Waldorf Weekend Coat in Whiskey, High Street Cashmere Swing Cape
Cocoon by Elizabeth Geisler is a luxury outerwear collection designed by Elizabeth Geisler in Minneapolis and made in New York City.
Cocoon was born out of Elizabeth’s frustration for the lack of attention to detail, quality, and fit in the clothing that was readily available to the modern woman. While working with top designers in New York, Elizabeth saw firsthand that products designed for the runway frequently did not translate to what real women would want to wear, so she built a company focused on providing just that.
Elizabeth sources excess and dead stock fabric from independently-owned fabric stores in New York for the collection; the cashmere, wool, and merino fabrics used are of the highest quality (and typically come from some of our favorite designer labels!), would be far more expensive if purchased directly from a mill, and help mitigate some of the tremendous waste caused by the apparel industry. The collection is made in New York City, alongside designers including Lela Rose and Kaelen.
Read on to learn more about Elizabeth and the collection!
WHERE DO YOU LIVE & WORK?
I work and live in Minneapolis in a home office (and many coffee shops). I make my collection in a factory in New York City’s garment district.
WHERE ARE YOU MOST INSPIRED?
Another reason I make my collection in New York is because of how much inspiration I get when I am there! Besides all of the art and culture, you get to see so much life from spending just a few minutes on the street. It helps me think about what people might need from a coat, just by seeing all of the behaviors and habits of people from all walks of life.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER MAKERS & ENTREPRENEURS?
My advice to other makers is to put your customers first, make your product so that it will benefit them. They are choosing to take their hard earned dollars and hand them over to you. Respect that relationship. I think especially for the made in America movement, that is so important. We as the maker need to convince consumers that it is worth the extra money, the extra effort in seeking us out! Make high quality things that will make their lives better.
WHAT ARE YOUR STYLE ESSENTIALS?
I like attention grabbers, which isn’t shocking I guess since I am a designer. A great, black ankle boot is key… but my current favorite pair has red laces, just a little extra kick. The same applies to any “basic” … my favorite black blazer has a gold under collar and gold elbow patches.
I also think texture makes an outfit, it is such a subtle, but striking, style move to have on something really tactile. So a great textured sweater is a go-to for me. I don’t find it weird or creepy when someone’s way of complimenting my outfit by wanting to touch it (but maybe I should).
WHERE DO YOU ESCAPE?
During the week: the gym, endorphins really do make you happy!
For vacation: Big Sky, MT I need fresh air, mountains and nature as far as the eye can see, no skyscrapers, and no cell service for a few weeks out of the year to put everything into perspective. Snowboarding and rock climbing are just about as far away from fashion as you can get, and I need that every so often.
WHAT MAKES YOUR DAY?
When I hear stories about one of my customers who was having a rough day, and she was wearing Cocoon and just got a nice compliment, and it turned her whole day around. Or when my customer tells me, “I just feel so great in this!” That kind of thing keeps me going.
Also I work from home, alone, so I am lucky to have a goofy little puppy, Harry Winston. He just kind of breaks up the day with his antics, I think it keeps me from getting too stressed out, because he cracks me up!
Studio Jacket in Buffalo Plaid, High Street Cashmere Swing Cape
WHY DO YOU MANUFACTURE IN AMERICA?
For one thing, I need to be in complete control of the product that my customers get. This is my line with my name on it and I need to be proud of what gets made, so it’s very important for me to be heavily involved in every part of the design and manufacturing process from start to finish. I wanted my manufacturing to be in a place that I can get to on a pretty frequent basis. During the design process I need to be sitting next to the sewers, showing them exactly how I wanted that button sewn on, or how I want the collar to lay just so. Those are things that cannot be communicated on paper or in an email.
I chose to produce my collection in New York because it’s really where I learned my craft, and because of the people; I know that I can rely on them to make the highest possible quality garment. My team there is also delivering pieces to Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys for some really high caliber designers, so I know that I can trust them to make my pieces to the level that I want. They take as much pride in their work as I do, knowing that is key. Also, it’s a beautiful thing, every type of zipper, thread, fabric or notion I could ever want is in a 10-block radius, so I can run around and get everything picked out really quickly, running back and forth to my factory in between.
HOW DOES MANUFACTURING IN AMERICA BENEFIT YOUR BUSINESS?
I am able to produce beautiful, high quality garments, and it keeps customers coming back for more. Repeat customers are my favorite, because they get it, quality matters!
Photos by Melissa Oholendt.
Shop Cocoon by Elizabeth Geisler. Follow Cocoon on Instagram.
DISCLOSURE: Cocoon is a current TAE client. Enlisting my consulting services in no way guarantees a post, but I try to work with like-minded brands and often find myself wanting to share them! As always, let me know if you have any questions!