It wasn’t hard to find Bermudian talent. One lives right on my doorstep in Los Angeles in fact. Her name is Catherine Quin, a 32-year old English girl I met in the wee hours of the night at a party in the Hills. Not a single person at this house was sane, sober or smart enough to engage in normal conversation, except for this happy brunette with her impeccable, high-brow British accent and nervous little giggle. Say what you will, Los Angeles is a capricious place built of smoke and mirrors, but real and lasting friendships are not a myth. Anyways, I digress.

Catherine was born and bread on the island of Bermuda and in boarding school in England until her twenties. She practiced law for two and a half years but stopped working as a lawyer in 2012. She wanted something else, or something more perhaps. “I was working in a very structured, corporate environment in London,” she remembers. “Some people really thrive off this high-pressure corporate environment but I always craved a more creative outlet. With my law offices nearby, I began taking design classes at Central Saint Martin’s and loved learning about the design and creation process. And that was it, I was hooked.” She launched her first eponymous collection in 2015.

“The premise of the brand has always been based on the desire to simplify the life of the modern woman and the daily ritual of getting dressed,” she explains. “At its core, the brand is dedicated to minimalist design principles offering sophistication with a purpose. Ultimately I launched the line to create the wardrobe I wanted to wear and which I believed was difficult to find in the luxury marketplace at the emerging designer price point. I travel a great deal and I wanted refined pieces that had the versatility to effortlessly transition from day to night, from LA to London, whilst fitting into a single suitcase. In an age where we are confronted with so many varying demands I wanted to provide a solution for decision fatigue and remove the stress that can come from getting dressed by creating garments women can feel comfortable and confident in without sacrificing their sense of elegance.”

So while Catherine’s pieces are primarily monochrome and black, and not in the least inspired by her childhood’s terrific pastel color scheme, they so easily assimilate in the humid, warm climate of the island. I changed four times in the back of a taxi, hobbled over cobble stones in heels and maneuvered around St George’s with the remains of my afternoon swim sand and salt still in my hair, all without breaking a sweat. It just begs for more. Catherine’s father still lives on the island, and she visits as often as she can. She will be launching her Resort 2018 collection during next year’s America’s Cup, “my first runway show on the docks of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club!” And if that wasn’t enough to book your ticket, let Mark Twain give you a little shove in the back: “You go to heaven if you want to, I’d rather stay right here in Bermuda”.

Photos by Akil Simmons.

Shop My Wardrobe

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  Catherine Quin
  Black 'Entenza' Dress

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  Catherine Quin
  Black 'Ten' Gown

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  Catherine Quin
  Black 'Seagram' Jumpsuit

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  Catherine Quin
  Black 'Neutra' Dress

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  Rachel Comey
  Yellow Snake 'Madera' Sandals

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  Fendi
  'Jungle' Sunglasses

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  Karen Walker
  'Cosmonaut' Sunglasses

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  Gucci
  Peach Suede Slides