Kristen d’Offay: Fashion That Is Functional and Fabulous
Kristen d’Offay grew up loving all things sparkly. She was raised in Houston with a grandmother who was a fashion designer and who loved sequins and dresses. But the idea to do something with fashion stayed locked up in a closet for years – while she worked! After years in corporate recruiting and raising three kids (Luc, 15; Violet, 13; and Poppy, 10), d’Offay was ready to try on something she was truly passionate about: clothing.
D’Offay’s journey to creating a sustainable fashion brand began with a profound life shift. After getting divorced, she re-evaluated her life and decided to pursue her passion for fashion. She had always wanted to start a fashion line, and she thought, “I am in my mid-40s; if I don’t do it now, I am never going to do it.” She wanted to create a brand that empowered women and made them feel beautiful. She started going to trade shows with six basic pieces she created.
The first round of designs was not what she envisioned: “To be honest, they were awful, terrible,” says d’Offay. “I realized there were so many mistakes; it took me two more years to just get my signature pieces figured out and cut the right way.”
After those two years, she had her first collection: a slip dress, a cami, a pant, a wrap dress, a leather jacket, denim jogger, and a body suit. She aligned herself with women and worked on a film that got nominated for best clothing and jewelry!
Her newest collection is called (appropriately enough) “Montecito” and she did it in conjunction with Lotusland: “I wanted to use the beauty of Lotusland – the colors and bright images – to be part of this next set.”
She hand-picks each fabric to ensure it feels good against the skin and drapes effortlessly against the body. Her pieces are designed to feel uncomplicated, elegant, and timeless. In this article, we take a closer look at the story of d’Offay and its mission to create beautiful garments while promoting sustainability.
The pieces are made in California with one of the top female-led fashion production houses located in downtown Los Angeles. The brand believes strongly in slow fashion and choosing quality over quantity. The d’Offay woman embodies the spirit of exploration, wonder, and experience. She is magic at every age, full of fire, and always ready to discover more of herself and the world around her. The brand’s extra-small to large pieces are priced from $400 to $1,200 and are designed to make women see the best versions of themselves through their garments.
Sustainability is at the core of d’Offay’s mission. She explains, “I rely on dead-stock fabrics in faux fur, wool, and recycled fibers that would otherwise be waste, yet they are also luxurious textiles from some of the most renowned mills in Italy and France!” The brand uses discarded textiles to create pieces in small runs, which fits perfectly with her business model. Her collection consists mostly of silk, which is a natural fiber and can biodegrade. The brand is exploring additional textiles that afford greater ecologically sound options, such as pineapple and mushroom leathers. It’s important to try to work with fibers that are renewable, can biodegrade, and use less water.
One of the things that d’Offay loves is offering private fittings in her showroom in downtown Santa Barbara for women who want to make a personal appointment. She shares why this is important: “When the fabric is cut correctly, it can celebrate your curves instead of making you feel frumpy.” She works hard to ensure the draping process on all her silks and pieces work in harmony so that each item fits properly.
To check out her collection and learn more, visit doffaycollection.com, or stop by the store in person. It is located at 814 State Street, Suite 37, in downtown Santa Barbara.
