"It's more interesting to have just a picture of a small detail - then you can dream all the rest around it.
Because when you see the whole thing, what is there to imagine?" -Dries Van Noten
We’re all about humble beginnings. We’re also firm believers that nobody starts as the CEO. It takes baby steps, time, and a litttttle bit of luck. Kate Ciepluch got her start in fashion a little over a decade ago at a little known company called ShopBop (that little known company is now one of our digital shopping bibles). She was working at their original brick and mortar shop in Madison, WI on the sales floor, folding tees and hanging dresses while she was a young’n during her freshman year at University of Wisconsin. She graduated, packed her stuff up, and headed to the big apple, and as the brand went viral, she climbed the corporate ladder (in Thakoon booties we can imagine), launching their footwear, swim, jewelry and handbag categories for the site, helping to evolve ShopBop from a primarily only denim source to a leading contemporary fashion go-to destination. And that she did! With countless snaps on every street style blog (we’ve always admired her sartorial choices), she continued climbing and climbing where she landed as the site’s Fashion Director, infusing her simplistic laid back style into the e-tailers business plan. Her New York City apartment has beautiful wood anecdotes and vintage finds, like the fish sculpture she nabbed at the Brooklyn Flea in Williamsburg. She is a California girl after all. Our ideal outfit: her rad IRO matte sequins motorcycle jacket with one of her outfit-completing hats. “I love hats because they provide this smart, pulled together look (and they are honestly great when you're hair is not at it's best)” she says. “It is the accessory that can take a mediocre sort of boring outfit to "cool" instantly”. Sorry Kate, but we really don’t think you ever have that problem!
