Patricia Voto has gone out on her own—and it’s been a long time coming. With formative stints at Gabriela Hearst, Altuzarra, and Brock Collection under her belt, the designer’s been yearning to start her own sustainably-minded brand for quite some time. Now, with ONE/OF, Voto is bridging the gap between luxury investment pieces that are simultaneously timeless and kind to the environment. The ready to wear label’s collections utilize deadstock fabric, and once a capsule is designed, customers can select their pieces online based on fabric availability before receiving their forever wardrobe heroes in two weeks. Here’s her backstory!
When did you discover your love of fashion?
It was always in me! My mom tells stories about when I would insist on going to sleep fully dressed and wearing matching velvet hats. In elementary school, kids would ask me to customize their garments for them. I fell in love with the self expression that clothes share and how a beautifully cut garment can transform how someone can feel.
Did you pursue fashion in college?
I did not, I focused on Product Design and studied at Parsons.
You have an incredible resume! Can you give readers an overview of the brands you worked at?
I cut my teeth at Altuzarra. Joseph was willing to take a chance on me and taught me all I know today. I was there for the first six years of the company. After that, I worked with Brock Collection, Rosie Assoulin, and Gabriela Hearst. I oversaw the Product Development and Raw Materials at each brand.
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How long have you been dreaming about launching ONE/OF?
Too long! At least 5-6 years ago, it started dawning on me that I wanted to break out on my own.
Tell us the premise of the brand.
We take archival fabrics from mills, brands, and local shops and breathe new life into them. Our capsules are emotionally driven, based on the materials we find. We do not follow the fashion calendar and we are made-to-order due to the finite amount of materials we have available.
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When did you launch and what has been the first focus?
January 2021. Slow and steady, design with intent, prioritize fit and quality.
At what point in your design career did you begin to think more about sustainability and the future of the industry?
This has been on my mind since 2008 before graduating from college. I worked for a large, Indian manufacturer that had a showroom in NYC. I kept looking at the product and the pricing and something wasn’t adding up. It didn’t comfort me that something could cost so little, and from there I started to dig deeper into the social welfare at factories. I realized that luxury products were in many ways more sustainable simply because of the working conditions and the locality of their resources. As time progressed and my career developed, my interest deepened in sustainability with a focus on raw materials. I saw an immense opportunity in not always creating something new and working with what we have. I hope that the industry continues to make this shift.
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- Dreamer Collection (Courtesy)
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- Dreamer Collection (Courtesy)
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- Dreamer Collection (Courtesy)
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- Dreamer Collection (Courtesy)
How is ONE/OF committed to contributing to a more conscious fashion industry? What are some of your non-negotiables?
We do not make garments to later cancel them or tuck them away on the shelf. If we’re going to take the resources to make something, we have to mean it. We want each collection to be so carefully considered – we do not believe in merchandising and volume and following the fashion calendar. We believe in beautiful product meant to last a lifetime.
Tell us about Capsule II!
We went bold! A lot of more clean modern cuts with more vibrant patterns or shapes to them.
What have been some highlights since launching?
It recently dawned on me that all of our factories are female-owned. I love that we naturally found ourselves in this position. They are our best partners and support system!
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What’s one thing you hope a ONE/OF piece makes the wearer feel?
Confident
What’s coming up next for you and the brand?
Our holiday capsule, focused on more occasion-based dressing to round out the wardrobe!
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