Colovos Is The New York Label To Have On Your Radar In 2019

Get acquainted with the award-winning duo.

By Grace O'Neill
When I speak to Michael and Nicole Covolos backstage at the International Woolmark Prize in London, they seem kind of... shellshocked. Which isn't all that surprising. They've just taken out the coveted Womenswear Prize which means A) That they've scored a seal of approval from a formidable judging panel that included Gwendoline Christie and Alber Elaz. B) That they've beaten out considerable competition, including Brandon Maxwell and Albus Lumen, to join the ranks of global powerhouses like Ralph Lauren, Gabriela Hearst and Altuzarra and C) They they've earned a cool $200,000 cash tip.
"It's an honour and relief," says Michael, who, with Nicole, is giving back-to-back interviews to international press backstage, with barely a moment for a celebratory glass of champagne. "It means a lot to us. When you see a judging panel like this, of really esteemed people, it's very encouraging."
Nicole is New Zealand-born and New York-based but calls Australia her "second home" having lived and worked in Sydney (including a stint at ELLE Australia) before relocating to New York and meeting Michael, a native New Yorker who had spent a stint designing in Italy. She and Michael were the creative directors at Helmut Lang for almost a decade, picking up the reigns after Helmut Lang himself left the brand in 2005. In 2014 they stepped down, and had a much-needed two year break before launching their eponymous level in 2016.
As for how they work together, the process is an intimate family affair. "It's a small business and a small team, so we are very involved in every step of the process," says Nicole. "Michael is the more traditional designer, he sketches everything but we select the fabrics together, we work on production together, we fit together, so there's a lot of cross over. We talk about everything, all day."
The brand's aesthetic speaks to the refined minimalism of their tenure at Helmut Lang, but with an injection of their own personal design ethos. In part its a question of sustainability, making higher-priced pieces in more luxurious fabrics that will last longer (a message that resonates strongly with the Woolmark Company's ethos of sustainability). It also means an abundance of denim - denim tailoring, shirting with oversized denim pocket details, and wrap-around trench coats with two-tone denim.
Colovos at the International Woolmark Prize
As for how the brand is planning to invest their Woolmark Prize money, they say expansion is a key focus. "E-commerce is a huge area we want to focus on," says Nicole. "And we're looking into menswear going forward."
With a tried-and-tested knack for creating covetable, minimalist pieces and the weight of the industry behind them, the sky is no doubt the limit for Mr. and Mrs. Colovos.