Vintage Inspiration
Jennifer Ouellette spent many childhood days in her mother’s vintage clothing store in St. Louis, Missouri. She grew up learning about vintage fashion from her mother, Catherine Ouellette. Her mother began collecting vintage hats while working in estate sales. She eventually began to collect and sell accessories and garments. Catherine’s exceptional hat and clothing collection spanned the Victorian era to the 1960s and had a profound impact on Jennifer.
She found her mother’s vintage clothing collection captivating, especially the hats. Each hat was so distinctly different from the next, and what could explain all of the curious differences in sculptural shapes and materials? Her mother taught her how closely linked history and fashion truly are. Catherine and Jennifer can trace each hat in there collections to its origin decade by examining the silhouettes, materials and reflecting upon the historical connections.
Early exposure to her mother’s couture and vintage fashion instilled a profound appreciation for quality and artisanship, which she seamlessly weaves into her contemporary designs today. Each of Jennifer’s creations is a unique blend of her passion for historical fashion, her NYC aesthetic and her French heritage. Her designs are lovingly created with manual sewing techniques and appear as if they were made in another era.