From a childhood spent in Seventh Avenue’s garment district to her stints as a celebrated children’s clothier and Brooks Brothers designer, Nikki Kule has always been driven by a love of iconic fashion brands and the modern preppy aesthetic.

Immersed in the business from an early age, Nikki credits her parents, creators of the beloved 1970s clothing brand Happy Legs, with her abiding interest in the industry and art of fashion. Their commitment to both the business and each other have remained a crucial inspiration throughout Nikki’s career and life.

After attending Parsons School of Design in both Paris and New York, Nikki spent the first years of her career in Italy. While there, she augmented and enriched her classic American style with a bold, colorful European aesthetic—an influence that remains a constant in her style and design.

In 2001, Nikki launched Kule, the first American collection of luxury children’s clothing. The effort earned her an invitation into the CFDA, making her the second-ever children’s designer to gain membership in the esteemed organization. Since its launch, the Kule children’s brand has earned a loyal following among editors, celebrities, fashion designers, and discerning mothers.

In 2009, Brooks Brothers hired Nikki as a guest designer to re-launch its boys’ collection and, for the first time in the company’s almost 200 year history, introduce a girls’ collection.

It was in 2011 that Nikki finally decided to return to her roots and introduce a women’s collection, presenting ready-to-wearing defined by the “Preppy Luxe” aesthetic that she has embraced and developed throughout her life.

Now, Nikki enters a new phase of Kule with her branded Stripes collection for women and men, a study in the overlaps in classically Parisian and quintessentially American motifs. A seasoned collector and admirer of striped tops, Nikki focused on this passion, perfecting a range of silhouettes, each nuanced and inspired by fashion icons like Alexa Chung, Jane Birkin, Brigette Bardot, Picasso, and Sofia Coppola. The result is a specialized line that presents the essence of her design philosophy with a dash of Francophile whimsy.