Our founders
behind 502
IT ALL BEGAN AT THE CHELSEA HOTEL...
ANITA! SOON THIS CHELSEA HOTEL
WILL VANISH BEFORE THE CITY’S MERCHANT GREED,
WRECKERS WILL WRECK IT, AND IN ITS STEAD
MORE LOFTY WALLS WILL SWELL
THIS OLD STREET’S POPULACE. THEN WHO WILL KNOW
ABOUT ITS ANCIENT GRANDEUR, MARBLE STAIRS,
ITS PAINTINGS, ONYX-MANTELS, COURTS, THE HEIRS
OF A TIME NOW LONG AGO? . . .
—“THE HOTEL CHELSEA” (1936), EDGAR LEE MASTERS.
NYC - ROOM 502
When Steve & Sophie met in Paris, a very strong platonic friendship ensued. For the following year, they would meet up almost everyday for lunch to discuss Life, Family, Fashion, Music, Philosophy, Religion or whatever they fancied. Steve later moved to NY, in an apartment at the Chelsea Hotel. A few months after Sophie came to visit. They never separated ; for the next 2 years ROOM 502 was the backdrop to their romance and bohemian adventures. As per Steve's Father once said; "You have something special; It is very rare to see two people as connected as you both are" - the rest is history
SOPHIE - COUTURIER & CO+FOUNDER
Born in Bagnères-de-Bigorre, a small town in the South of France, Sophie is the youngest child amongst five brothers. Developing a strong character and determination from an early age, she learnt from to defend herself and assert her rights as a girl. Her eccentric father was a respected doctor, who encouraged her to draw and would surprise her with the gorgeous print dresses by Cacharel & Laura Ashley. Sophie encountered the fashion world for the first time, while flipping through issues of Vogue and Elle in the waiting room of her father's practice. She would go on to study at Paris' prestigious Studio Berçot, before working with Jean-Paul Gaultier and Azzedine Alaïa.
STEVE - IMAGE MAKER & CO+FOUNDER
Born in Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada. Steve had a bucolic childhood. while growing up in the carefree 80's. As a middle child, he became fascinated with Martial Arts and spent his summers riding his bike, playing baseball and laying on his back while imagining shapes in the clouds. Winters were a magical time filled with snow fights, building forts and hockey games. A quiet child, Steve loved watching TV and being outdoors in the country side, where he developed an appreciation for Canada's indigenous cultures and natural wonders. Exposure to the fashion industry from an early age allowed him to observe and learn about the finer points of crafting a brand's story & image.
BUILDING A FAMILY & BRAND
In 2005, Steve and Sophie welcomed their son Leon. The following year, they launched the Sophie Theallet label from their living room in Brooklyn. They soon garnered critical acclaim from the media and prestigious retailers, for the brand's attention to fine tailoring and thoughtful details. They would also attract discerning women in search of effortlessly chic couture-quality clothes rendered in Sophie's unexpected color combinations. In addition to be recognized by the American fashion industry at its highest level when she won the coveted CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award, Sophie would also go on to receive the prestigious Woolmark Prize.
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