161. Ellen Carey | Fashion & The City

Summary

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What We Wore: Ellen Carey | Fashion & The City

Podcast: What We Wore
Host: Laura Vinroot Poole
Guest: Ellen Carey
Episode: 161
Date: August 28, 2025

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Overview

In this vibrant, nostalgia-rich episode, Laura Vinroot Poole is joined by Ellen Carey—a behind-the-scenes style icon whose 30+ year journey has shaped the fashion industry from New York to Paris, Milan, and beyond. Carey reveals her unique upbringing, storied career at Barney's, Town & Country, and with legendary designers, as well as the challenges and triumphs of launching her famed showroom, Seed. This episode is a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and the magic of forging your own path in fashion.

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Early Influences and Family Roots

• Dual Nationality and Farm Upbringing
  • Ellen shares about her childhood near the US-Canadian border, growing up on a dairy farm run by her elegant, French-Canadian mother and stately American father ([00:26]).
  • Her mother’s devotion to dressing elegantly—even among the cows—inspired Ellen’s eye for the transformative power of clothing.
• Fashionable Family Women
  • Ellen recalls her glamorous Aunt Cora, whose gifts (like a dancing ballerina jewelry box) and city stories fueled her imagination ([02:48]).
  • Early sartorial battles with her tomboy sister are fondly recounted:

    “If you see me crying in early baby pictures, it’s because she beat me up, because I wanted those gloves.” – Ellen Carey ([01:56])

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First Encounters with Fashion & The City

• Magazines, Movies, and a Dreamy Escape
  • The allure of old films and fashion magazines defined Ellen’s early fantasies:

    “Remember it was Gene Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor. My mom maybe looked more like Elizabeth Taylor. I was very odd in my coloring… I had red hair and blue eyes.” – Ellen Carey ([05:29])

• From Upstate NY to Gramercy Park
  • Ellen’s college years (Plattsburgh, McGill) led her to New York with a roommate. She initially worked in finance but fate intervened when a dog-walking encounter in Gramercy Park set her on a new path at Town & Country magazine ([05:29]-[09:09]).

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Breaking Into The Industry

• Wall Street to Magazine World
  • Ellen reminisces about Wall Street life:

    “It was male-dominated. I was exactly not what they wanted. … Are you like the others? Do you have common things outside of the office? … Am I smoking those cigars, Laura? I’m not.” ([07:18])

• Town & Country Magazine
  • She begins as an assistant, learning the fashion media ropes, quickly moving into advertising and children’s issues ([09:11]).
  • Her entrepreneurial mindset surfaces:

    “I ended up convincing them that we should have an office in Paris, and I should open it. That was way back when there was no Internet or nothing.” ([10:30])

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Paris, Alaïa, and The Serendipity of Fashion

• Meeting Azzedine Alaïa
  • In Paris, Ellen’s boldness leads her to Alaïa’s door—where she befriends the designer and meets a young Gene Pressman of Barney’s ([13:16]):

    “I ended up helping Azzedine Alaïa walk his dogs… I knocked on that intimidating door and we became friends.” ([13:16])

• Barney's and 1980s New York
  • Ellen is recruited for Pressman’s visionary Barney’s team:

    “I was the head of everything. … We created press days … invited designers, and the team—it was extraordinary. Legendary.” ([16:10], [17:48])

Notable Anecdote

• The iconic “Levi’s denim in tubes” event, featuring Madonna and Basquiat, symbolizing the era’s creative energy ([17:57]-[19:22]):

  “My favorite model was Madonna. She wore her friend’s Jean Michel Basquiat’s jacket…” ([18:28])

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Pivotal Career Shifts

• Bergdorf Goodman & Italy
  • Ellen leaves Barney’s for Bergdorf Goodman—where the culture fit is off:

    “I should have known. I was not really like the others there. I mostly wore hot pants… Mr. Neiman did not like that attire…” ([20:54])

  • A fateful love story with Italian designer Romeo Gigli leads her to Milan, where she works with Carla Sozzani and learns the business and heartbreak of European fashion ([22:07]-[25:13]).
  • She highlights the importance of a strong, grateful team:

    “People forget that you need a team. … That is something you see today with the troubles that are happening in this world and in fashion…” ([25:13])

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Founding Seed and Supporting Emerging Talent

• Birth of Seed Showroom
  • After entrepreneurial missteps, Ellen finances her own venture—Seed—importing and showcasing emerging artisanal talent ([27:36]-[29:14]):

    “It was to help germinate and transport artisanal products to the forefront… We wanted something pronounceable in many languages… not just fashion.”

• Early Successes & Discoveries
  • Ellen champions then-unknowns like Jonathan Adler, MAC Cosmetics (helping launch Viva Glam), Sanchita Jaipur, Colette Dinnigan, Lulu Guinness, and more ([29:16]-[38:24]):

    “One of the big things I created for [MAC] was Viva Glam… and those lipsticks ended up for AIDS… It has just had its anniversary.” ([29:16])

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Navigating Change: Retail, Relationships, Learning from Loss

• Seed’s Expansion: Showrooms, Penthouse, Garden
  • Ellen adapts as Soho becomes too expensive, moving to Chelsea, and building Seed House—a space that blends retail, art, and personal connection ([34:10]).
• Mentors and Lessons from Female Icons
  • She reflects on guidance from retail greats like Joan Weinstein and editors like Polly Mellen:

    “You don’t be afraid to be alone. You enjoy that… Be excited because you’re experiencing something that we have to do by committee. You can do what you want…” ([35:13])

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The Value of Individuality in Fashion

• Challenges in the Industry
  • Ellen describes the struggle to gain recognition from mainstream department stores, her preference for supporting unique, artisan-driven brands, and her efforts to bring global talent to the US ([38:40]).
• Signature Collaborations
  • She discusses major partnerships, like with corsetry designer Peter, and the intricate, sustaining value of handmade labor ([40:44]-[42:42]):

    “He looked like Lyle Lovett and rode a unicycle… he handmade everything. It was just a remarkable human being of magnificence…”

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Reflections, Loss, and New Joy

• Returning to New York & Finding Meaning
  • After her mother’s passing, Ellen finds comfort in her Deco penthouse opposite Trinity Church—and in a new era for the city, embodied by the opening of Printemps:

    “And I will tell you that has brought me tremendous joy… The core is phenomenal.” ([44:17])

• A Tribute to Her Mother
  • Ellen creates a new pin, “Tiny but Mighty,” in her mother’s favorite colors, as an ode to her unconventional strength ([43:13]).

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| | [01:56] | “If you see me crying in early baby pictures, it’s because she beat me up, because I wanted those gloves.” | Ellen Carey | | [07:18] | “Are you like the others? Do you have common things outside of the office? … Am I smoking those cigars, Laura? I’m not.” | Ellen Carey | | [13:16] | “I knocked on that intimidating door and we became friends. … It was a long time ago when no one even knew who he [Alaïa] was.” | Ellen Carey | | [16:10] | “I was the head of everything. … We created press days … and the team—it was extraordinary. Legendary.” | Ellen Carey | | [17:57] | “My favorite model was Madonna. She wore her friend’s Jean Michel Basquiat’s jacket…” | Ellen Carey | | [25:13] | “People forget that you need a team. … That is something you see today with the troubles that are happening in this world and in fashion…” | Ellen Carey | | [29:16] | “One of the big things I created for [MAC] was Viva Glam… It has just had its anniversary…” | Ellen Carey | | [43:13] | “The joy was a huge success, but the new one is an ode to my mom. It’s tiny but mighty. It’s her colors.” | Ellen Carey | | [45:51] | “You said that your motto right now is don’t let the old in. What does that mean to you?” | Laura Vinroot Poole | | [46:22] | “If you see under the mirror, I see, you know, you do feel ageism a little… At one point, Laura, I’m just, you know, just give me some joy, okay? You know, I’m still here. I still have knowledge.” | Ellen Carey | | [48:49] | “Be open. You don’t need to follow the rules. If you want to be something unique and special… celebrate being unique and do it in your way. You don’t have to follow what you think is the norm.” | Ellen Carey |

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Closing Reflections & Advice

• On Longevity and Relevance:
  • Ellen urges listeners—and the next generation—to stay passionate, open-minded, celebrate their uniqueness, and resist conventions.

    “Don’t let the old in.” ([45:51])

• On Finding Joy and Creativity at Any Age:
  • “Why are we not now? There’s more interest today than there used to be, but, you know, I’d say it’s wrong.” ([46:22])
• Her Best Advice for Fashion Careers:

  “There’s so many ways now to do it… Be open, don’t follow the rules, and celebrate being unique.” ([48:49])

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Essential Timestamps for Deep Dives

• Ellen’s Unique Upbringing: [00:26]–[04:18]
• Early Career: Wall Street & Gramercy Park: [05:29]–[09:49]
• Town & Country and Paris: [10:30]–[13:16]
• Barney's NYC and Legendary Press Days: [14:15]–[19:52]
• Career Moves: Bergdorf, Romeo Gigli, Italy: [20:54]–[29:13]
• Seed Showroom and Supporting Talent: [29:14]–[38:24]
• Career Challenges, Mentors, & Personal Lessons: [38:40]–[44:17]
• Printemps, Return to NYC, and Celebrating Age: [44:18]–[48:49]
• Closing Wisdom and Prom Story: [48:49]–[53:14]

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Summary Tone

The episode is candid, deeply personal, and imbued with affection, humor, and wisdom. Ellen’s stories blend sharp industry insight with warmth and wit, highlighted by Laura’s enthusiastic encouragement. It’s a fitting tribute to fashion’s ever-changing city—and to those whose hearts and ingenuity keep it alive.

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Transcript

[Ellen Carey]

Foreign.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

I'm Laura Vinroot Poole, and this is what we wore. Ellen Carey has been a part of the fashion industry for over 30 years. She's created a career out of supporting emerging designers and encourages everyone to find their own unique path within the industry. Remind me, I know you're Canadian. Tell me where you're from.

[Ellen Carey]

I'm from a small town outside of the border of upstate New York. My father and mother met in church, believe it or not, and I believe it. He was a altar boy, and she got communion. I guess it was love after that. And she was younger and from the Canadian side and probably not the posh family his mother wanted her handsome son to marry. She was very petite, and so we have dual citizenship because of my mother's Canadian side. My father was the handsome young son of the big family and was to marry, you know, some. Let's say Grace Kelly is woman and not my mother, little French Canadian. So he inherited the family farms when his father passed, and they had to run dairy farms and make cheese and ice cream. And it was a huge operation that my mother became the controller of the accounts and the finances and the public image. And she always dressed very elegantly, Laura, even though she was on a farm, you know, and as did my father when he went into public. So I think early on she made me realize that an outfit that you wear into the public's eye can create an aura. And she was again, very tiny. So she altered everything and learned how to sew. She loved a good jumpsuit, because I remember this jumpsuit she would make with her headbands. And she was very outgoing and attractive and often went places alone because my father was more a reserved man that didn't really like to go to the theater or social events like she did. So she dragged me along, and that's how I started dressing up in whatever little dress or glove or pocketbook she'd add. The more the better for me. My sister didn't get that gene. She was the tomboy and older and often my mom wanted to dress us alike. And this did not go well with my sister. So if you see me crying in early baby pictures, it's because she beat me up, because I wanted those gloves.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

You also had a very fashionable aunt.

[Ellen Carey]

I did. Aunt Cora. She was from. She ended her life in Florida, but she lived in New York. And she. It was way back in the 40s. And she would eat a biscuit, she would tell us, because she Just to stay thin before she went somewhere, because she didn't want to seem like she was overeating. You know, it was very polite to be very narrow. And they had their hats and their fur coats and their binary. Every picture that I got to go through in the picture books. But when they come up to visit us at Christmas or a big holiday in the summer, they would bring gifts. My favorite one she gifted me was the jewelry box where you open up and the music plays in the little ballerina dances. And that's a gift that, you know, every time she came, it was going to be something I didn't know and didn't have. I'd sit at her feet, I'd open the gift, and yes, yeah, I. I do say I take after her a little bit. I'm definite nervous. And I'm definitely like my accessories like she did.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Ellen, did you go visit Aunt Cora when she. She lived in Manhattan, you know, she.

[Ellen Carey]

Was on Jane street, believe it or not, in the West Village. I didn't, you know, she. I was very young, but my mom would. With her sisters. My mom had two sisters, Joan and Judy. That is my love of the West Village, definitely. You know, Jane street back then was as beautiful as it is today.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Growing up, you were in upstate New York or Canada? Upstate New York.

[Ellen Carey]

It was both. And I went to school in Plattsburgh, McGill University. I took a semester in Arkus at a clothing store to work in fashion. And it wasn't what I was schooling. I was schooling in economics and journalism. My college roommate was from Scarsdale, and she was a veterinarian. And we became very good friends. And that's how I came to New York. I came with her. I remember one holiday, and we stayed in New York for, you know, three weeks. And I just got the bug of being in a big city versus the country. But we did have the farm. I had very serious commitments. A lot of it was the packaging of things, you know, stamping the expiration. I was part of the line that had to do all of this. And, you know, it was like making lipstick in a factory. You had your little job. Mine was at the end.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

What was your impression of that? I mean, was that something that you like? Did you have any indication of what you wanted to do when you grew up?

[Ellen Carey]

And was that part of it, or Laura back then? You really didn't. You know, we had the magazines. I remember idolizing those. You know, it was the films my mom loved, the movies. I mean, the glamorous movies we'd watch. There was that one where Judy Carr gets hit, hit. And, you know, she's supposed to meet at the Empire State Building. I forget the name of the movie. That was one of my mom's favorite movies. We'd watch it. So there was always that fantasy. Remember it was Gene Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor. My mom maybe looked more like Elizabeth Taylor. I was very odd in my coloring. I had red hair and blue eyes. My family's all black hair and black eyes. So no one quite understood where I came from. And I didn't, I didn't tan. They were out in those hay fields, tanned. My sister was lounging in bikinis. Tan. Oh, I was lobster, you know, hiding under an umbrella. So it never didn't quite work. But we had an aunt who lived in New York and that's how I came to be here. I got picked from college and I moved in a boarding house on Gramercy Park. And that's where I, I, that's how I met a lady walking her dog in Gramsey park and left my financial career, which I had gotten to New York for from college. And I ended up moving secretly to the magazine to work for her. And that was the start of my change of career and a path into fashion.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Wait, okay, so you left McGill at.

[Ellen Carey]

What, 21, 1980s were the college years to 84. Then I came here to work on Wall Street. Actually really truly Wall street down here where I live now of all people.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

My God, I love that. Okay.

[Ellen Carey]

And I had Evan Bacon shirt, dresses. That was my outfit. Evan Bacon double breasted and little fishnets. And I worked for an economist who specialty was economic stocks. And it was quite, he was quite eccentric, a true cowboy with a big hat. And I was his first PA and it was fun. I lasted a little while down there, but it was male dominated. I was exactly not what they wanted. But maybe rainy, but not necessarily did I fit in. And that was probably the first time I realized, wow, you also have to look at your surroundings. Are you like the others? Do you have common things outside of the office? You know, am I smoking those cigars? Laura. I'm not. Right?

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

And so did you feel like I've got to get out of here or it just happened.

[Ellen Carey]

I didn't want to fully leave because I was educated in that and my parents paid for my college. I had respect of their gift of the education and I knew that finance was going to help me do whatever I went forward with. But I didn't know that there was such a career as selling advertising in a magazine or you know, we did the kids issues which were the holiday issues with Bonpoint And I had to cast children. And, you know, I didn't know that was a job, you know, remember? You know, I knew that we could labor in sewing clothes, but not necessarily, oh, this is a job. I can look at kids and say, okay, you're in or you're not. So that was my job. And then I realized that this magazine didn't have an office in Paris.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

You met a woman in Gramercy park.

[Ellen Carey]

And I became her assistant. Yeah.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

And where was she?

[Ellen Carey]

She was. Was at Town and Country magazine. Wow.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

And did you know Town and Country? I mean, was it something that you had read or been interested in in.

[Ellen Carey]

The board in the women's boarding school, which was on Gramercy Park? At the boarding My. It had a sitting room, very old school. And there was magazines in there. And, of course, Town and Country was. It was right near the Gramercy Arts Club, which I became a member early on. So, you know, it was all kind of posh around there, though. I wouldn't have known that. I mean, where the boarding house was is now some luxury condominium, and Jimmy Fallon's on the top floor.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

And so what was it like working at a magazine versus Wall Street? Was it a totally different set?

[Ellen Carey]

You know, we were on the border because the children's issue was quite respected for the advertising. So we were bordering the advertising department and the fashion department. So we're still a little bit concerned about money, which was something I learned through my career was still important. Yeah, our shoots were magnificent. You'd get everybody wanting to advertise, and if they weren't, that's when a reshoot would happen. But, you know, the children's issue, believe it or not, was one of the most profitable.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

And did. Did you automatically connect to that, to the styling and, I guess, producing?

[Ellen Carey]

No, I was more interested in the business side of the magazines. And that's how I ended up convincing them that we should have an office in Paris and I should open it. And that was way back when there was no Internet or nothing.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

How did you even think that that should be a possibility?

[Ellen Carey]

You know, you kind of became friendly with the people. You became friendly in there. I did have one good friend, and she took me to Loman's. That was a really good friend back then. And, you know, my first outfits were John Galliano bought at Lomans. I love it. I will never forget that outfit. Because she knew when goods were dropped and we went way up in Harlem, we take a subway. We'd go together early Sunday mornings. That woman was magnificent. Now I'm not sure where she was, but she bought Donna Karen and that's where we got it, in the back room. Wasn't that fun? It was incredible.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Oh my God, loved it.

[Ellen Carey]

So incredible. And you know, once you knew when and where they were getting it and you knew your designer was coming, it was like I was hardcore.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Me too. And I was, I went to school outside of Boston and so Filene's was such a fun. The things that you would find. It was just like a dream.

[Ellen Carey]

It was a gold mine. And really, you know, one of the designers I loved and ended up going to work for his clothes were there very hard to understand. Romeo Gilles, his name. And I knew how to do it all. And those ladies in that room were like, show me how you did that. You know, because.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Because back in the day you had to wear something special to do that, right? You had to wear like basically a leotard underneath because you had to strip down in the store.

[Ellen Carey]

Well, and you learn, you know, I'm sorry, you know what, what did I have on back then? I can't remember. Only hearts maybe or something. But like, come on. The Kim Kardashian doing unitard now is just like, those are essential to have at a come to guest on sale or wherever you're going. And I just, I. I laugh about it because, you know, these women were so modest, you know, a bit that would go in those back rooms. They had Jeffrey bean, Laura, my favorite outfit of Jeffrey Bean I got back there. I can't even believe it was back.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

But Ellen, so this sounds like the Ellen I know because I think you and I both just love beautiful things. Did that turn on for you then?

[Ellen Carey]

You know, again, just, you know, my mom was always dressed and I always dress dolls. I don't think I ever connected all of it until I got to Paris. I ended up helping Azzedine Alaia walk his dogs. He was a small man.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

How did that happen?

[Ellen Carey]

I really don't remember, Laura. I was trying to, because I just remember he didn't speak English very well and I just heard of him and I knocked on that intimidating door and we became friends. And you know, this is a long time ago when no one even knew who he was and. And I was there when this man came knocking with a ponytail and thought he was coolest guy ever. And he was going to open a store in New York and he wanted these clothes. And that man's name is Gene Pressman. And the store at that time was a men's discount store with A small alcove on the top floor of designer brands. But this young man had a vision to say, I'm going to conquer fashion in such a compelling new way for Mr. Elia, that he said, yes.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

And did you believe him? I mean, could you see it?

[Ellen Carey]

You know, he was from Syracuse, and I had done that his semester in Syracuse. That was the bond. I don't know. There was something innocently rock star about him with his tight jeans. And remember, I'm from Canada. We only wore tight jeans. You know, it was like, this guy's my people. And he said, well, you can have a job at this new store. And I ended up taking a job at Barney's, which in those days, we did everything. This is one of the miniature shopping bags we created. It was a black shopping bag, and it is truly the logo. No apostrophe. I corrected that 152,000 times, including under all the recent articles at Printomp, where they spell the name wrong. But I was programmed by my lovely boss to do many things. Laura, at this job, she had come from Bergdorf. She was the etiquette book of all kinds of people. You follow etiquette, and she taught me so much.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

And who was that?

[Ellen Carey]

Ellen, I'll call her dear friend, is Mallory Andrews. And she had come to Barney's with two of her friends, Connie Darrow and Richard Lambertson. And they were the three people that kind of got hired to start this new store. Neil Kraft came in with advertising, and Mallory hired people. Me, Simon Doonan and Stephen Johankonnekt had been there. He was in store design. And James Mail, another dear friend of mine, came in for events and plants and flowers, and she really kind of put an interesting team together. We were all hard workers and all very young in our careers, but devoted to make Barney's special.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

And what was your role?

[Ellen Carey]

I was the head of initially under. We didn't really have staff. I was the head of pr, but, you know, I eventually became the head of pr, but I was the head of everything.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Did you understand what that meant and what it needed to be for Barney's, for this new thing as we were.

[Ellen Carey]

Downtown and we were considered alternative to Berger's. There was no rules, Laura. We could make the rules. And back then, you had no, you know, filler people. You were the person. And, you know, we created press days. What were press days, Laura? We called in from the designers in Europe. When the buyers were there, they would pick three outfits that we bought at Barney's, and we had them in a conference room. That we created, where Carrie Donovan would come with her staff, and then we would do. I would do a presentation to Carrie of these are the designers that Barneys are supporting for the season. And these are the outfits you have to pull from to use in your magazines. And the same was with the home department in Barney's. We had a full store of housewares, of apothecary goods, of menswear. I learned every inch of that magnificent store. And I could tell you that Route to Te was the fragrance exclusive to Barney's, that, you know, Clarice Cliff was one of the most beautiful vintage potters in the world that we had in our vintage area. I mean, it was amazing. I can't even tell you what I learned. We had a tender buttons department and lilac chocolates. I mean, iconic things.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Today, will you talk about working at Barney's? And it's heyday and kind of, I guess, how you were all in on it, like, how everybody understood, like, this is the job.

[Ellen Carey]

Well, and remember, it was just one store. Then it started to grow. I was there at the beginning. I even found some of the original invitations, which no one can even believe I still have, but I can, because I collect everything. This was the famous Levi's denim, which we sent in tubes, exquisitely designed tubes of Levi jackets, asked specific designers and artists to customize them. And then we did a launch party where we auctioned off the jackets down the spiral staircase that was created by Andre Kutman in that gorgeous store. And my favorite model was Madonna. She wore her friend's Jean Michel Basquiat's jacket. And it just. It went on and on. We had Iman. Look at that. Iman was wearing Alaia. Oh, my God. No, actually, that was Keith Haring. Keith Haring. Can you imagine? And all these people were up on that top floor with me. I was responsible with my girlfriend and another young man to get them all dressed and get them down that spiral staircase. It wasn't a big team, Laura. That's what was so amazing. And what we accomplished with a small team was extraordinary. Legendary.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Yeah.

[Ellen Carey]

There was a magazine I found, too, which I'm going to give to Jean and Bob. There is a book that is done, Laura. It'll be out in September, that Jean has had a writer do about Barney's. And I know there's galleys that people have seen. So it is finished. It is coming out. And I think it will be exciting for people to really know some of the things that I live, because those times are gone. When I say the name of these places, they're gone.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

It was just the most exciting place to shop ever in the world.

[Ellen Carey]

It wasn't a competition between these retailers. It was a different viewpoint that was a welcoming of artists and alternative people. I say that because uptown is very different. If you're not an uptown person, you know, you didn't feel that comfortable shopping. We got the Andy War halls. We got, you know, the artists blowing glass like Dale Chihuly coming through Barney's. And they were in again, I say, you know, Ruben, Toledo and Isabel. I mean, they were people that lived around the corner. And we became their restaurant because we had a beautiful restaurant. Roger Thompson was a hair salon. You know, everyone was getting their hair done downstairs. You know, it was full serviced in a way that no, nothing was like that downtown.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

So why did you decide to leave?

[Ellen Carey]

That was my mistake. I will be honest. I got approached by Bergdorf Goodman, believe it or not, to become a fashion director under Don Melo. And I thought that was a good move. It was more money. I should have known. I was not really like the others there. I mostly wore hot pants at that time and go go boots. And those hot pants were Chanel and Moschino bought by Burgdorf. But Mr. Neymar did not like that attire and called me every morning to his office to see what I was wearing. You know, I just didn't fit in. I did call Jean and asked to come back, but they wouldn't let me. So I stuck it out until a man I loved and wrote love letters to. We were back in the day where mail was the Mode or a telex, but you couldn't tell X. And that was really where I learned what life was about. And I moved to Italy and worked for Romeo Gigli. I did at the peak of his.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Career and talk about him and why he was so special.

[Ellen Carey]

Well, there was three people, and I will say they were all special. I had a relationship with all three. Carlos Itzani was his muse. She had been a magazine editor, and she came in house to run the imagine of Romeo Gigli with her own Carla Sozzani Gallery within our compound. Donato Mino was her husband and the mastermind behind the growth of Romeo Gigli. I traveled often with him because I was more in his department, an exquisite human being. He had come from the salsa era of furniture and design. So that is how our stores got developed under Romeo Gigli, with his mind. And then there was Romeo. The. The true artistry of color and femininity and baroqueism and Romanticism. I mean, Laura, I did fall in love with him. And I truly wrote a love letter. When I worked at Barney's, we had his first show. And then at Bergdorce, we had the magnificent major show. And the letters came back, and they eventually offered me a job. And that was when I was really naive. And then I learned all of these people that you will want to know. Matt Gustafson. I mean, I have all the catalogs from the original days, and they're in mint condition. I just, you know, we launched so many. Look at this. Look at these. This is our, our swimsuit catalog. I mean, can you see this? They were just stunning works of art. I mean, everything. And, you know, that is the saddest thing, is that he's never really, you know, I, I, I did have a moment of reconnecting with him through a wonderful journalist who went to see his new life. He lives in Marrakech. He has a hotel. And during COVID this man connected me to Romeo. I'd not spoken to him in years, and I'm so glad he's still here. He's created something wonderful to travel to if anybody wants to go on vacation. America. But, you know, we had a special time, and that broke up, and it was a sad breakup, and I didn't know what to do.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Why was it so challenging to work for these different people? And why didn't it work out, not with you, but with him? I mean, why?

[Ellen Carey]

Yeah, you know, in truth, it was a love story and a triangle that broke, broke up, and you couldn't keep or sustain those parts separately. You know, one fuels the other. And the marriage was so. Of those three parties were. Was an explosion of magnificence. So you try just to have the designer go off, which he tried, and get the factories to support you. Okay. But you lose Carla Citani, whose sisters, Franca, I mean, they were powerful, and still she is to this day, powerful. You can't fight them.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Yeah.

[Ellen Carey]

And then you lose a man who controlled all your licenses and your, you know, finances. It's, it's, it's a marriage, and it's a team. People forget that you need a team. And that is something you see today with the troubles that are happening in this world and in fashion, you know, you have to support your people and be. What's the word? Grateful to them. I mean, that's it. You learned it big time. You know, that if you go back, and I don't believe the books have ever been written clearly on that breakup, but it's A sad one, because historically, he. He. I'd say Helmut Lang. They were all made in the Zamasport factory, had Zhenya making Romeo suits. Zenya is so prestigious today. Imagine them making a colorful, creative men's suit. Laura, at the time they were doing it, I mean, to get them to do that is remarkable because it elevated his stature immediately. And, you know, to this day, Zhenya is still considered the top of the top. So he had the top. And we had the most wonderful men coming in the store on Madison. We opened. Oh, this was the other debacle. I think we're going to open downtown. Holly Solomon is our number one client in a major gallerist back then my size. And she took us to the meatpacking, stood out there in her little petal blouse and, you know, cocoon coat of Romeo and said, I'll put my gallery here. Will have Jerry's restaurant here. Your store will be here. And, you know, it was meat and people chopping up me back then, and it was like. I remember Donato looking at me like, no, we gotta make some money. And then we're going uptown, and I'm like, no, I want to go here, you know, and, you know, the progress of the meatpacking. I mean, Laura, come on. That was insane. Yeah, Florant and Florant. Holly saw it. Holly Solomon saw it. She was. Was a wonderful gallerist of eccentricity, but she lived in Sutton Place. So in all honesty, come on, what does that teach you?

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

What's the biggest lesson you learned from that experience?

[Ellen Carey]

There's so many. If I talk about it, we'll be, well, one. Don't be so naive. You know, I never did a proper company with the Italians. It was under my name. So when it all imploded, that lease was under Ellen Carey in the store. And it was a lot of that I had to come up with. But the banks did believe that I had some smarts. No, I didn't remember. It goes back to my bank. Yeah, exactly. And that's how I secured some funding to open my own company, which is called Seed. It was named by an old friend way back when, and it was to help germinate and transport artisanal products to the forefront and was again, pre Internet. But I think it's a great name. We wanted something pronounceable in many languages and in it to apply to different classifications, not just fashion, because I had got the Italian bug. My first space that I took was at 76 Green street in the heart of Soho. I went back downtown after the debacle, I did excuse myself from Romeo Deely. They tried to give me, you know, a part time position. I couldn't, you know, was all or nothing in my head back then. But I took a man who I met through Romeo Gili as a partner and he helped me import things from Italy because his father owned a shipping company so we could import for free.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Who were some of the early people that you carried?

[Ellen Carey]

Well, we tried so many things. Sanchita Japur. She was a textile designer at Romeo Gili and to this day she does still some things moving into the home decor, decoration. She has been behind the scenes of many brands you have carried, namely one that we both love, Alberto Abbaz. She did a lot of his production work in India. She's an exquisitely attractive human being. I'd say Jonathan Adler was a find and he's having a retrospective at the mat. I'm like, Jonathan, you're younger than me. He was one of my home discoveries that was at a home store. The humble pot that was handmade and I still have that, you know, I've tried one of my big financial solids and seed was to help Mac cosmetics and bringing my Canadian heritage back. Mac never blew up in the prestigious manner that I believe it should have because the quality of the, the product is there. But we, they were two men, gay men, and they were not appreciated when they came for their meetings here in America. So they ended up at Henry Bendel's. They couldn't get into the Burgdorfs and the Barneys. We were Francois Nars in that day. And Mac ended, but Mac has surpassed all expectations. And you know, we introduced them to Estee Lauder. I'll never forget that meeting. You know, it was like, like, you know, who are you? And we were alternative and alternative, but giant in Canada because they owned a factory and their parents ran the factory and it was pristine. And so one of the big things I created for them was Viva Glam and doing makeup for fashion shows and creating a lipstick that the designer could make and give and the proceeds from those sales and those lipsticks ended up four aids. And that has just had its anniversary. We were invited, me and the original man that created it with me, I think it's 50 years. We were mesmerized that we were invited. It's no longer the little company, but we felt very honored because we really worked hard back then and making it something.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

So when you, when you started Seed, what was the opportunity that you saw? Because I don't really remember There being showrooms back then, Right.

[Ellen Carey]

Well, that was the thing. I didn't want to go back and work for somebody full time after being, you know, through your heartbroken through these experiences. So I felt that maybe creating a space that was inviting and showing different things would be exciting. I had fortunately, through Romeo, met a lot of the magnificent specialty stores and befriended a few of them when I was working with Romeo, like buying for them in the flea markets in London or one was Joan Weinstein, she owned Ultimo and she was perhaps one the most incredible women I can say. And she would wire me 50,000 and I would go to London on my weekends and I would. Would buy at the auctions, particularly 1920s and 30s dresses. And she would sell them in her shop.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

And that store was so beautiful, wasn't it?

[Ellen Carey]

And the coral, that's my love of coral. When I moved from my loft in Soho and I ended up going to a private house, I had a coral room because of her. But she would travel and, you know, I go back to Carla's at Sonny. I traveled with these people and it was a different time. Laura. When I see people saying, I don't, I don't check anything. I care. I can't carry on. I was like, boy, just like, would I have loved to work for you. I was the one staying at the airports in LA. I'll never forget this. And Carla at about 42 luggages, each one had a coat. We were having a meeting at Maxfield's or something, you know, and it was like, okay. And I stayed and they stayed at the Bel Air and I stayed at the Mondrian. But I knew how to get all that luggage to their hotels, you know. And one of the things you carry, I mean it was insane, was like a spice, you know Those Dean and DeLuca. Spice.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Yeah.

[Ellen Carey]

Racks that was in one lunch. What?

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

It was a different time. You mentioned seed house. Will you talk a little bit about. Describe your incredible townhouse in Chelsea.

[Ellen Carey]

Well, so Soho, like we know the city does, it changes and it became expensive. I think I had a 10 year lease at the beginning. And my. I was saying to somebody who recently looked at a space on Green Street. I had walled my long loft. I took and sublette my left side to an art director. So I basically. He paid my rent. Thank you. When I was so young. That was Sam Shahid and he was a very big agency and did many books. And Bruce Weber was his photographer and they would have thousands of edits and print pictures. Laura. All Saturday, Sunday they'd be in there editing, you know, it was all hand done. It was so different and that it was a great neighbor. We had the best time, very fun time in SoHo. And. And so my lease was up. I didn't really want to stay doing what I did. And I asked my retailers, particularly ones I loved, like, I'll throw out another one, Linda Dresner, who, I'm sorry, she really legend made my closet wonderful. She had a modernist store on Upper Madison. One editor I befriended and stayed my. My very dear friend through the end was Polly Mellon. As you know, she recently passed that beautiful ode in the New York Times. Did bring me literally to tears. I think she would have been so happy to see that ode. She traveled alone a lot and was very eccentric and always more enthusiastic than the others. But she taught me something early on, was that you don't be afraid to be alone. You enjoy that. You don't have to get all these people to agree with you. When you travel, be excited because you're experiencing something that we have to do by committee. You can do what you want. If you want to spend an extra three days in Florence to go to Loretta Capponi back in the heyday, you do it. And I did it after her giving me that lecture because I wasn't going to be like the others. I had a very strange job, you know. So that's how I started experiencing other parts of Italy like Lake Como and meeting some fine. Fissari was a cashmere company making the best of the best, very expensive cashmere. We tried to sell that in America. I tried everything.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

You brought all of the very best of everything from all over the world.

[Ellen Carey]

And. And that's. Remember one brand that you really embraced and I think launched for us was I. I went another direction was Australia. And not really sure why, but I was asked to see this young artist and she made lingerie mostly. And Bridget Foley was the one that said, if you combine the colorful stretch slip with the lace and make it a dress, I will put it on the COVID of women's wear. And that's how Colette Dinnigan came to be.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Wasn't it so beautiful, Ellen?

[Ellen Carey]

Oh, my God, Laura, you have. You probably still have. I gave a lot away.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

And I'll never forget that pale seafoam green lace with some. With gold.

[Ellen Carey]

Oh, that's so gorgeous slip underneath.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

It was the prettiest thing I've ever seen in my life.

[Ellen Carey]

The colors. And she was, you know, if you knew some of the people that she's darling, her friends like Baz Luhrmann and his wife did the show production. They weren't. No one knew who they were. They were the Aussies. So because of my Romeo pedigree, I encouraged her to show in Paris. And we learned that Romeo showed in Paris rather than in Italy in the smallest tent to make him look more important. And that was Carla's mastermind. And I kind of shared that knowledge with the people like Colette that I worked with. Georgina von Adsdorf was another magnificent artist. Oh, my God. Yes, we. And. And Lulu Guinness. Another one.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Ellen, you brought all the best.

[Ellen Carey]

You did, Lulu. I mean, your flowers are making me definitely very Lulu. Oh, my God. But we had a store with her loose sight, like covers on the floor. Oh, my God. We were crazy. Yeah.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

What was your biggest personal or professional challenge during this time?

[Ellen Carey]

You know, I always had trouble getting people to come, you know, and. And particularly the. The department stores. I was just going back to my Berger's days. I just wasn't like the others. And Megan park flew once we did Neiman Marcus. Conclave. I mean, the word conclave is out in everybody's time. But, you know, Megan and I, so Megan is an Australian, but she started in London. I met her through Lulu Guinness. She then got pregnant. Sorry, Megan, for confessing your. Your story. Which wins. And she was later in life in her late 30s, and so she went on bed rest, but she ends up going home to Australia. And it resurged her career saying, hometown girl comes home, and I end up in India for her. She. Her career started in India doing embroidery work, mostly in bridal. Then she moved into Ready to Wear, and she meets Dries Van Noten and the Factory to this day. One, she works with two still make Dries clothes. And hers, she's very knowledgeable in embroidery work, though that might fall out of favor now and then I'm encouraging her to come back with more embroidery because that is something she does better than anyone. I think a lot of my time related to my spaces. I. My company, Seed is always the master umbrella. But then I had, you know, the. The Seed, the house and then Seed Penthouse and Seed Garden. You know, Seed Hudson. For a while, I was up in the Hudson Valley for Covid. But, you know, you just don't realize that name kind of could be under everything.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

It's a great brand. That was pretty genius.

[Ellen Carey]

Yes. We had. Remember I had my. My anniversary of 30. Was it 30 years or 20? 25. Seed. 25. It was my mom's idea to call up your favorite people from the Past ask them to create one item that you can wholesale to make it under seed 25. And that was somebody that Laura, you also supported. I'm going to bring his name because we had the most fun traveling with him.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Oh, he's wonderful.

[Ellen Carey]

He looked like Lyle Lovett and rode a unicycle. I will tell you. He really did.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

But he was incredible, Ellen, because he had. He owned all of Charles James's machines. Right.

[Ellen Carey]

And I mean we made some very famous dresses. Like this one ended up on Jennifer Hudson.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

My sister's wedding dress is that in white?

[Ellen Carey]

Oh, was it really? Oh my God. I remember we made your. But you know, he was, he. Oh, look at these though, Laura. I mean I still have these corsets. I can't say I could get in them but you know, it's like. But he was discovered by Joan Weinstein. He's self taught. He makes gingerbread houses like nobody else because he became pattern obsessed. And that's how he went into corsetry. And back in my youth at Barney's, on my bulletin board was a double page spread of a Vanity Fair corset ad of Ultimo. And believe it or not, years later I meet the man through Joan's suggestion and help him. And we lasted almost 20 years and we really did have a fun time trial. I can't say it was fun. He and I were tiny people. He was eccentric, I was eccentric. And we would go to Dallas and we'd look at this plate of the food. It was like, can we share that? That's just like. But I think we came to your world. It was so beautiful. By George was pretty fun too. Katie and Matt really showed us a fun time. Wonderful. But Peter did you know, he handmade everything. It was just a remarkable human being of magnificence. And you know, I don't think people understand a hand labor is going to still be in business despite the factories or the, you know, the hardships and. And he'll come out of the woods, big commission.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

What are you most excited about in your work now?

[Ellen Carey]

You know what? Right now I'm not excited as I should be. But I do have to say I came back to new. I left unexpectedly. It's a long story. But for three months again. And I came home because I'd made a mistake. And I have to admit that, you know, sometimes you do something and you have to say okay, was wrong. And unexpectedly, the passing of my mother brought me back to where I need to be.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Yeah.

[Ellen Carey]

And I, as you know, I like to do pins. The joy was a huge success, but the new one is an ode to my mom. It's tiny but mighty. It's her colors. Favorite colors were Edna Mode's favorite colors. You'll remember my doll Edna Mode, who was in the Incredible. And my mom reminds me of her. She was always telling you things and prophets like black is beautiful. So in this moment, I beg to come back to my penthouse and the financial because it's safety and I know I can rest here. And this magnificent deco building that I have admired all my life in New York, Crossroad Trinity Church is finally finished, Laura. It's been eight years in the conversion from office to residential. And a department store has come called Printomp and that opened a month and a half ago. And I will tell you that has brought me tremendous joy.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

I love that.

[Ellen Carey]

I go there about 22 times, so all the kids know me there. I have gifted them some of my personal clothes because I know that I won't wear them again. And I want. I pulled them back from my dealers and said, you've inspired me. I got a private tour of the store before it opened with a wonderful designer, Peter Stropolopoulos. You might remember he used to do John a care. Now he does pottery, couture pottery. He's. We've become friends later now and our different levels of life. And I've never had such a magnificent day as with him for five hours in this magnificent building. And you know, there's a mosaic finale room that hasn't been uncovered to the public. It was built in 1930. It is truly sensational, Laura. And they've honored it. Doing a living shoe salon within this. You just. If anybody says anything negative about it, okay, there is missteps, but they can be corrected. The core is phenomenal.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

I can't wait.

[Ellen Carey]

And I am excited to say that to you because I can't say I.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

You know, you haven't been able to say it for many, many years. I can tell you.

[Ellen Carey]

Well, I do love my, you know, there's little specialty stores, but this is something that we need right now, especially in New York.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

You said something in the pre recording questionnaire. You said that your motto right now is don't let the old in. What does that mean to you?

[Ellen Carey]

You know, it's so funny because I've seen this on Bill Willie. Is it Billy Norrish Instagram this morning, him showing a young man singing, you know, a current song, a chapel roan song, Pink Pony. Is it called Pink Pony? And he's like 90 you know, I think as we age, and I. I am old now for. For this career, but not that old.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

You look great.

[Ellen Carey]

I don't think you are you. Thank you. Laura. If you see under the mirror, I see, you know, you do feel ageism a little. And I've had this discussion with people and, and you know, you won't get hired because, you know, you're this age or you don't have 100,000 followers on your Instagram. And, you know, I mean, at one point, Laura, I'm just, you know, just give me some joy, okay? You know, I'm still here. I still have knowledge. I can, you know, help anybody. And that's. That's. I. I had a call with somebody recently, and they said that to me, you don't sound like you let the old in. And. And that was something that Holly Solomon, as she aged, she never seemed old to me. She was an eccentric woman. Her apartment was beyond crazy, on Sutton Place, no less, but bonkers inside. And. And her galleries were so forward and progressive, though she was 80. Yeah, let's say that, you know, let's celebrate age. You know, why is it. Why are we not now. There's more interest today than there used to be, but, you know, I'd say it's wrong.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Well, I don't think you've changed one bit. I mean, you. It's like a.

[Ellen Carey]

You've seen me through the highs and lows and. And you know, I. I do say I thank you because, you know, your world is so beautiful, but, you know, it's like in New York sometimes not. That was something coming back this time was different from any before. For I miss my things, and my things are not like the others. And I'm not going to encourage people to learn my things because they're my things. I have a secret alley. I go and, you know, I have my churches. I love churches. And they are many in this city that you can go and rest your nerves and sit there for, you know, 10 minutes and center yourself and get back out. But it doesn't mean there's anybody in them. It's just your special place, secret gardens or, you know, your. Your love of, you know, Morgan Library or someplace that not isn't the trend. And I always thought that was a good thing until it wasn't like. And. And I learned. I don't care.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

If you could share any advice about what it takes takes to make it in the fashion industry, what would it be?

[Ellen Carey]

You know, there's so many ways now to do it direct to consumer and enjoy yourself and slow fashion. We started these joy dresses. Laura during COVID and I rented some crazy house up in Hudson Valley and the met a man. And we started making scarf dresses with vintage scarves because they were accessible. And I had a huge collection, he had a huge collection. And they were designers. Did you know Giorgio Sant Angelo made scarves? Did you know Jeffrey Meade made scarves? Did you know, you know, Kenzo and Adrian Benadini? But you could find designer silk scarves. And the dresses take 10 and they're each unique. And the first person that bought one was Molly Nutter. She wore it too, by George. And she said, ellen, you have to make them for our store. And I'm like, no, these are fun. These are supposed to be fun. But it turned into something bigger as they opened St. Vincent Hotel in New Orleans. But I'm saying be open. You don't need to follow the rules. If you want to be something, you know, unique and special, if you want to be a big conglomerate and the department stores, okay, that's a different journey you have to take. But I feel there's so many and you've supported them over your years. The artisanal look at dosa. I mean, that's a brand that still makes my heart skip a beat. And she does it on her own terms, in her own way. You know, the color sense is there and it's just, it's what I'm saying. I think it's time to celebrate being unique and, and, and do it in your way. You don't have to follow what you think is the norm. And I mean, especially now, as you know, John Darien's another shout out. He's done his things his way. He's still hand making in a glue little office. Come on, look at his world. Yeah, look at his Christmas shop. Doesn't that he makes his store all Christmas, then he makes it all Easter. He's very small team. It just makes me so happy to see he's still here.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

What did you wear to prom?

[Ellen Carey]

Oh, God. Well, in all honesty, that's an interesting question. I didn't go to my prom. I made my prom.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Tell me about that.

[Ellen Carey]

I. And I have a picture that somebody sent me recently because I didn't get the picture box for my mom's. I got some things, but I found a card, oddly enough, in my box. And in that card was. It was my 40th birthday. There was pictures she had sent me from some of my favorites aunts like we were talking about. And in there was one with me. And like the mignons that were with me that made the prom. Of course my mom was at the prom. I can tell you what she wore because she was a shadow. And I was like, my mom was the chaperone and my prom. And I don't go to the prom, but I made the prom. So I was an artist. Artist as I should have been the. An art teacher, if you want the truth. I often filled in for mine because he was smoking weed somewhere and I became very good at art and, you know, painted the school mascot on the gym wall. I was hired to do these things. I was already getting commissions with my briefcase at age, you know, 12 and 13. The prom was really. It was controversial for me because I didn't, you know, was very. I wanted the teacher scholarship more Laura. Which I got, you know, that was more important to me. I love it. So I wore. It was a corduroy, you know, jacket, brown and white herringtone pants. But I had. It was a big, big. I recently spoke to some of these because they will be attending my mom's memorial since they all knew her. They knew her more than I did, I think. But yeah, so I just. Yeah, I was working it all through the night. Oh my God. You know, things don't as, you know, when you do, events always stay up.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

Well, thank you for this. I've loved talking.

[Ellen Carey]

Been a pleasure.

[Laura Vinroot Poole]

What We Wore is produced by Capitol and Balto Creative Media. The original song Someone so Enchanting was composed and performed by Britt Drazda. Please follow us on Instagram hatwewarpodcast for additional content and show updates. QueenCityPodcastNetwork.com.