Versatility meets adventure in the fashions of Stina Sayre, a Swedish-born clothing designer who lives and works on Martha's Vineyard. Her website - stinasayre.com - features an enticing array of multi-seasonal clothing that fuses function with elegance and sophistication, as well as accessories that include her trademark sleek black bags and totes.
"For winter I love to create pieces that are warm and soft and sensuous, but also have a little edgy feeling to them," she says. "They are functional yet distinctive, great for everyday wear but stylish enough for the city. And when it comes to cruise wear, my designs are all about breezy style. Very playful but sophisticated."
Her website, stinasayre.com, showcases a variety of Ms. Sayre's unique designs. Visitors to her studio can avail themselves of her custom fitting services, too. Ms. Sayre opened her doors to the public last year, tucked into a row of tiny shopfronts across from the Black Dog Tavern on Vineyard Haven harbor, the main port of entry to the island. The bright blue and yellow Swedish flag flies outside the door on days when the studio is open. Inside, the shop is crisp and clean and filled with light. Here, customers can see the craft of clothing design coming to life, from the first sketches to the choice of fabrics to the finished garment. Unlike most clothing available today, factory-made overseas, Ms. Sayre’s clothes are handmade on the island by Ms. Sayre herself and other skilled artisans.
Her design inspiration comes from water in all its forms, reflecting its shifting shapes and colors. This is not surprising, coming from someone who was the Swedish women's national wind surfing champion, who grew up riding the winds and frigid waters of Scandinavian fjords during the summer, and spending her winters skiing and skating.
Today, Ms. Sayre is known for the cool, creative cut of her coats, dresses, tops, pants and skirts - all designed with an element of surprise, as though a stray breeze had come along and ruffled things up a bit. Her combinations of fabric and garment function are unexpected, evoking avant garde European design with a playful twist. The results of her pairings are collections with clean lines, sometimes edgy yet still elegant and stylish. Ms. Sayre calls her work "classic, with an eye to the future."
Ms. Sayre creates each season's collection to integrate with her earlier designs, interweaving a flexible collection that moves smoothly from one year to the next, offering ever-changing opportunities to mix and match. The fabrics run the gamut from luxurious silks and linens to Italian lambskin and high-tech stretchy blends. Her trademark accessory is a sleek handbag made from shiny black seat belt webbing.
Stina Sayre's customers are typically adventurous women of all ages and lifestyles, she says. "Many return again and again because my clothing makes them feel strong, confident and sexy," she says. "I like that my work can have that effect on people."
The Stina Sayre design studio, located at 13 Beach Street Extension in Vineyard Haven, is open during the winter by chance or by appointment by calling 1-508-560-1011.
Versatility meets adventure in the fashions of Stina Sayre, a Swedish-born clothing designer who lives and works on 
Her design inspiration comes from water in all its forms, reflecting its shifting shapes and colors. This is not surprising, coming from someone who was the Swedish women's national wind surfing champion, who grew up riding the winds and frigid waters of Scandinavian fjords during the summer, and spending her winters skiing and skating.
Ms. Sayre creates each season's collection to integrate with her earlier designs, interweaving a flexible collection that moves smoothly from one year to the next, offering ever-changing opportunities to mix and match. The fabrics run the gamut from luxurious silks and linens to Italian lambskin and high-tech stretchy blends. Her trademark accessory is a sleek handbag made from shiny black seat belt webbing.
