Jenny Hwa’s reputation precedes her. The designer behind Loyale, Hwa is one of the original eco-fashion trailblazers, an accomplishment that has garnered her no small number of accolades and honors. Her organic blouses, dresses, jackets, and, yes, bikinis brim with flirty, feminine details, along with a timeless appeal that makes them all-weather wardrobe staples. (Psst, don’t miss the phone-in, Crazy Eddie warehouse sale starting Monday.) Here, Hwa opens her closet to us, as well as surprises us with a cameo from a celebrity fan!
Here is my new closet in our recently acquired Winston-Salem, NC home. Although I dreamed of having my very own closet, I am still sharing with my husband! I suppose, that’s what we get for buying a charming, petite 1930s bungalow, but less closet space is worth all the yesteryear delights this house holds.
Hanging here is a variety of my of-the-moment must-haves that I keep on rotation—all Loyale. With 10 seasons under my belt designing Loyale, I have an obscene amount of clothing, so when dressing, Loyale is usually my first choice because there is so much of it. I find it hard to buy clothing because I know that within 6 months I’ll have a whole new collection to update my wardrobe.
My collection of accessories. My best friend is Andrea Brueckner and all of her handbags are made in the heart of NYC, sweatshop-free—I love locally sourced items! Then I have my vintage fetishes, such as clutches and Samsonite cosmetic cases in all colors and varieties (I scored this brand-new, baby-bluey one for $2 at the thrift shop here!) Plus, I do have one of the whimsical Anya Hindmarch bags that I like to use, but I was sad she didn’t use eco-materials and local production to make it.
My vintage fetish continues when I need to break the Loyale “rut.” I especially love vintage for evening events, as it can be such a challenge to source beautiful, eco-friendly evening wear fabric, so I like to spice up my wardrobe with zany prints and silhouettes from bygone eras.
