Photographs by Matthew Sprout
After receiving her bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising and management at the University of Missouri in Columbia, St. Clair, Mo., native Andrea Cheatham Quattlebaum moved to Los Angeles, where she met Shamani Hall. Together, they started Otis & Maclain (otisandmaclain.com), a clothing line inspired by the grande dames of yesteryear, such as Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot. The line has made it into the wardrobes of a number of modern-day starlets, including Jessica Alba and Halle Berry, and it’s gotten buzz in Teen Vogue, Elle, InStyle, Gossip Girl, and The Rachel Zoe Project. Now, Otis & Maclain is coming to Klutch, which hosts a trunk show and fashion show on July 13. (SLM is a media sponsor.)
How would you describe Otis & Maclain’s summer line?
It’s inspired a little bit by the Topanga Canyon area in L.A. It’s kind of laid-back and easygoing and vintagey, with lots of prints and bright colors.
What was the hardest part of establishing the company?
Just figuring everything out on your own. Nobody really tells you how to do it. It probably would have helped if we’d interned somewhere. We both have retail backgrounds. So just trying to figure out, where do we buy our fabric? Where do you buy your zippers?
Did being from St. Clair influence your fashion sense?
I always did kind of dress up for school, but I guess St. Clair hasn’t really affected my style. My mom has [affected it] a lot, just because she always looks very well put-together.
And the rest of your style comes from research?
Yeah, when I lived in Columbia, Mo., I remember I would get a package in the mail all the time, because I was always shopping online.
Otis & Maclain is influenced by street style. What do you think of St. Louis’ street style?
It’s definitely more conservative. In L.A., everybody has their really big personal style, and they throw different things together, and it kind of works. Here, it definitely seems more classic.
You recently married a guy from St. Clair and split your time between here and L.A. Is that hard?
We’re kind of used to it. When we first started dating, we did long-distance for a year because I lived in L.A. and he lived here. Then I moved back. It is tough.
Did you design your own wedding dress?
No. I went into it thinking I was going to design the bridesmaids’ dresses, and I didn’t. It ended up being too big of an ordeal.
Klutch, 1126 Town & Country Crossing, 636-220-6110, klutchstyle.com.
