Some Odd Rubies

Vintage gowns and tops get a trendy transformation in the hands of the N.Y.-based design collective.

by Kim Cooper at Citysearch

In Short
Co-owned by actress Summer Phoenix, the local branch of this NYC boutique offers heavily reworked vintage 1950s-'80s gowns and halter tops (formerly men's Oxford shirts) transformed by their stable of contemporary designers. Liz McClean works only by hand, including dyeing her flowing jewel-toned neoclassical gowns, while Monica Pean's retro scarves become belts and necklaces. Also featured are precious and semiprecious jewelry like Devon Leigh's intersecting gold hoop earrings and Veronica Moore's glamorous gold-wrapped gemstone rings.