Meet the up-and-comers who are transforming Westport’s fashion and beauty scene with their innovative visions, ideas, and techniques.
Chloe Zale, founder, Chloe Zale Collective
Specialty: Sourcing vintage jewelry, designing custom jewelry pieces, styling/stacking collections, and bringing emerging jewelry brands to her clients
How she got here: Chloe’s path has been unconventional, to say the least: she studied opera and cognitive science in undergrad at Yale, did a stint in strategy consulting, moved to Australia, went to culinary school, spent years as a recipe developer for brands like HelloFresh and the Food Network, and served as Martha Stewart’s culinary director. But earlier this year, she was called back to her family’s legacy. “I grew up around a lot of jewelry,” she explains—her great-grandfather founded Zales Jewelers, and, though the company sold before she was born, many of her relatives continued to work in the jewelry business, including her father and uncle. “The jewelry idea has been percolating for a really long time,” she says. “I feel like it’s a return to my roots. Working in jewelry, and having my two boys see that, makes me feel like they will have a tangible connection to their Zale side, even though that’s not their last name.”
What inspires her: “I want to help people make more meaningful and smarter jewelry purchases,” she says. She’s an obsessive sourcer, constantly looking at inspiration accounts and vintage jewelry sites for ideas (“it calms me!” she says). And she’s dedicated to both quality (she runs her finds through a third-party that verifies gold percentages, stone authenticity, and more) and value (“I want to help people build their collections at a price that is amenable to them,” she says). “I love that jewelry has stories,” says Chloe. “It marks milestones. It’s the best way to encapsulate a memory.” She’s also invested in lifting the veil on the jewelry industry as a whole. “The reason I call it the Chloe Zale Collective is that I want to be able to shed light on all the people I work with–my gemstone dealer, my diamond dealer,” she says. “I actually take inspiration from farm-to-table eating, and my background in hospitality,” she says. “My clients aren’t just supporting me; it’s a whole collective of small businesses. And there are people at every step of the way.”
Keep an eye out for: “I want to launch my own collection down the line,” she says. Her vision is for wearers to get the most mileage possible out of a piece—think two-toned mixed metals so you can wear the jewelry with anything, and multi-functional pieces like a ring that turns into a pendant. “Jewelry is expensive! It should work for you, and you should be able to use it in different ways,” she says. She also loves a bit of whimsy—she’s currently working on subtly pasta-inspired designs (read: not macaroni-art!) like a bucatini bangle and rigatoni hoops.
Reach out if: You want help building a jewelry wardrobe, to learn how to style pieces together, to create meaningful heirlooms, or to reset pieces that are collecting dust in a drawer. “This is where jewelry lovers come together.”
Find her at: Chloe and her family spend the school year in Dorado, Puerto Rico, but you can find her in Westport during the summer, and all the time at chloezale.com or @chloezalecollective.
Maria Casabianca, personal stylist at Styled by Maria
Specialty: Personal stylist helping accomplished women 35–65 build wardrobes that reflect the life they've created
How she got here: Maria has always worked in fashion, from her first boutique job at 16, she went on to the Fashion Institute of Technology and spent 30 years in marketing leadership for brands like Saint Laurent, Michael Kors, and René Caovilla. In 2012, she opened a boutique, Bianca, in Westport. When she closed the store in 2017, “I realized what I loved most wasn’t selling clothes, it was helping people discover the confidence that comes from wearing the right clothes. That became the foundation of my styling business.” She launched Styled by Maria in 2022.
What inspires her: “Style should evolve as your life evolves,” says Maria. “Over the years, I noticed women were struggling because they were dressing for a version of themselves that no longer existed. I don’t believe women need to chase trends or dress younger. I believe we should dress intentionally for the life we have today. When your wardrobe reflects who you are, getting dressed becomes easier, and confidence naturally follows. The goal isn't to impress other people. It's to feel completely like yourself.” At 55, Maria fully embodies her style philosophy—for both her clients and herself. “At this point in my life, I care far more about feeling authentic than fashionable. Ironically, that’s often what makes someone look the most stylish.”
Keep an eye out for: Her borderline-therapeutic approach to shopping and dressing. “It’s never about the clothes. It’s the moment a client looks in the mirror and says, ‘This is so me.’ Helping someone reconnect with themselves is why I love what I do.”
Reach out if: You’re juggling your career, family, travel, social calendar, kids’ schedules, aging parents, or are going through a major life transition, and you just “want your wardrobe to keep up with the life you’ve built.”
Find her at: styledbymaria.com or on Instagram at @styledbymaria.stylist
Justine Trudeau, founder, Justine Alexandra Studio
Specialty: Expertly curated pre-loved (and new!) pieces from contemporary and ready-to-wear designers and one-on-one styling for your personal style edit
How she got here: “I don’t think I ever officially ‘chose’ fashion or to enter the industry,” Justine tells Westport Lifestyle. “It just kept finding me!” Her fashion-world destiny dates back to shopping with her mom at a local boutique in Napa Valley, where she grew up. The owner was impressed with her eye, and hired Justine before she was even legally allowed to work, merchandising windows and displays and acting as a personal shopper. She moved to N.Y.C. to pursue musical theater and dance, but kept a day job at a men’s atelier selling made-to-measure suiting and was constantly styling her friends. She launched Justine Alexandra Studio in 20XX as a way to finally make it official. “What started as something I naturally did for friends eventually became a real job!”
What inspires her: Pre-loved fashion injected a much-needed dose of creativity back into Justine’s life, a welcome insert for a lifelong performer. “Social media has made fashion so accessible, which is awesome, but also incredibly uniform,” she says. “I started to feel like I was losing my creativity and looking like everyone else. Pre-loved fashion changed that. It encouraged me to build a wardrobe that feels personal, rather than algorithm-driven. The best wardrobes tell a story, and pre-loved pieces bring character and personality that you can’t find when everyone is shopping from the same pool.”
Keep an eye out for: Her preternatural ability to quickly zero in on your personal style and make unexpected combinations that feel true to you, even if she’s only known you for a few minutes. “I find it so empowering to help women feel confident, put together, and strong,” she says. “I love breaking down people’s ideas about what colors or prints they can wear, and seeing them feel proud of what they’re wearing.” She thinks of each client like an interior design process: rather than prescribe a set outfit formula, she considers whether the home is modern or historic. “It’s my job to find the best pieces for many different aesthetics.”
Reach out if: You need a unique outfit for an event or a fresh set of eyes to inject some color (pun intended) into your style. “I love a challenge. I’ll have a customer who needs an outfit for a weekend in Palm Beach or a disco-themed 40th birthday. You name it, I’ll find it!”
Find her at: Message @justine_alexandra_studio for trunk show information and one-on-one styling appointments.
Thomas Warden, Oribe Signature Stylist, Greg & Tony Salon
Specialty: Expert hair color, specifically all things blonding, from blonde to bronde (brunettes looking for light-reflecting highlights and inflections)
How he got here: “I was definitely meant to be a hairstylist, that was evident since childhood,” Thomas says. “As a child my mom enjoyed making arts and crafts for local craft fairs. My family always says that with four kids, she had own assembly line. One kid stenciling, my mom on the jigsaw, another kid sanding, the other painting, and the last laying everything out to dry. So with this hands-on, creative upbringing, it was only a matter of time till I picked up scissors and starting cutting my siblings hair. My sister is my forever muse!” He arrived at Westport-based Greg & Tony Salon three years ago, where he was soon selected as an Oribe signature stylist by the top-tier haircare brand. “It’s an honor reserved for a very small group of stylists across the country,” explains September Sirico, Greg & Tony’s salon director. “Thomas was selected and recognized by the luxury brand for mastering expert product layering, precision cutting, and editorial styling techniques.”
What inspires him: Getting to know his clients on a personal level, which allows him to give them their “best hair ever.” “When I come up with a vision for a clients hair, it really comes from the more I get to know you, the better hair you’re going to have,” Thomas says. “I get to know if you’re someone who is bold and takes risks and will try edgier looks, or if you’re the CEO of a company and you want a subdued, soft power look, or if you’re someone who enjoys change and switches things up seasonally.” Thomas embodies the idea that great hairstylists are also great listeners. “My favorite moment is when someone turns around \ when we’re finished and says ‘this is the best hair I’ve ever had.’”
Keep an eye out for: His beautiful blonde work, of course, but Thomas can make any cut or color dreams a reality. “When I moved to Connecticut just a few years ago, I came without a clientele. At Greg & Tony, I built a clientele basically overnight, with a wonderful team, and made amazing relationships. I love being creative and working with my hands. There are times when I’m completely in the zone being creative, and my soul is thriving,” he says. “It’s a very fulfilling experience.”
Find him at: Greg & Tony Ouidad Salon, where he takes appointments Tuesdays through Fridays (231 Post Road W., gregandtonysalon.com) or follow him at @t.isforthomas
Nitsan Greif, Founder & Designer, LivKhai Atelier
Specialty: Made-to-order bridalwear, celebration dressing, and flower girl dresses
How she got here: “As long as I can remember, I’ve been sketching. Even as a child, every drawing I made was of women wearing dresses or outfits I had imagined,” Nitsan tells Westport Lifestyle. “I was fascinated by the way fabrics moved, the textures, the silhouettes, the craftsmanship, and the endless possibilities. I was constantly imagining how I could reinterpret what I was seeing through my own designs.” After attending Istituto Marangoni in London, where she got her BA in fashion design (with a focus on the technical aspects of patternmaking, tailoring, draping, and textile development), she started working for design teams. She interned with Mary Katrantzou and worked as a pattern maker in a sampling studio in London before moving to New York and joining Zac Posen, then Rosie Assoulin. Most recently, she worked as a consultant for brands including Ulla Johnson, Fleur du Mal, and Gabriela Hearst. But when she moved to Westport in 2023, LivKhai was born. “For the first time, I realized I couldn't pursue motherhood and my career in exactly the same way I had before,” she says. (The name of her atelier is a combination of her children’s middle names—Liv represents protection and resilience, and Khai comes from a Hebrew word meaning life.) “I decided to build something that allowed both parts of my life to exist together—where my experiences as a designer and as a mother could continually inspire one another.”
What inspires her: “My favorite part of the design process is always the beginning,” she says. “I love starting with a blank inspiration board and filling it with fabrics, materials, images, colors, and references that spark something.” That said, there’s nothing like watching one of her finalized, hand-crafted designs walk down the aisle. “I know that each piece will become part of someone's wedding day, wedding weekend, or another unforgettable celebration. In many ways, every dress carries a little piece of me with it, and I never take that responsibility lightly. Watching an idea slowly transform into something tangible—and eventually into a garment that becomes part of someone’s most meaningful memories—never stops feeling magical.”
Keep an eye out for: Her people-first approach to designing celebration wear. “One of my favorite parts of the process is helping [brides] slow down, listen to what they're really looking for, and guide them toward something that feels authentically like them—not simply what's trending,” says Nitsan. “Bridal is one of the most relationship-driven areas of fashion, and that's what I love. Meeting my brides, getting to know their families, and becoming part of such an important chapter of their lives is incredibly meaningful to me.”
Reach out if: You want a timeless, unique, handcrafted piece for your most important lifecycle moments. “Bridal combines everything I enjoy about design: craftsmanship, artistry, a lot of technical knowledge, and a personal and emotional touch.”
Find her at: You can shop or make appointments for her Westport studio at livkhai.com, or follow @livkhai.atelier for more.
Christine Glazer, founder, Summer Feels Spray Tans
Specialty: Natural-looking, custom spray tans
How she got here: Christine's background is in hospitality, where she learned that people remember how a moment made them feel long after they've forgotten the details. Spray tanning gave her a way to create that same feeling in a single appointment. "Spray tanning changed how I felt about myself," she says. "I loved the healthy glow, but even more, the confidence that came with it." She started spraying her friends, and seeing them feel that same carefree confidence inspired her to launch Summer Feels in 2026. "Summer isn't just a season," Christine says of the name. "It's a feeling."
What inspires her: True to the reason she started her business, she’s driven by helping people feel good in their own skin. “A spray tan is a simple luxury with a positive impact on someone’s mood,” she says. “And best of all, without any sun damage!”
Keep an eye out for: Her custom-blended formulas, tailored to each skin tone and type. “No two clients or skin tones are alike, so no two tans should be either,” she says. “I'm always testing new colors and formulas to make sure I'm offering the best possible product. My studio is designed to feel calm and personal, like a little pause in your day rather than a quick in-and-out appointment. That's the difference between a spray tan and your spray tan.”
Find her at: See her work and book appointments on Instagram @summerfeelstans or at summerfeels.com
Kataryna Parciak, Founder of Skin by Kataryna at Heal Spa
Specialty: Luxury skincare, longevity, and holistic skin wellness
How she got here: Kataryna is originally from Poland, a culture that puts a huge emphasis on skin care starting at a young age. When she moved to the U.S., she started her career as an aesthetician, and opened her business seven years ago. It’s been expanding ever since, combining her deep bench of skincare knowledge and her medical background (she’s also a registered nurse) into a unique, transformative skincare spa. “I love combining results-driven treatments with a holistic, nurturing approach,” she says. “True beauty begins with overall well-being.”
What inspires her: “Curation is at the heart of everything I do,” she says. “ I choose luxury skincare lines that are internationally respected for their science, innovation, and clinical results, including MBR, Valmont, Biologique Recherche, and Forlle’d from Japan. I personally work with every line before bringing it into the spa to ensure it reflects both the quality and philosophy of Heal Spa.” She applies that curatorial philosophy to her clients, too: “Every recommendation is tailored to the individual. I look beyond the skin itself and consider lifestyle, stress, environmental factors, and overall well-being. My goal is always to create a thoughtful, personalized plan that evolves with each client’s needs.”
Keep an eye out for: Her newest offering, the Danish hair regrowth system Harklinikken. “Harklinikken aligns beautifully with my philosophy, because it’s highly personalized and focused on long-term scalp and hair health,” Kataryna says. “A customized botanical extract is formulated specifically for each client. It’s not about a quick fix—it’s about restoring balance to the scalp and creating the ideal environment for healthy hair growth over time. I appreciate that the approach is both science-driven and gentle, which reflects the way I approach skincare and overall wellness.”
Reach out if: You want healthier, younger-looking skin and hair, tailored exactly to your lifestyle.
Find her at: Make appointments by visiting heal-spa.com, or follow @skinbykataryna to learn more.
Old Stud Handmade Belts and Cuffs
Specialty: Vintage-inspired, true vintage, and fully custom leather belts and cuffs made by hand on-site in their Norwalk studio.
How they got here: Jeff Fuller originally founded his Los Angeles-based brand, Old Stud Handmade, in the late 1980s to sell his vintage-inspired designs, items from his extensive genuine vintage collection, and customized leather belts and cuffs. Jeff was also an avid collector of vintage Levi’s jeans, and after he sold his treasure trove of denim – more than 50,000 pairs – to Levi Strauss & Co for its archive (at a very significant sum) in 2018, he stopped working on Old Stud Handmade. As for how the Brand ended up in Connecticut? It’s one of those all-roads-lead-to Westport stories: Alex Lehr, owner of American Colors by Henry Lehr on the Post Road, was visiting Jeff Fuller in California two years ago when Jeff mentioned that Old Stud Handmade was for sale. (Alex carries a selection of vintage Levi’s in his shop.) Alex brought the opportunity to his landlord, Westporter Jim Randel, who liked the idea and bought the business. He brought it – and every last one of Jeff’s belts and leather hides back to the East Coast. Jim then partnered with Gene Manheim, and they brought on experienced craftspeople to work in their newly established Norwalk studio space. “We are picking up where Jeff left off and doing it on a bigger scale by launching the company’s first-ever website, and broadening the wholesale footprint,” says Gene. The company also opened a special Studio Shop at the factory, where locals can browse the enormous selection of belts.
Keep an eye out for: No exaggeration, the most unique belts and leather cuffs you’ve ever seen. There’s a reason these belts have been spotted on stars like Mick Jagger, Anne Hathaway, and Madonna. There are thousands of options, and something for everyone. “They’re all made by hand, and in a wide array of styles,” says Gene. There isn’t an element that you can’t customize, whether that’s swapping out a buckle, adding studding, re-sizing, or creating something from scratch. “No two belts we make are exactly alike,” says Gene.
Reach out if: You love vintage, the one-of-a-kind experience of customizing an item, or unique personalized gifts. (Gene says a popular move is getting custom belts with a through-line for groups like family reunions.)
Find them at: The Studio Shop is open Wednesday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 5 Silver St. in Norwalk. You can also shop online at oldstudhandmade.com. Their leather products are also currently available at 15 specialty boutiques around the U.S., including Bodega Nantucket on Nantucket, Henry Lehr in the Hamptons, and Free Agency New York in N.Y.C.
Alexandra Willinger Cohen, founder, The Curation by Alex
Specialty: Tailored style advice and inspiration from a former buying director
How she got here: Alex credits her mom for nurturing her creativity: “My free-spirited mom always allowed me to dress myself, which often meant backwards t-shirts, florals with stripes, and mismatched socks,” she says. “Looking back, it taught me that getting dressed is a form of self-expression and that style has the power to make you feel more confident.” So it was no surprise that she found a career in the fashion industry, working with brands like Bergdorf Goodman and Intermix across a range of roles including buying, merchandising, brand partnerships, marketing, and retail strategy. She and her family—her husband, two sons, and twin daughters—moved to Westport from Brooklyn Heights on "something of a whim,” she says: she remembered being charmed by the town when she had visited years earlier to open the Intermix that used to sit on Main Street. Since relocating, she launched The Curation by Alex, where she shares “thoughtfully edited finds, to make great style feel approachable through Instagram, Substack, curated shopping events, and personal styling.”
What inspires her: “My goal has never been to encourage people to buy more—it's to help them buy better,” Alex says. “I love introducing people to beautiful, well-made pieces they'll reach for again and again, whether they're investment staples or more affordable finds.” That ethos is grounded by her life as an on-the-go mom of four: “I'm always thinking about what actually works,” she says. “Pieces that are versatile, comfortable, polished, and worth the investment. I also love discovering emerging brands and sharing hidden gems that people may not know about yet. Very few things get me more excited than finding a dress or sweater that I instantly know I have to have. Fashion should be fun. My philosophy is that getting dressed should feel easy, and when your closet is thoughtfully curated, it usually does.”
Keep an eye out for: Her commitment to cohesion in a wardrobe, which helps make getting dressed effortless while still maintaining an elevated point-of-view. “Like most moms, my days are busy and unpredictable. What helps is having a closet filled with pieces that work together,” she says. "I don't spend much time deciding what to wear because I've built a wardrobe around things I love that mix and match. Getting dressed is something I genuinely enjoy, and even on hectic days, putting on an outfit I feel good in gives me a little boost of confidence and energy. Sometimes that's all you need.”
Find her at: “I always joke that I wasn’t born for the Instagram/selfie era, but you can usually find me on Instagram at @thecurationbyalex or on Substack, where I share style inspiration, shopping edits, beauty favorites, home finds, and the occasional glimpse into family life,” she says. Additionally, she has hosted in-person curated shopping events bringing new brands to Fairfield County, and plans to continue these pop-ups. She also has personal styling services available. Follow or reach out for more information.