Carol Peretz FASH ION DESIGNER Fashion That Transcends Time Story by Lesley Harris Colvett; photography courtesy of Carol Peretz
A
A s a soc iety m agazin e editor in Memphis for more t h a n fif teen y ears, I have attended countless parties - with the formal ones being m y favo rite. I love seeing t h e gor geous gowns, as I h ave always enjoy e d getting all dressed up for a b lack -tie g ala my s elf. I’ve noticed some quite spectacular g o w ns a t thes e soir e es, and as I w o u ld c omplim ent th e women on their beautiful dresses, many o f them would reply , “It’s a Carol Peretz.” A Carol Peretz dress is always a stand out: stunning, exquisite design, a n impe ccable fit, a nd wo r n wi th con fiden ce. I r ecen tly ha d th e p l e asur e of t alki n g t o Caro l, and d i s cove red th at s h e is a true o r i gina l, muc h like her fashion.
A f t er g raduat ion f r o m Pa rsons School of Design with a BFA in Fashion D e s ign, Carol Peretz designed b r i dal and br idesmaids gowns for Priscilla of Boston and Galina-Bouquet. S h e sta rted h er own design company in 1 9 7 4, i nitial ly as an accessories collection, but eventually moving into evening separates and finally dresses and gowns. Her collection f e a tur es cus tom-designed European fabrics, e x t rav agant laces, and unusual, sometimes vintage, trims. Her dresses are executed with e x c ept ional workmanship and emphasize finely detailed hand finishing. She is known for excep tional bias-cut dresses and gowns, and u n iqu ely co nstructed, comfortable strapless designs. One of her gowns is in the permanent
64 / January 2017
collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. C a rol was o riginally trained as a classical ballet dancer, and says that the dance strongly i n flu ences her design approach, insisting on fl ui dity, comfort, graceful flow and motion o f fabric s, and ease of movement. She has d es igned ballet costumes for several ballet c om panies , and is a classical ballet teacher, c er tified by the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow. Carol sells in boutiques throughout the country, e xclusively at Kittie Kyle in Memphis. Cindy G ambrell, owner of Kittie Kyle, brings Carol in for trunk shows at least twice a year, where clients can meet with Carol and find the design that works best for their occasion. According to Cindy, the Carol Peretz customer w ants something that no one else has. “The feedback we get is that women feel beautiful o nce they put on a Carol Peretz dress. Her fashions and designs are not typical, but they are timeless,” she says. “ I bought my first Carol Peretz dress 15 years ago, I have probably worn it 10 times to events over the years. Every time I wear the dress it feels as fresh and current as the day I bought it,” Cindy says. W omen of all ages envision that perfect d ress for that perfect occasion, and Carol’s d esigns appeal to a wide age group. Cindy says that Carol’s fabrics and cuts are not only c omfortable, but are flattering to every body type. W hether that special dress is for a wedding, gala, or other special occasion, it can be found in Carol’s collection . We had the opportunity to ask Carol some questions about her designs a nd advice for Mother-of-the-Bride and Mother-of-the-Groom dresses.