Hand it to Hanley

by Natasha Wolff | October 21, 2014 8:46 am

Debuting October 22 and open through October 31, new lifestyle and sportswear label Hanley Mellon[1]’s pop-up show at 605 Hudson Street in Manhattan’s West Village will unveil the label’s fall collection.

“I was asked to come in and look at the collection when they first started to give my opinion,” says Hanley Mellon’s president Frederick Anderson, who’s known owners Nicole Hanley Mellon and her husband Matthew Mellon socially for years. “I loved the direction they were going and saw the beginning of something much bigger.” For Anderson, the brand is the perfect vehicle for his move to sportswear[2] (Anderson has been the co-owner of couture brand Douglas Hannant for 17 years). “It’s exciting to use my knowledge and experience in a new market and I love the entrepreneurial spirit and sense of adventure I get with Nicole and Matthew,” he explains. “I can’t wait to bring the designer sensibility and detail to the sportswear market.”

Inside the shop

Inside the shop

The core of the label’s fall collection, all priced under $1,500, is knitwear in cashmere and wool blends used for everything from ribbed pullovers to chunky cardigans. “These are items that will take you anywhere in the world—uptown, downtown, country, beach, mountains, you name it—and can be dressed up or down,” says Hanley Mellon.

“Our goal is to create sophisticated pieces that work seamlessly into one’s life,” she explains. “The brand is a reflection of the life [my husband] Matthew and I live.”

So what’s it like for a husband and wife to work closely together (especially when the husband in question is Jimmy Choo co-founder Matthew Mellon)? “What I would give for five minutes in Matthew’s head,” gushes Hanley Mellon. “He thinks out of the box so his solutions and ideas are exceptional.” It’s clear that Matthew Mellon feels similarly about his wife’s talents and taste level. “My wife has a very clear and precisely edited point of view. Honestly, no one has better style and vision than Nicole.”

And why launch with a pop-up shop? “We wanted to allow our local customers, friends and family an opportunity to touch and feel our product for the first time,” explains Hanley Mellon. “The space we chose was simply serendipitous; we fell in love and amazingly, it became available.” The brand hopes to follow up this pop-up shop with others around the world (think Palm Beach and St. Barths) as well as a brick-and-mortar storefront in 2015.

Endnotes:
  1. Hanley Mellon: http://www.hanleymellon.com/
  2. sportswear: http://dujour.com/style/y3-adidas-10-year-anniversary-yohji-yamamoto-interview/

Source URL: https://dujour.com/cities/nicole-hanley-mellon-frederick-anderson-new-york-city-pop-up-shop/