BETTER THAN SCRUBS: Designer Spotlight: SCHAI

My style tastes are all over the place, but I have tended to avoid both very fitted, very body-con items and high volume, architectural designs. I wanted to break into new areas, though, and since I love independent and emerging designers, I absolutely fell in love with local Seattle designer, Suk Chai of SCHAI. Born in Korea, Chai studied at FIT and designed for Nordstrom for years. Her personal line is characterized by clean but not sharp architectural lines, exquisite attention to detail and crafting, and luxe fabrics and tailoring. She was recently highlighted in the New York Times T Magazine as part of the Not Just a Label pop op shop at the Waldorf-Astoria, honoring designs made in New York. The pop op shop opens tonight and runs for a week.

I had been trying to hook up with her for months, and actually preordered two pieces from her spring line, sight unseen.

Finally, I was able to see her clothing up close and personal (and meet the designer herself, who is lovely, warm, funky but elegant, and clearly cares enormously about the clothes she creates) at her sample sale currently on through Saturday at Sell Your Sole in Belltown. These gorgeous pieces are up to 80% off. She has a number of leather and shearling items, like this glorious black shearling-lined coat.

She has a leather and calf-hair t-shirt with zippered shoulders, shown here with matching jacket.

I ended up leaving with an inky leather crop top in a boxy silhouette and a long face-powder pink fleece skirt with a high waist and full, subtle high-low shape.

Some of the looks seem simple until you examine the construction, which is exquisite enough that you could wear the items inside out. Look at the lining and inner seaming of this fleece skirt.