Find out how her Converted Closet journey has taken Kate McGuire to the heart of fashion royalty
Written by Cath Dean
Regular Simply Sewing readers may already be familiar with Kate McGuire of Converted Closet. The self-styled refashion designer, and climate activist with a passion for repurposing vintage clothing was featured in the pages of Simply Sewing back in 2020, and her upcycling journey has taken her in an exciting direction since we last spoke. We caught up with Kate to hear the latest on her Converted Closet adventure, and to find out which very high-profile A-lister is a fan of her conversions.
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND
Originally from the UK, Kate is now based in New York, one of the most stylish cities in the world. Has living in Manhattan influenced her design choices? “I think a large part of it is a natural evolution, but I’ve been influenced by American style. Americans embrace drama and dramatic looks – the bolder the better. That's been really liberating, because anything goes, especially in New York!”
The incredible thrifting opportunities the city offers has also enabled Kate to embrace her passion for couture. “The vintage fairs here are next level, the quality is incredible. The opportunity to source great vintage clothes is immense, but you only need one great piece of clothing to feel like you've had a great success.”
AND JUST LIKE THAT
Kate’s high-end converted designs have also been adopted by the ultimate New Yorker – Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw. When Kate heard the second series of And Just Like That would be filming in the city, she contacted the show’s costume designer, Danny Santiago, on Instagram, inviting him to take a look at some of her work. He jumped at the opportunity. The meeting was the start of a fruitful creative partnership, with Kate providing a number of beautiful pieces to be worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in the hit remake.
“Danny came round with Molly [Rogers, fellow costume designer on And Just Like That],” Kate explains.
"They’re absolutely fantastic people, so creative. They know Sarah Jessica Parker like the back of their hand – it’s a real skill set to see things and know if she’ll like them or not. As I worked with them, the more I understood what they thought she would go for, which was amazing.”
VINTAGE REIMAGINED
Many of Kate’s converted pieces were worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in series two of the hit show. One of the most recognisable pieces is the oversized flight suit worn by Carrie Bradshaw
