Tag Archives: eskell

Look at this collection- It’s so sweet and so well made. all silks and cottons and made in america. We Love these two amazing Chicago designers…
Here’s their story.

Kelly Whitesell and Elizabeth Del Castillo met at the age of 14. In high school was where they realized their shared interest in digging through thrift and antique stores, secretly competing in the quest for the best finds, leading to admiration and respect for each others closets and personal style. The girls both entered a costume design program linked to the prestigious Indiana University School of Music, which paired with the Apparel Merchandising program. This small program in the middle of Indiana is where the vision of Eskell was born. After college, Kelly headed to the Fashion Institute of Technology to study fashion design. Elizabeth concentrated on Apparel Merchandising and Costume Design. Upon graduation, Kelly worked as design assistant for the label Miguelina for two years, cutting her teeth at labels like Mayle. Elizabeth worked with Spiegel for four years handling fabric sourcing and regulating production and traveling the world for work. With their combined backgrounds in Costume & Fashion Design, Apparel Merchandise and Business, this intrepid twosome put their heads and skills together to create Eskell.

In 2005 Eskell, the store was opened in Chicago. The first collection was made entirely by the girls using a mix of old and new fabrics. The press written about Eskell store had constant mention of the in store designed line. By the time anything came to print the collection had sold out. The girls decided to explore the industry in a more serious way leading Eskell into production and wholesaling, landing in stores such as Fred Segal and Barneys.

We are so Happy the also landed at BellJar-