FASHION

Going Into Business With Mom Might Not Be So Bad

When Swiss-born jewelry designer Nina Egli (right) decided to venture into ready-to-wear this year, she had a particular muse and partner in mind: her mother, Kaya Egli. Mere Egli (left, photographed in 1969), you see,...


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Fast-forward 30 years, and Kaya’s rock starry past is instantly recognizable in Family Affairs, the line she and Nina have launched for fall/winter in boutiques in LA, Japan, Canada and Switzerland. Skinny velvet trousers and blazers, tailored wool shorts and ruffled silk blouses comprise the dandy-esque collection, the result of many transatlantic phone calls and emails between Kaya, still in Switzerland, and her New York-based daughter. The collection has a decadent vibe but is entirely wearable, at prices that won’t bust the bank (think under $200). “It was very difficult at first, because we had to figure out how to work together,” admits Nina of designing long-distance. “But my mom still has the technical skills. It’s like she never gave it up.”