DIY Chic

Alex Kramer had a closet overflowing with stylish clothes and accessories but, alas, no fashionable tank tops. “I couldn’t find a good one to wear with my Yves Saint Laurent pants,” says the New York social swan. “So I decided to make my own.” The result—an understated silk-knit piece—became the foundation for her new range of luxurious staples. Kramer got her start in 2007, creating a capsule collection for her then boyfriend, Brazilian designer Carlos Miele. More recently, she signed up for classes at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, enlisted the expertise of Ralph Lauren alum Brian Stanziale,­ and transformed her ­Upper East Side dining room into an atelier. Her line, which Barneys New York bought exclusively for spring, features sporty day dresses, skinny cigarette pants, lambskin-trimmed pencil skirts, and, of course, a ­substantial array of minimal tops. “This is not just another socialite’s line,” Kramer insists. “I worked hard on it.” (barneys.com; $225–$1,050)

Kramer photographed by Alexis Dahan; hair by Ryoji at The Wall Group; makeup by Jason Willard-Khan at John Barrett Salon; model: Mackenzie at Wilhemina.