Thomasine Dolan

Thom Dolan may be a little known up-and-coming label, but designer Thomasine Dolan is actually an industry vet with 20 years under her belt. After years and years of working for big names like Ralph Lauren, Armani and Banana Republic, Dolan decided she was finally ready to tell her own story. In 2010 she launched her label with a few retro swimsuits, which quickly grew into a complete range of classic, masculine-meets-feminine pieces in high quality fabrics. The busy New Yorker balances being a mom of three with running her growing business, both of which she does from her Broome St. apartment. She invited me into her amazing home (her studio is the floor below), and it was easy to get sidetracked as we discussed everything from her love of The Sound of Music to her dismay over the Kardashian phenomenon. One thing is certain, if you haven't heard of this designer, who is as honest and witty as her designs, it's time to take note. Read on to learn more.

Having cut her creative teeth at Bill Blass, Armani, and Ralph Lauren, designer Thomasine Dolan’s self-proclaimed “love of haberdashery” shines through in her debut collection’s preppy oxford shirts and adorable madras swimwear, which we previewed last night at Saturdays Surf. “It really started with the bikinis—and the clothes followed,” the designer explained of her line, set to be carried this spring at both the downtown surf boutique and Steven Alan. Though she had never tried her hand at cutting bathing suits before, Dolan stressed that each look in her line is meant to be layered atop one of the bikinis—a more dressed-up take on the typical beach cover-up. “Buttoned-up can be really sexy if the fit is right!” she said.