Last Fall, Kari Vettese had been alerted that Charli XCX would be wearing a (then-unreleased) skirt from her two-year-old eponymous label. What was a welcome surprise, though, was that she did so on stage at the singer’s influential “Brat” Tour.
“[Her team] first contacted us for ‘SNL’. That’s originally where the skirt was going to [be worn],” Vettese tells Fashionista. Instead, the singer wore a black Dilara Findikoglu dress for the comedy show, and Vettese’s skirt landed a placement during Charli’s tour stop in Glasgow. “That was so exciting, and the skirt is really cool.”
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It was only the most recent in a string of high-profile placements. Justine Skye wore the brand’s draped maxi dress and silk bustier bra to the 2023 White Party — it’s one of Vettese’s “favorite moments so far.” Other highlights include Florence Pugh wearing a draped mock-neck dress at a “Dune” press event, Kylie Jenner making content in the brand’s sculpted dress and Latto attending the 2023 “A Grammy’s Salute to 50 Years of Hip Hop” in a white bodycon maxi (see below).
These have all helped propel Vettese into the sartorial spotlight in a short time. But the Los Angeles-based brand doesn’t only make clothes for It girls.
Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
“I [create] for all ages,” the founder emphasizes. “The focus is on the young man or woman who is proud of who they are,” “fun” but “poised, [too].”
Since launching Vettese in 2022, the designer has platformed “craftsmanship,” “quality” and “authenticity” as the pillars of her artistry. She’s heavily inspired by her Italian heritage, particularly when it comes to the country’s reputation for excellence in design. “To me, Italian design is the ultimate [level],” she says. “It’s of the highest caliber of craft.”
New York influences and Californian attitude mix with the brand’s European-inspired elements, resulting in a unique fuse of a label that comes together quite effortlessly. Signature pieces include form-fitting maxi dresses, silk bustiers, intricately tied tube tops and skirts and adjustable-waist jeans. Pricing ranges from $165 to $6,100.
Photo: Courtesy of Vettese
Vettese’s commitment to quality isn’t all talk: The label’s first drop for Spring 2025 — composed of ruched dresses, draped skirts, relaxed-fit suiting separates and wide-leg slacks — is crafted completely of premium cotton. It aligns with the brand’s focus on “being conscious of the fabrics we put on our bodies” and “staying away from polyesters,” she shares.
Part two of its Spring 2025 collection also uses conscious cotton, but in dressier, elevated silhouettes using such elements as corsetry, constructed pinstripes and capris with lace-up detailing.
The brand has an in-house production team located in San Diego, overseeing fabric sourcing, manufacturing, pattern making and garment production. That, Vettese says, is what differentiates the brand from others, as it allows for more “control” over the stock, workmanship and distribution.
Photo: Courtesy of Vettese
“It serves me in every way because it gives me creative freedom first and foremost,” she explains. “I’m able to have my own timeframes. It helps with customs and just being able to do things a lot quicker and a lot more. I can [create] as much or as little as I want.”
The online response to Vettese is proof of the loyal community the brand has built. “Every time we drop something new on our website it does really well,” the founder says. Even visibility from celebrity placements often converts to sales — a rare achievement even among the most established brands.
Vettese has yet to break into wholesale, but it’s in the cards. It helps that this isn’t Vettese’s first run as a brand founder: In 2018, she created Marilyn Hatten, a luxury women’s ready-to-wear line. There, she learned a lot about the ins and outs of the industry, especially from her then-production manager who’d come from Nordstrom and Tory Burch. Marilyn Hatten landed a couple of capsule opportunities with Nordstrom, plus an ad campaign starring Amelia Gray Hamlin, but shuttered in 2022.
Photo: Courtesy of Vettese
It might be a new chapter for Vettese, but there are lessons she still relies on. “I learned a lot about the business of fashion,” she shares, like the production process, technical design, leading a team and building clientele.
Upon Vettese’s launch, the founder immediately tapped into community-building: She opened a showroom on Melrose Avenue in L.A., immediately attracting stylist pulls, creative meetings, photoshoots and social events. “It was a great way to welcome myself officially as Vettese and as this world that I had created,” she reflects.
A little more than two years in, world-building remains Vettese’s priority as she looks to the future. She plans to keep establishing strong relationships with customers via engaging social media content and interactive events in her showroom. Runway shows seem promising, too. The brand held its debut show in 2022 at a private residence in Hollywood Hills — a “proud” moment that Vettese felt was “really successful.” On Feb. 7, it will make its New York Fashion Week debut for the Fall 2025 season.
Photo: Courtesy of Vettese
“In my vision, Vettese is a house of my generation,” she concludes. “I want to continue to balance commercial and luxury […] creating everyday elevated pieces in unison with more avant-garde designs. There’s something for everyone, and it’s [all] of great quality.”
Source: Fashionista.com