Minnie Mortimer

"The Hamptons are my refuge. I've been to Southampton every summer since I was born," states Minnie Mortimer proudly. In fact, Minnie's mother just missed giving birth to her in Southampton; as soon as she knew it was time, Madame Mortimer was rushed to New York Hospital in Manhattan. Since marrying Academy Award-winning filmmaker Stephen Gaghan last May, Minnie has had to make Los Angeles her second home but the fashion designer's heart will always belong to the Hamptons, where she spent her summers playing tennis, riding horses, and swimming at Little Plains Beach.

Two years ago, Minnie caught the eye of her Hollywood director husband as she sat on a picnic blanket at the annual pre-Oscars picnic thrown by Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg. Fellow Hamptonite and mutual family friend Elizabeth Lind introduced the pair and the rest is the stuff of New York Times Weddings & Celebrations legend. Her bridal gown was by Oscar de la Renta; not that surprising, considering Minnie was just 15 when she made her front-row debut at a runway show for that very same designer.

A devotion to fashion and style runs in her family. Minnie's brother Peter Davis is the editor-at-large of Paper magazine. Her sister-in-law Tinsley Mortimer is a designer for Samantha Thavasa. Perhaps one of the most fashionable American socialites of the last century, Babe Paley, was once a Mortimer too, as she was married to Minnie's uncle Stanley. And just last month, Minnie launched her own namesake fashion label. A simple, clean-cut shirt-dress is the anchor item of her first collection. Minnie didn't set out to uncover what she hopes "will one day become a timeless piece" in fashion history. "My line is a very selfish endeavor. My husband has his shirts made at Charvet in Paris. I loved the fabrics there and wanted them to make a shirt-dress for me but they just wouldn't. So I went ahead and made one for myself!"

Oscar de la Renta	Skirt by Prada	Chanel	Luca Luca

Back home in the States, the hardest part was finding a luxury cotton similar to the one her husband's shirts were tailored from. She finally found the ideal fabric in Japan and set to work. Upon wearing the preppy prototype to events, Minnie's friends were so enamored with the cut and feel that they requested custom dresses for themselves. Demand for the dresses was so hot that starting a fashion line seemed inevitable. Minnie is the sole designer of her collection and she personally oversees its production in Orange County, California, which is just a drive away from her and Stephen's residence in Malibu.

Oscar de la Renta	Zac Posen	Vintage	Top by Alvin Valley	Tracy Feith

Each of the apparel pieces in the collection is named after one of her best friends. "These are the people that I've known since I was five years old." Distance makes the heart grow weary, and the two months she will spend in her beloved Southampton is the time of the year she looks forward to the most. Stephen taught her to surf the waves in Biarritz, Mustique, and in St. Bart's, where they honeymooned, and Minnie wants to take him to Flying Point Beach, so she can share with him the coastal community that she loves more than any other in the world. She plans on staying put once she gets here and intends on visiting Manhattan only rarely. Minnie asks, "Why leave when everything I need and everyone I love is here?"

-James Kurisunkal

Chanel	Chanel	Nina Ricci	Nina Ricci	Alberta Ferretti

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