Cool and creative with a European flair, Stina’s holiday and winter wear will be showcased at this year’s Christmas in Edgartown on Dec. 11-13 at the corner of Main and South  Water Streets.

Who is Stina Sayre:  Stina is a Swedish import.  Born and raised in Scandinavia, she grew up in perpetual motion:  windsurfing, skiing, skating and schooled in fashion at her grandfather’s chain of retail clothing stores.  By the time she moved to the island of Martha’s Vineyard in 1986, she was a champion international windsurfer – top 10 in the world! 

Athletic and petite, she resisted “cute” apparel her whole life.  In 1989, she decided to design her own line of clothing, inspired by the Swedish traditions of simplicity, function and innovation, merged with her life-long romance with the sea.  The result:  two collections of meticulously crafted ready-to-wear and custom clothing each year.

What Stina Does:  Everything!  She designs, cuts, sews custom orders, consults with clients and oversees a small cadre of highly skilled seamstresses.  Stina shops for fabrics worldwide, buying most in New York, scooping up the leftovers from high-end designers like Ungaro, Blumarine, Donna Karan and Bebe.  Made in Italy, France and Japan, the fabrics are noteworthy for their rich body, texture and color.  

In summer 2007 she moved her operation into a cozy storefront just steps from Vineyard Haven Harbor, across the street from the historic Black Dog Tavern.  Vaulted ceilings, white walls and big windows showcase bolts of fabric, her cutting table, swatches, patterns and several racks of ready-to-wear clothing.  A working studio and retail boutique, the blue and yellow Swedish flag flies above the doorway to let customers know that the designer is in.

What’s New this Fall/Winter:  Asymmetric ribbed knit coats with industrial zippers.  Boiled wool jackets and coats.  Italian leather.  Whisper-soft merino wool sweaters and jackets lined with silky cotton jersey, trimmed with silk chiffon. Shimmering silk velvets.  Sexy stretch velvets.  Cashmere silk brocades.  Purses and totes made from silvery seatbelt webbing to go the extra mile.

What Makes Stina Different:  She’s a study in contrasts.  Small enough to be hands-on but sophisticated enough to infuse her line with a sense of cutting-edge European flair.  Stina offers couture clothing at deliberately realistic prices.  Her pieces form an ongoing story – the palette and the style enable customers to add to their collections and to mix and match, season after season.  Sleek is paired with filmy, nubby with smooth, the unabashedly feminine with the coolly athletic.

Who Wears Her Clothing:  As Stina says, “Women with an air of confidence and a sense of adventure, from 20 to 80 and every age in between!”

Stina’s Favorite New Garment: Asymmetric ribbed knit wool sweater coat with industrial zipper.

Her Fabrics & Colors:  Ranging from supple silks to breathable technical fabrics, Stina’s apparel makes a subtle statement in cool, complementary earth and sea tones with black lending drama to her Fall/Winter collections.  

What Stina Loves:  Letting her creative energy flow in diverse directions, including following her design impulses out on a limb and putting materials together in unexpected combinations, such as this season’s extravagant Italian lambskin leggings; and collaborating with her photographer to create edgy, energetic, out-of-the-ordinary photographs of her work.

The Must-Have Fall/Winter Item:  Fur-trimmed fleece fingerless gloves.

She’s in Good Company:  Marimekko, Ingmar Bergman, Saab, Volvo, Bang & Olufsen, Scania, Ericsson.  Stina harkens from Scandinavia, renowned for its striking design aesthetic and innovative spirit.  

What They Say About Stina Sayre:  Timeless.  Edgy.  Comfortable.  Classic.  European-inspired.  Surprising.  Feminine.  Functional.  Playful.  Elegant.  Sexy.

Where to Find Her:  Stina Sayre is located at 13 Beach Road Extension in Vineyard Haven, MA. 
Phone:  508-560-1011.  Website:  www.stinasayre.com.