Cary Vaughan and Jenna Wilson first met as fashion interns at Language NYC. "Cary was ironing and I was steaming," says Jenna. "We were the first two interns the company hired and become best friends quickly." Since then, the duo have become more or less inseparable, working together as creative directors for LaROK and serving as godmothers to one another's children. "We've always been entwined in each other's lives for the last 10 years or so," says Cary. "We knew we wanted to start our own line and the time was right."
The time ended up being right around 2007, after both women left their jobs to focus on building their families. Indeed, the brand they finally launched paid tribute to their kids with the name "Ace & Jig," after Cary's daughter and Jenna's son.
With a strong focus on yarn-dyed wovens, Cary and Jenna launched the collection with an eye to practicality and "seasonlessness" -- that is, garments you could pull from the closet year round. Working with a team of Indian weavers, stripes in all colors and weights were decided upon as Ace & Jig's signature motif.
Their resulting collections feel both lively and classic, the kinds of pieces you can depend on regardless of current trends. This year, the Gen Art foundation took notice of their stylish stripey creations, and the pair were invited to participate in the "Fresh Faces of Fashion" show staged earlier this month.
"We were just saying the other day as we were on our way to the show how we could not have done this without each other," says Jenna. "Of course, we logged a ton of sleepless nights gearing up to the big day! But when our song, 'Sleigh Bells,' came on and our first model walked out we were so ecstatic! Yeah, it was an amazing whirlwind, an awesome experience."
