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

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.

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])

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]).

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])

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])

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])

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])

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])

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…”

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]).

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 |

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])

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]

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.