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 BY TIFFANY HALL |  | | | | | Sartel Glory | | | | | | | For those seeking runway resplendence from a truly noteworthy native, honestly, it’s Earnest. Texas native Matthew Earnest, together with his partner, Lily Atherton Hanbury, designs a seriously luxe line called SARTEL that consists of chic, tailored separates, hand-painted exclusives, and romantic pieces with details such as tuxedo tulle tape and floating feathers. It’s quite worthy of raving…and craving. Housed in a charming Highland Park boutique, SARTEL was also recently picked up by monolith retailer Opening Ceremony, which will stock the line in New York, L.A., and Tokyo. Pretty swell.
There’s a good deal of glory in the SARTEL glory, as, for Matthew, credit’s been gained where credit was due. In 1999, Earnest left the University of Texas to pursue fashion design at Manhattan’s legendary Parson’s School of Design and, in a very short time, the designer’s work proved to be substantially self-promoting. During his junior year, Earnest was called to participate in a documentary-style show produced by Style.com called Fashion Insiders. “A friend of a friend at Parson’s pitched me, and I ended up being on the show. Companies then approached me to show at Fashion Week.” | | | | | | | | | | Talk about fast-track fashion. Earnest is, in fact, solely credited as being Parson’s first student, while enrolled, to show his collection at New York Fashion Week, which was, at that time, his Senior Thesis. Quite a feat, although proclaiming so is simply not his style. Soft-spoken, sensitive, and sublimely creative, Earnest has experienced a swift and substantial trajectory with the focused, feminine collections he perpetually provides. He reports humbly that his designs were picked up by Henri Bendel whilst his sketches happened to somehow land on the radars of both Ann McNally, fashion editor of Vanity Fair and Meredith Melling Burke of Vogue. “They were always very helpful mentors,” says Earnest. “It just started from there and grew; I was approached to do a collection with a wider reach, and Lily got involved, and it all sort of rolled into what it is now.” With original plans to open in New York, changing circumstances landed the duo in Dallas. “It just sort of fit,” says the designer. Thus, an exquisite evolution ensued.
“The line is so different from what I was personally doing, previously. It’s really fifty percent Matthew and fifty percent Lily. In a structural way, you can see parts of the previous collection in SARTEL, but my line was a bit more playful and girly. This is a bit sexier than what I’ve done before.” Focused collaboration has been the key for Earnest and his partner-in-design Hanbury, who spends a great deal of her time across the pond, so to speak. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | “We’ll be thinking of something, or be someplace, and kind of get stuck on an idea…right now we’re looking at the novel, White Mischief, which is all about this debacle of an aristocracy.” Behind the mind clearly lies a divine mystique. “We start with inspiration from different places and ideas, then come sketches and working with textures,” says Earnest. “We really try to edit and focus on where we want to go and pick out things that are key, then develop them further. Lily works heavily with fabrics and I deal more with construction. It’s a constant back-and-forth.”
The designers look to the thirties for inspiration and incorporate the themes of durable goods, the passing down of garments, and the idea of the Old World craft in their designs. Vintage capes meet one-shoulder dresses crafted with double-faced, washed silk satin and floating chiffon tie-blouses stand alongside cotton taffeta jackets with Savile row sensibility. The collections often carry equestrian connotations and many pieces are left with raw, unfinished edges that serve to exude a very contemporary elegance. According to Earnest’s interns, SARTEL’s an easy sell. “There’s everything for SMU girls and their grandmothers,” says Stephanie Moore. It’s that vintage-meets-modern vibe injected with surprising extras that makes for a creatively comprehensive collection and a job done wonderfully well.
SARTEL
4212 Oak Lawn Ave.
Dallas, TX, 75219
Contact: info@sartel.biz or 214.520.7176
Visit: www.Sartel.biz | | | | | | | |
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