Monse
United States
Monse is a private New York fashion label founded in 2015 by Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, known for deconstructed tailoring and graphic prints. The founders stepped down from Oscar de la Renta in 2025 to focus on Monse.
| Founded | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Founders | Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia |
| Headquarters | New York, United States |
| Ownership | Private |
| Boutique | 15 Rivington Street, New York |
| Segment | Luxury and designer houses |
| Website | monse.com |
What is Monse?
Monse is an American luxury women's ready-to-wear label headquartered in New York. Its site describes the style as deconstructed tailoring and graphic prints that give Monse clothing an emblematic casual look.
History
Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia met while working at Oscar de la Renta and launched Monse in 2015, showing the first collection (Spring 2016) at New York Fashion Week. They became co-creative directors of Oscar de la Renta in 2017 while still designing for Monse, and in 2025 stepped down from Oscar de la Renta to focus solely on their own label. They received the Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent at the 2017 CFDA Fashion Awards.
Products and positioning
The core business is women's ready-to-wear inspired by the mix of masculine and feminine and the deconstruction of classic menswear tailoring. The brand also offers accessories and, through collaborations, footwear and athleisure.
Business model and distribution
Monse is privately held, and the sources name no outside owner. It sells through its own online store and a boutique at 15 Rivington Street in New York, which offers private fittings and custom requests, as well as through retailers including Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman, Revolve, Farfetch and Shopbop.
Collaborations
Partnerships include Both footwear (2020), Equinox athleisure (2022), Shein x Monse (2024), custom suits for the Blue Origin NS-31 flight (2025) and Sperry footwear, unveiled in 2025 and launched in March 2026.
Why it matters
Monse stands out because its founders hold both a young independent label and, until 2025, a heritage house, a model that showed how a new New York brand could use creative leadership at an established name to increase its visibility. It now stands on its own again.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Monse?
Monse was founded in 2015 by Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, who met at Oscar de la Renta. They launched it in New York.
Is Monse a luxury brand?
Monse is a New York luxury ready-to-wear label sold at retailers such as Nordstrom and Bergdorf Goodman. It is privately held.