About
ABOUT THE DESIGNER: STEPHANIE VON WATZDORF
Figue (pronounced “fig") is a new luxury collection for women created by Stephanie von Watzdorf. Named for the ancient fruit Stephanie enjoyed as a child in Italy, Figue is defined by a global gypsy-meets-jet-set spirit—bringing together the urban energy of Paris and London with the natural beauty of the Mediterranean and Stephanie’s passion for travel. Figue’s core items consist of tunics, kaftans, shirtings, dresses, denim and accessories in colorful, global-inspired prints. One-of-a-kind items—such as reclaimed military jackets, embellished with hand beading, and found limited-edition jewelry and bags—recreate the experience of finding those unique treasures on one’s travels.
Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine to a German/French father and a Russian mother, Stephanie moved to New York at age six for school, while continuing to travel back and forth to Europe. After graduating from Parsons School of Design—where she was awarded the prestigious Golden Thimble award by Calvin Klein—she landed her first role as an intern at Yves Saint Laurent in Paris. She spent the next twenty years working with some of the most respected fashion luxury brands including Giorgio Armani, Ann Taylor and Ralph Lauren. In 2004, Stephanie joined Tory Burch where she guided design development and ready-to-wear accessories for over seven years.
Now, at last, Stephanie has emerged with her own collection that’s a natural extension of her personal style. The result is Figue: a seasonless brand for women who travel—or dream of traveling—to exotic destinations and who enjoy a lifestyle that is every bit as luxurious as it is bohemian.
Inspiration
AN ARTISTIC HERITAGE
C 2012 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Leon Bakst, Costume Design for Bacchante in Narcissus, 1911. Image © CNAC/MNAM/Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Art Resource, NY.Leon Bakst, Costume Design for Temple Dancer in The Blue God, 1912. Image © McNay Art Museum/Art Resource, NY.
Leonide Massine in Scheherazade and Firebird, ca. 1938. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Stephanie von Watzdorf's mother, Tatiana Massine, in Scheherazade costume, 1960.
Serge Lido/Sipa.
Isola dei Galli —Stephanie spent her summers growing up on this idyllic island off of Italy.
Stephanie von Watzdorf’s bohemian style comes as no surprise considering her colorful childhood. She spent her earliest years surrounded by famed artists and dancers at her maternal grandfather’s Paris "hôtel particulier." Her grandfather, Leonide Massine, was the renowned choreographer of the Ballets Russes whose friends and collaborators included legendary artists and composers such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Igor Stravinsky. In fact, Stephanie’s early games of dress up were in the original costumes of the Ballets Russes, which were designed by Picasso, Joan Miro and Salvador Dali, among others.
Even after moving with her mother to New York, Stephanie continued to spend her summers traveling between the Italian homes of her grandparents on L’Isola dei Galli off the coast of Positano and the Tuscan port town of Porto Ercole. In Porto Ercole, her paternal grandparents decorated their home with eclectic furniture and fabrics from faraway places—particularly India where they also had a home. Classical music greeted her every morning as she and her family ate breakfast looking out onto the many fig and lemon trees that dotted the landscape. Stephanie and her father were fixtures at the famous Il Pellicano Hotel, just down the Tuscan coast from Porto Ercole, where they would revel in long lunches, play tennis and swim in the Mediterranean. Stephanie’s immersion into this richly artistic, wayfaring life instilled in her an appreciation for other cultures, fine fabrics, music, dance, language and the beauty of nature. Today she continues to draw creative inspiration from these powerful childhood memories, endlessly weaving them into the essence of the Figue collection.