Connecticut Wedding Vendors

November 21, 2012

What’s in My Closet: Nichole Michel of Coral Pheasant Stationery + Design

Welcome back to “Whats in my…” Wednesdays, where today we feature one of my favorite, quirky fashionista’s Nichole Michel of Coral Pheasant Stationery + Design. You can always count on Nichole to be wearing something one-of-a-kind, and to me, that’s what defines her style. I never see her follow too many rules when it comes to fashion and you can see that in what she wears and how she carries herself. She has a very grounded sense of her own personal style which few people possess. I’ve often seen her clinging to some ridiculously fabulous vintage clutch or, found her wearing some enormous statement necklace and have said, “Nichole! Where did you buy that? I NEED to borrow that!!!” [Insert some ambigious vintage shop on her travels through Wisconsin where she used to live].

Speaking of rules, Nichole tends to break most of them when it comes to designing paper stories for her clients. She’s one of those uniquely talented designers who happened upon this industry after creating one of the most memorable invitation suites for her own wedding. We became fast friends and she opened up her company, Coral Pheasant, around the time that she was married. Coral Pheasant is a purveyor of unique custom paper goods and stationery for weddings, milestone celebrations and beyond. Nichole specializes in creating designs that are the perfect combination of beautiful typography, gorgeous patterns and thick, luxurious paper. A graduate of the University of Connecticut with a bachelor of fine arts and a minor in photography, Nichole spent the last seven years working as a graphic designer at a major consumer products company before opening her company.

I often joke with her and say, “Thank God you opened your business– otherwise, where would we send our clients?!” And not only that, but our clients absolutely adore her– and we hear the sentiment often that she somehow understand what they want without them having to describe it to her. That, friends, is artistic talent.

We asked Nichole to share with us her favorite pieces in her closet, and we’ll start with the pictured outfit above.

BCBG tulle tutu skirt and Vince Camuto grey suede boots
Nothing says “fun” more than a tulle tutu skirt! I love mixing the skirt with different textures: a white oxford shirt, a simple tank and cardigan, a silver sequin top or a brown leather motorcycle jacket. The grey suede Camuto boots are my favorite kicks to complete the look. Errr, they’re my fave kicks period!

Pheasant accessories
I’m loyal to my own brand, what can I say?! Pheasant wallet: Urban Outfitters | Pheasant phone case: society6 | Pheasant earrings: Vanishing Tribe

Vintage rabbit fur coat
I cannot tell a lie, I have five vintage furs in my collection and all of them were gifts from some of my favorite people. This particular fur was found on our honeymoon in California’s Russian River Valley giving it extra-special significance. My husband, Tim, and I were on our way to a vineyard when we drove by the biggest Salvation Army Distribution Center I have ever seen. I glanced over at Tim and pleaded “Babe, can we stop? Pretty, pretty please? The vineyard doesn’t open until 10:30 and it’s only ten now.” I was thinking I’d need to do a whole lot more convincing when he quickly did a u-turn and headed back. To say that I was stoked would be a massive understatement! It was Tim to found the fur coat and encouraged me to put it on. (Yes, this man has loads of style.) It fit perfectly and at $35.00 it was a major score. The retro diamond pattern on the inside was the cherry on top!

ginette_ny gold monogram necklace
I adore this piece for two reasons. First and foremost it was a gift from my husband on our wedding day: a beautiful necklace with my new initals. Secondly, as a graphic designer my love for typography runs deep. This necklace couldn’t be more chic with it’s intertwined looping letters forming a circular monogram. It’s the perfect size to wear with nearly every outfit making it an ideal accesssory!

Leather and tortoise lucite clutch
I found this retro gem at a flea market some years back. I’m super fond of the combination of materials and the shape. The black leather curves gently at the bottom while the tortoise lucite and chrome clasps form angular lines.

Thank you Nichole for sharing the treasures within your closet! To learn more about Nichole’s company, Coral Pheasant, visit her website.

Next week we take a departure from fashionable industry women and feature one of my favorite well dressed guys, Steve Depino of Steve Depino Photography. See you next week and Happy Thanksgiving!
 

for more from Nichole, be sure to follow her on facebook | instagram | twitter

  1. Jae says:

    I love the tulle skirt, it’s so young and fun. I also love the monogram necklace….very classy.

  2. Audra says:

    LOVE this. Nichole is sooo stylish and it’s the reason all of her work is awesome too!

  3. […] we take a departure from Christian Louboutins, vintage furs and beauty secrets to take a walk through my good friend Steve Depino of Steve Depino […]

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