Inside LilyEve’s Hermès-Draped World

Repurposing vintage Hermès fabrics, Lily Clempson and her neighbor Michel started making upcycled jackets and hats out of their homes during the pandemic. Homemade in the Hamptons, LilyEve has become synonymous with a certain brand of colorful, sustainable-luxe looks over the past few years. With a penchant for vintage, Lily Clempson exudes joy and revels in the fun of decorating and design. Here, she shares her Chairish faves.

SHOP LILY CLEMPSON’S CHAIRISH FAVORITES >>>

You started Lily Eve in 2020 in East Hampton. Can you tell us a bit of the story about how the brand came to be, and the story of how you met Michel?

LilyEve truly began during the pandemic, I had moved back in with my parents, who were living out in East Hampton, and like many people I wasn’t sure how I was going to pass the time or ever start working again! 

So when I came across my mother’s four Hermès beach towels, that she had inherited through my grandmother, I decided to cut them up and make them into face masks, to raise money for FoodBankNY. I had just graduated the year before from Parsons School of Design, majoring in graphic design, so I was very drawn to the graphic prints on the Hermès towels. As the demand for the face masks increased, I needed help with production, so I asked around locally if there were any seamsters or seamstresses nearby, and it was then that I was introduced to Michel. We ended up raising $10,000 for FoodbankNY through the sales of these face masks, and this was what sparked my interest to push LilyEve into further categories. Needless to say, Michel and I have never looked back, and we thoroughly enjoy every moment we get to spend working together.  

All the materials you use are upcycled. Tell us a little bit about your approach to vintage. How does that come into play when it comes to layering patterns, colors, and styles? 

Vintage is hugely centered around what we do at LilyEve. The first LilyEve product was made from my grandmother’s vintage towels. It has always been important to Michel and I to treat vintage fabrics with huge respect, by making sure we are showcasing their patterns the best way possible. We start by placing the pattern in different ways against the fabric, trying to see which will have a more striking result. We then look for the perfect thread to match the coloring in the jacket. This can be challenging at times, as the more vintage the fabric, the harder it is to get an exact color copy. We also came up with the style of our jackets by re-designing some of Michel’s vintage patterns, so that they have a more modern twist to them. 

How did you come across this fabulous collection of vintage Hermes fabrics?

I first came across them through my mum, who had inherited four Hermès beach towels from her mother. As we have continued to grow, I have made great connections with a lot of vintage dealers in Europe, who will help me source the fabrics by going to estate sales, and looking locally. I also spend a large amount of my day online looking at different re-sale and auction sites. 

Do you like to incorporate vintage/antiques into your home as well as your clothes?

I love to incorporate vintage and antiques into my home! One of my favorite things to do is go to estate sales, or vintage homeware stores on the weekend. I especially love finding vintage linen and napkins, they always look so great when I’m hosting summer dinner parties. I also recently framed one of my favourite Hermès beach towels in our living room, which has become the highlight of the house.

As the brand grows, how do you see the work maintaining the uniqueness and singularity of your early collections? Are you sourcing other fabrics and developing into new upcycled lines?

As we continue to grow, we plan to always keep the LilyEve ethos the same. We are not trying to be everywhere all at once. We want to continue to offer our customers this unique and bespoke experience, where they know they are getting a one-of-a-kind garment that has started off as the product of two people, Michel and I. In the future, we definitely plan on adding some new products to our Cabana Collection, which has been designed to give our off-cuts a new life, and showing that truly no piece of fabric is going to waste. 

ON CHAIRISH & VINTAGE PIECES

What do you find most compelling about Chairish? 

The thing I love the most about Chairish is that there is something for everyone. Each item online always feel so unique and special. 

How does sustainability factor into your design choices and love of vintage? 

Sustainability heavily factors into our design choices, as we are always looking at the best way we can make the most out of the fabric we have. To us, the fabrics we work in are so beautiful, we never want a piece to go to waste, when it could be imagined into something special. We have always wanted to work only with vintage fabrics, because it is already available to us, and more often than not, it is just sitting in the second hand market—when it could be being made into a LilyEve original! 

A FEW DESIGN FAVORITES 

Favorite way to create a statement-making moment in a room, or in an outfit?

I love to add a bold pop off color, a statement fabric stool or ottoman, I feel like you can have more fun with their designs as they are not going to overpower the whole room. I also love to frame rugs, vintage flags, or in my case an Hermès beach towel!

The same goes with an outfit. Sometimes a pop of color in your shoes, bag, or even jacket makes the whole outfit stand out and feel complete.

Favorite paint color? Right now I am loving golden yellow. 

Favorite piece of decor in your home? My framed print, it’s by Arthus Elgort, called “Wendy Whitelaw on Park Avenue, NY 1981″ Edition of 12 40″x60” prints.

Favorite style icon? Kai Gerber & Kelly Rutherford.

Design destination every creative should visit at least once? Florence.

A FEW LIFESTYLE FAVORITES

Favorite vacation destination? The Hamptons.

Favorite hotel that’s inspired your work while traveling? The Maybourne Riviera, because of the interior design by Bryan O’Sullivan Studio. 

Favorite hostess (or thank you) gift? Candles. 

Favorite flower? Peonies, or lilies.

Favorite entertaining essential? My wedding gift, a set of Hermès dinnerware plates.

Lead Image: Design by Lily Clempson for LilyEve, Photography by Terence Connors.