Elegance should be Easy

The initial meeting with designer Jill Lao took place in a discreet creperie on the edge of the central business district. It was set on an afternoon hour ideal for a cup of coffee, but she expressed a preference for tea. “Chamomile, please,” Lao specified timidly. You can tell a lot from the beverage of choice people make during this time of day. Immediately, the Parsons’ School of Design alumna impressed as someone more at ease with working under the radar. Like tea, she had a subdued, shy and sometimes self effacing, nature about her. But it was by no means lacking in fervor, flair or flavor.

The blue drawstring jumpsuit she wore that day was just as clear a marker of her identity as a fashion