the hero leather jacket worn from the airport business lounge to off-duty business dinners or the leather legging worn by day with flats and by night with over the knee boots.
Each of my hero pieces is layered back to luxe basics such as slouchy tees and oversized silk 9 to 5 shirts. My wardrobe works in a black, white and grey pallet for interchangeable outfits. I always pack flats for easy navigation from street to subway.
When travelling to NYC in the middle of summer or winters, it will always be colder or hotter than you think.
I layer up with shearlings and cashmere for winters and pack those over the knee boots.
For summer it’s all about breathable pieces – strappy flat sandals, ruffle minis & structured vests to smarten the causal look.
The standard leather pieces hero in my luggage are the Greenwich Motor Jacket, Bedford Tank, Nolita Drape Vest and depending on the season the West Broadway Legging for cooler months or The Americano Skirt for warm months.
Fortunately leather is an ideal textile to travel with as wrinkles will fall out once hung.