American Prep Clothing: It's all in attention to detail

Nikki Manuel is a lawyer by training, and a planner by nature  — "I rarely go off the beaten path away from my original plan," she says. So leaping from left 

brain law to right brain design with her American Prep Clothing label may seem like quite a risk.

But note those two words in her statement: "original plan."

"I was cleaning out my childhood room last year when I discovered an old notebook. Inside the pages were my dreams in written form. The first page held a statement that said 'I want to be a lawyer.' ... On the following pages I had sketches of fashions that I had painstakingly named and signed 'Fashions by Nikki.' It made me feel so validated to know I followed through with my dreams."
  
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American Prep Clothing Co. no longer leaves her time to practice law. But she sees attention to detail as a common thread in both careers.

"My initial vision was to create beautiful clothing for women and men who still have an appreciation for finer details. Now I get to explore my creativity by sketching designs that focus on the details and tailoring that were once mainstays in clothing of decades past."

She isn't formally trained in fashion, but credits her creative mother with imbuing

her with a sense of style and teaching her to sew.  Her mother's maxim to be ready for any occasion is at the heart of American Prep. "Our items can be versatile and transitional and work from morning to a night out on the town," she says.

DEFINING PREPPY: 
"In my mind, being 'preppy' can only be achieved by having impeccably tailored garments worn in a way that is not overly complicated or fussy, yet the result is nothing less than chic."  

WHO IS THE PREPPY LOOK FOR?:
"There needs to be an intention, an intention to look refined. I truly believe that you need to be passionate about what you wear and the way you carry yourself in this world. ...  This look can be for anyone, at any time, for any occasion."

ON HER PERSONAL STYLE: 
 "I've had the same sense of style since I was a child. I still recall my refusal to follow trends in high school. I always opted to wear vintage clothes from my mother's closet. She would perform a 'closet cleanse' every so often. I would take many of the clothes and jewelry that she was discarding. I saw their timeless quality even then. I always had an appreciation for fashions from earlier decades."

DETAILS, DETAILS: 
"I love to sit and sketch, starting with a basic silhouette and adding interesting details that I may not have seen before. It is always my hope to breathe new life into an old relic."

THE PRE-FALL COLLECTION:
 "It's an eight-piece capsule collection of transitional pieces to ease into cooler weather — several dresses and a range of separates that can be paired to make a single coordinated look or mixed with other wardrobe items."

CRESCENT CITY CONNECTIONS: 
"I am proud to say we got our start in New Orleans at New Orleans Fashion Week and Fashion Week New Orleans, and each of our garments is manufactured in New Orleans."

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