Former Trovata Principals Launch New Label
Jeff Halmos and Sam Shipley, half of the original dream team that turned the contemporary brand Trovata into a fashion darling, are set to debut Shipley & Halmos, their new men’s and women’s contemporary label for Spring 2008.
The two, who left Newport Beach, Calif.–based Trovata in January after “creative differences” with partner John Whitledge, are keeping mum on what exactly buyers can expect from the new brand.
Halmos, who headed up Trovata’s sales and marketing, and Shipley, who was the brand’s designer and art director, have said their new efforts will continue to reflect their quirky aesthetic, which is part wind-blown beach bum, part deposed European aristocrat.
And, while much ado has been made of the pair’s Orange County surf-rat roots, Halmos said he and Shipley are leaving Southern California to move to New York this month.
“It doesn’t make sense to stay in Orange County. From a creative standpoint and a business standpoint, New York makes the most sense. We’re there so much already, and for inspiration New York offers us a lot more fashion and culture,” Halmos said. “We’re going to miss the beach and the sunshine, though, for sure.”
So far, Halmos and Shipley are working alone on the brand, Halmos said. “We’re doing it ourselves. We want to be able to keep a close watch on product. Come fall, we’ll probably add more people.”
Trovata won a flurry of design awards, including a grant from Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation and the much-coveted Council of Fashion Designers of America/Vogue Fashion Fund award in 2005. A fourth partner, Josia Lamberto-Egan, left the brand last summer when he moved out of state.
Spring 2008 will also see the debut of Whitledge’s first solo collection for Trovata.
—Erin Barajas
