Los Angeles-based fashion designer Micheline Pitt thinks clothing should be an extension of who you are and what you love—the weirder and bolder, the better. Inspired by what she loves—1950s bad girls, cinema, and horror—Pitt has created two brands that offer ethically and locally produced garments combining her favorite things.
Vixen is a vintage-style brand (with a store in Los Angeles) that makes “good things for bad girls.” For Pitt, that means clothing that empowers women to break rules and dress however they want—from sparkling, hot-pink dresses fit for a bombshell to faux-leather ensembles to curve-hugging leopard prints. Pitt has also collaborated with studios on playful, film-themed collections, including Beetlejuice, It, and Labyrinth. “The bubblegum, cartoonish elements of some designs come from my previous life as an animator,” Pitt says. “I’m creating vibrant, often silly things that are fun to wear and also extremely sexy.” With her co-designer and business partner, Lynh Haaga, Pitt additionally launched La Femme en Noir, a line that offers lingerie and delicates for the “glamorously gothic”—including a collection inspired by Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
A childhood spent thrift-store shopping and watching classic cinema with her grandfather started Pitt on her artistic journey. Knowing that her family couldn’t afford trendy clothes, Pitt frequented secondhand stores and flea markets. Then, “like most rebellious, angry teens,” she says, “I dove fully into the punk and goth scene.” With her added exposure to silver screen sirens, it’s easy to see how the two brands were born. “I watched so many glorious old movies starring Jayne Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe, fascinated by their clothed bodies,” Pitt says. “I had never seen the female form look so feminine and so powerful at the same time.”
With both brands, Pitt continues to celebrate femininity in all shapes and sizes. Every single item comes in sizes XS to 4X, and Pitt never alters silhouettes to provide more or less “coverage” depending on size. “I always thought it was ridiculous when a clothing brand wouldn’t offer a crop top or a wiggle dress in all sizes,” Pitt says. “I know our clothes won’t fit every single body type, but I’d like to think we’re filling a gap in the market. We have so many loyal customers who all show off their beautiful figures in our clothing.”
In fact, Pitt has even heard from teachers and librarians who find ways to incorporate her bold designs into their regular work wardrobes. “There are a lot of us weird girls out there in the world,” she says, “and I feel lucky I get to make clothing for them.”
HOTOGRAPHER: SUSIE DELANEY; MODELS: ALYSSA MARIE, DARLENE DARLING, AND GABRIELA IRENE; MAKEUP: ALYSSA MARIE; HAIR: MICHELINE PITT
