Bal Harbour

Fall/Winter 2012

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"I'M A WOMAN, SO I ASK MYSELF, 'WOULD CARLY WEAR IT—WOULD I WEAR IT?'" "I'm a woman! So I ask myself— would Carly wear it? Would I wear [CUSHNIE ET OCHS] it? It's no good if it's falling down, or I think it looks cute but it's so uncomfortable," says Michelle Ochs, one half, with Carly Cushnie, of Cushnie et Ochs, when asked to describe the design aesthetic behind their young line. The sleek, sharp, tailored offerings they are known for—the trademark of which is the judicious placement of cutouts — may appear taut and sexy, but since the pair try on everything themselves, you can be assured that each piece offers superb wearablilty. "We like to celebrate the female body!" Ochs explains. The pair honed their skills by interning for an eminent roster of designers— together, they count Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Rucci, and Donna Karan among their mentors. Though they mount exciting runway shows during New York Fashion Week, they are also no strangers to another, much ballyhooed way in which the shopping public learns about new designers: namely, by seeing these labels sported by celebrities. Cushnie et Ochs have happily dressed not only Kristen Stewart, Leighton Meester and Eva Longoria, but a certain very forward-thinking First Lady: Michelle Obama wore their green halter-neck dress for Christmas in Washington. One last question, ladies—what's with the et? "We didn't just want an 'and,'—we wanted something to set us apart," they giggle. "It makes us special." 48 BAL HARBOUR COURTESY OF CUSHNIE ET OCHS

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