Limited Edition Concept Hits Fashion

By Cate T. Corcoran
September 22, 2011

Of a Kind

Of a Kind co-founders Erica Cerulo (l) and Claire Mazur

Satisfying our constant appetite for discovering new fashion designers and then dropping a cherry on top by allowing us to purchase their wares right then and there, Of a Kind combines our favorite fashion blogs and ecommerce sites into one glorious URL. Launched by close friends and dyed-in-the-latest-wool trend spotters Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo about one year ago, the site partners with emerging fashion designers to sell exclusive, limited-edition items for one week at a time. It’s also a fashion blog, with stories about the featured designers and others the founders find inspiring. Given the founders' backgrounds in art and business (Mazur used to do marketing for artists) and fashion editorial (Cerulo was an editor at Lucky and Details), it's no surprise that Of a Kind has been ahead of the curve in terms of both innovation (it was the first store to launch on Tumblr) and buzz. We spoke to Mazur about why she’ll be wearing crazy pants this fall, the Coogi sweater she's forever in search of and why launching a startup was the best thing she's ever done.

Of a Kind

Claire Mazur (photos by Jamie Beck)

The Inside Source: Why did you start Of a Kind?

Claire Mazur: We wanted a new and innovative way to promote emerging fashion designers. We were very inspired by the site 20x200, which is disrupting the arts industry by selling limited-edition art prints online. They are giving artists a new platform for exposure and making art more accessible to a new community of people who can’t just walk into an art gallery and buy something off the wall. Erica and I do something similar for emerging fashion designers.

The Inside Source: How do you find designers?

Claire Mazur: A lot of it comes from surfing the Internet and seeing what people are wearing and what other boutiques we love are carrying. Every weekend we are getting out and shopping in Brooklyn and downtown and every time we go to a new city [we look for new fashion designers]. The bulk of it is word of mouth referrals. We’ll go see a designer, and if we like something she’s wearing, we ask her who made that, and she’ll say ‘oh, my friend’ or ‘my studio mate, you should talk to her.’

Of a Kind

Of a Kind homepage

The Inside Source: What is your typical day like? Are you working on other projects too?

Claire Mazur: No, we’re on this full time. One of my favorite things about the job is that it changes so often. Yesterday we met with a potential investor, then Gaby Basora of Tucker, whose studio had burned down, so we met in her apartment. We were in the kitchen with her kids running around interviewing her and taking pictures of her. Then we went back to my apartment for a photo shoot because my apartment has the best lighting for photo shoots, and then dinner that night with our advisers.

The Inside Source: What fashion trends are you personally into for fall?

Claire Mazur: I’ve been really into loud pants—thick wool pants in crazy colors—[and] wearing bright oranges and reds with grays and charcoals. One of my mainstays is the chambray shirt [to calm loud patterns]. Also, I’m obsessed with finding a Coogi sweater. Bill Cosby wore them, and also it’s a ‘90s rap reference. Biggie Smalls made them big and would rap about them all the time. I think I can bring it back for fall if find one on eBay that fits me. It’s so ridiculous, but I could wear it with a slim jean and boot. That goes along with my loud pattern thing. I’m also really into Gaby Basora for Tucker [a fashion designer who is famous for prints].

The Inside Source: Are you into any gadgets?

Claire Mazur: I just got an iPhone. I was a long-time holdout and I am obsessed with Instagram. It’s a photo-sharing app like Twitter but for pictures only. I love the concept of seeing what my friends are doing, but purely through the lens of photography rather than reading about it on Twitter, and seeing where they are through snapshots.

The Inside Source: Any advice for web entrepreneurs?

Claire Mazur: Yeah. One, do it. It’s been the most awesome, enlightening, educational experience. It’s the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life, but also the happiest. One thing we did that was really smart was start blogging before we launched. It allowed us to develop our voice and figure out who we were as a brand.

The Inside Source: As far as eBay goes, apparently, you’ll be searching for Coogi...

Claire Mazur: All my eBay searches are really old. I need a small coffee table, and cannot find one I like no matter where I look. I saw some mid-century modern pieces on eBay that were reasonably priced. I’m not a big vintage shopper, but I own a lot of vintage because my grandmother, great aunt, and mom have amazing style and they’re great about giving me stuff. I love collecting silk scarves, so I would consider buying old St Laurent and Hermes on there as well. eBay is good for finding collaborations with designers and retailers. The Holly Fulton collaboration with ASOS sold out so quickly, and it was stunning.

The Inside Source: Do you have any future plans?

Claire Mazur: We will feature more than one designer a week and have more products available on the site.