The romantic spirit of Monica Paolini and Sean Monahan

Sea is first and foremost a story of friendship dating back to childhood between Monica Paolini and Sean Monahan, the two creators of the New York women’s ready-to-wear label. ” We grew up in Newburgh, a hundred miles north of New York. Our families were linked, we were always very close. Today, we work together in a fusional way”, advances Sean Monahan, who is in charge of translating the creative vision of his associate, a great passion for craftsmanship, from a commercial point of view. The latter easily admits her cute sin: the dresses with cascading ruffles from the Victorian era.

Sea, founded in 2007, therefore declines long dresses with puffy sleeves, with a romantic aura. The wardrobe is filled with pintucked bodices, pointelle knit cardigans, dresses with undulating scalloped hems, or even embroidered blouses with ruffles underlined with black overlock stitches. As for the quilted jackets, in patchworks of floral motifs, they are displayed in pastel tones, like young girls in flowers. ” We’ve always wanted to create pieces that are easy to wear, with a certain degree of relaxation. With Sea clothes, the idea is not to say “look at me” but to feel comfortable”, explains Monica Paolini, who develops an elaborate design, showy but never flashy.

The duo was able to federate a community of loyal customers, without organizing the slightest parade or buying advertising pages in magazines. Today, a total of 30 people work for the brand, which does not want to fall into the trap of a sprawling organization. ” We don’t follow trends, we rely on know-how. We go to India four times a year before each collection, to meet our embroiderers and our partners. We follow the entire development process of our collections, from the threads to the final realization », details Sean Monahan.

A patchwork piece from Sea New York.

The designer develops her knit samples herself, helped by her son’s nanny. ” She is very good at crocheting and knitting. When my son goes to school, she sits next to me in my office and we do tests. She creates amazing stitches and color blends. She is indispensable to me! », says Monica Paolini. In 2018, the pair opened their first store on Canal Street, south of Manhattan, in which the clothes interact with design furniture signed by young designers, also based in New York: Allied Maker chandeliers, Fort Standard mirrors, Vonnegut Kraft table and bench. Without pretension or false note.

sea-ny.com
Instagram: @seanewyork


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