Asbury Park Zest The Rainbow Issue Summer 2015 | Page 20
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garments, we never outsourced. I work with
jewelry and accessory designers, and their
collections are designed for us. We are Made
in the USA by grownups.”
“Asbury Park used to be a retail mecca,”
Nita says as she celebrates one year in
Asbury. “We’re helping to bring it back and
I’m proud of that. We believe in the creative
energy, the tremendous talent pool and potential that exists here, and the city’s history.”
Novy is especially proud of her own history
as a business owner who provides healthcare
and celebrates women. “I’m employing women who have real talent, and just because
they’re not on Wall Street making a fortune
for other people, doesn’t mean we’re not
doing something special here. It’s a labor of
love. It’s a passion for fashion. But it’s not only
about the dress. It’s about the experience of
individual attention. We’re in the business
of making women experience their personal
power and their joy.”
Knowing no two women are exactly alike,
she chose the more expansive approach to
design. “I can say that pretty much out of the
gate we had a huge response because there’s
this whole generation of women who, when
we turn 38 or 40, don’t want to dress like
our daughters, but also don’t want to dress
like our mothers. We are the middle generation. I’m a child of the ‘70s and that aesthetic
has never changed. What you wear doesn’t
define you. It should make you happy and
express something about yourself.”
Her designs have been given considerable
press over the years. But it was The New York
Times that wrote, “Her collection seems to
breathe intangible femininity. It is almost as if
the rest of the fashion universe is catching up
with her.”
If you come to Novy in search of a design
to express your personal style, you’ve come to
the right place. “When I design, I envision the
character of the woman that’s going to wear
it. I’ve never been into trends, only personal
style, and whatever works for an individual
and what feels good. My stuff is pretty timeless because it’s not hooked into an era or a
trend. It’s about individuals. That’s who I am,
and that’s who we dress.”