Page 38 - Westchester Magazine - January 2011

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Beauty & Style
The Queen of Gowns
Constance McCardle evening dresses deliver the drama.
Growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with a mom who was a seamstress, Ossining eveningwear designer Constance McCardle started sewing at an early age, making clothing for her dolls and a dress for herself (a 4-H Club project) when she was
eight. Her work has since ventured far beyond the county fair. Her ultra-glam gowns have been worn to meet the Queen of England, at White House balls and state dinners, and on the red carpets of major awards shows.
Today, the designer—who designed antique lace blouses for Henri Bendel and worked with Italian
designer Raffaella Curiel—and three seamstresses turn out exquisitely crafted cocktail-, tea-, and floor-length special-occasion dresses from her home studio in Ossining, including a special collection offered exclusively at Elephant’s Trunk in Mount Kisco. “My gowns show the body well,” she says.
Her gowns feature fine European fabrics, some vintage, and including jacquard or devoré—in which a pattern is burned out—charmeuse or silk chiffon, embroidery, metallic lamé, etc. Designs sport such
embellishments as beaded appliqués, feathers, sequins, and even chain links from old gold necklaces. To match one client’s casino- themed soirée, McCardle fashioned fringe from actual playing cards.
The designer’s Elephant’s Trunk collection is priced from $1,000 to $5,600; custom designs start at $2,800 and require a three- month lead time. Next up for the designer is a
line of wedding dresses featuring high-end European
laces and hand-sewn embellishments ($3,500-
plus). For more information: constancemccardle.com.
SHOPKEEPER’S PICK
Yulia Omelich, Owner of COUTUREDossier of Chappaqua
Modern Minx. This tuxedo-style coat of Omelich’s own design features an ultra-soft Italian
cashmere-and-wool blend and a lustrous ranch mink collar. “It’s super-light and very warm,” she says. “I be-
lieve that a woman deserves to look beautiful and so- phisticated, even during the coldest months of the
year.” In stock in limited quantities in European sizes 36, 38, and 40 (American 6, 8, 10); also available by custom order. Cost: $725
COUTUREDossier
67 N Bedford Rd, Chappaqua (914) 777-2838 couturedossier.com.
// By Laurie Yarnell
newstores
BB Abode
2 Kieler La, North Salem (914) 485-1339 bbabode.com
Housed in North Salem’s 146-year-old
Union Hall, this charming new home-furnish- ings sister-boutique (in Darien) is owned by Manny DeMagistris and Roberta Ball, interior designers who live in Yorktown. Expect an ap- pealing mélange of new home furnishings and stylish antiques in a decidedly unstuffy style that DeMagistris, also a creative director, calls “comfy elegance.” Prices vary widely, from $20 for small colored votives to $7,800 for a maple burl wood dining table. Of special interest to local horse lovers: its selection of equestrian- themed items, including picture frames and other accents. Complete interior design and home staging services are available.
Decorative Hardware Studio
160 King St, Chappaqua (914) 238-5251 dhshardware.com
Decorative Hardware Studio (DHS), a
30-plus-year-old, highly regarded manufac- turer of museum-quality decorative hard- ware, previously available to the trade only, recently debuted its first open-to-the-public showroom in Chappaqua. Since its inception in 1982, the line of fine-quality period and contemporary hardware (“We call it jewelry for the home,” says co-owner Marie Prezner) has found its way into a New Delhi hotel, a host of Las Vegas casinos, and Carnegie Hall, as well as on film sets and TV shows. Manufactured elsewhere in Chappaqua, its collection features solid brass as its base metal, and is available in 20 custom finishes. Refinishing and restoration services also are available.
Wake Robin
1207 Pleasantville Rd, Briarcliff Manor (914) 502-0303
wakerobinshop.com
This home shop showcases a collection
of vintage, rustic, and modern finds selected by proprietor Megan David, who previously owned a smaller boutique in Berkeley, California. Though it carries gift items, Wake Robin focuses on old and new fine furniture and furnishings from all over the world, much of it handcrafted. We spotted vintage crystal chandeliers, ultra-cool Lucite chairs, embellished pillows handmade in India, and soft alpaca throws handmade in Peru ($285- $345). Prices run from $14 for pouches handmade from saris to $4,600 for a chrome-and-glass-drop chandelier. Not sure how it all goes together? David also offers interior design, customized lighting, and upholstery assistance.
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