Fragrance house

Nanette Lepore

Nanette Lepore’s business began in 1987 as Robespierre, a small East Village store and clothing line created by Nanette Lepore and Mary Ann Vassilakos. By the mid-1990s, the label carried Lepore’s name, while the eponymous brand dates its formal founding and first collection to 1992 in New York City’s Garment District. Its design identity centered on feminine, romantic, colorful womenswear, including dresses, blouses, and tailored suits, with later coverage describing the look as boho-chic femininity. The business expanded into fragrance and footwear by 2006, followed by a reported Keds footwear collaboration in 2007. After Bluestar’s involvement, the brand extended through a secondary apparel line and licensed products. Bluestar Alliance acquired a majority stake in 2015. By 2020, Lepore had closed her design studio after her Spring 2020 New York Fashion Week collection, while her designs were being phased out and the label continued through licensed products. In 2024, Lepore said she no longer had her name; she had launched the separate Maria Cecilia brand in summer 2023.