We are delighted to introduce you to occasionwear brand, ONE33 Social. ONE 33 Social was started by colleagues Lara Piropato, Kim Lee-Siu & Christine Currence. After working for over a decade to build Badgley Mischka, they set out to create a brand for the young at heart who has a packed social calendar & wants to stand out. In this Q&A interview with Christine, discover how ONE33 Social came to be, their design process, trends to know & more. *Use code THESTYLE for 25% off on ONE33 Social’s site

*Scroll to the bottom of this post to discover & shop some of our favorite ONE33 Social styles!

Where did you get the idea to start ONE33 SOCIAL? 

My partners and I have been together for over a dozen years, continuing to build the iconic heritage brand Badgley Mischka in concert with the namesake designers. In that magic of how well we have meshed together over the many years, we have been fortunate enough to have seen and helped women with their special occasion needs from the ages of 18 to 80, and everything in between. We have witnessed the vast diversity of women’s bodies and have developed expert craftsmanship to engineer women’s attire in all sorts of ways to accommodate that diversity and her evolving priorities. 
 
That said, in this process, we saw a new young up-and-coming woman who is in her twenties to early thirties who is still trying to find her confidence through a unique and bold fashion identity. This woman wanted the designer-level styling and the couture details but didn’t want to break the bank. This is why Lara, Kim, and I decided to launch ONE33 Social with the support of Mark Badgley and James Mischka.  With our know-how and vast expertise in the special occasion business, we wanted to offer this underserved demographic an elevated apparel with luxe fabrics, unique Couture level details, and designer silhouettes to make her feel confident and chic on her most special days.   
 
Lastly, I will just mention that the brand is not only by women, for women, but the product design, copywriters, digital web team, etc. are all Millennial/Gen Z’ers creating for other Millennial/Gen Z consumers. We feel this differentiation is important, to stay connected to our ONE33 Social woman in that way, so that everything is servicing her not only internally, but also externally.

What sets you apart from other special occasion brands?

Our product! We offer unique bold designs with couture-level details in luxury fabrics that you cannot find in other brands. We have a limited distribution to stay very special for her, because we know our ONE33 Social woman is not a wallflower in the room. She puts on our dress, and she is sure to stand out as the enviable confident fashionista leading the pack that we know she is.

Tell us about the ONE33 Social girl.

She is unique. She’s in her late 20s to mid-30s… young millennial to older Gen Z. She has plenty of occasions to get dressed for, whether it’s her upcoming bachelorette, a wedding guest, her next vacation, or even just her ladies’ night out. She is actively social and is always in search of elevated design.

Walk us through the design process.

We have three pillars to our design process:

• Inspiration: Between the designers and us the founders, we never lack inspiration. From our vast travels, to Miami and NY street fashion, to our love of vintage… inspiration comes from everywhere.  One little idea, one color, or one art exhibit can lead to many exciting discussions of collections to come.
• Our history in this business: We know what silhouettes are complimentary. We know what events happen at certain times of year that women shop for. We know what colors work for special occasion photography. We know what fabrics will stand up to our quality controls and have access to such a wide breadth of options? We understand our retailers’ merchandising needs. We come with so many years of experience to guide the design process for that drop, or that particular season, to make sure we are taking into account our customer’s needs at that specific moment in time when the product will be available in stores and on our website.
• Trend: Because we pride ourselves in offering couture design details, we always follow and look for inspiration from the latest European couture runway shows. It’s all in the details.

What are your favorite trends for Spring 23?

• Spring sparkles in sequin! Sequin is still a trend, and for Spring 2023, we go heavily into it, however using unique and unexpected colors such as lavender and lime. 
• Animal in the springtime! We had fun with this couture trend, but of course, offered it in our unique ONE33 Social unexpected way. Silky leopard jacquards in sky blue and blush, or our vibrant zebra print in red, lavender, and cream

What are ONE33 Social girls excited about for 2023?

Travel, parties, and socializing IRL!

How do you think people will approach special occasion dressing in 2023?

With so much negativity around us, social occasion dressing is the time to step out with happiness and joy. Being colorful, bright, and radiant. We see our ladies taking the opposite approach to all the somber news out there in the world. This is where everybody can be positive and shine a light on themselves. We also believe that people are becoming more diligent about self-love and self-care, so the customer is reacting to styling, fabrications, and details that make her feel her most confident and empowered self. 

Discover & shop our favorite styles from ONE33 Social!