Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Victoria Cates, the 36-year-old owner of vintage-inspired clothing brand Potion23, is showing me around her South Grand studio, a second-story walk-up located across the street from the hot brunch spot Rooster. The space, decorated with French provincial furniture dressed in velvet, gilded display cases, and hanging racks draped in brightly printed clothes, is where Cates creates her feminine, easy-to-wear separates. “I’m drawn to lightweight fluttery fabrics that evoke past eras,” she says. The Rapture blouse, with 1940s-style voluminous sleeves and bow detailing at the bust, is shown in a cotton print Cates describes as “’60s does ’20s”: that is, vintage 1960s, emblazoned with 1920s imagery, in this instance flappers in marching band hats. The fabric was a gift from a friend, says Cates, who saw it at an estate sale. Cates had enough fabric to create just one blouse with it, displaying Potion23’s modern-meets-vintage aesthetic beautifully. (It’s now available in other fabrics, too.)
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Victoria Cates
Victoria Cates is Potion23. With her turquoise hair, bright blue eyes, and dressed in clothes straight from her latest collection, she’s the essence of her brand’s whimsical vibe. Born in New York City, Cates moved to California to study fashion at The Beverly Hills Design Institute. After graduation, she moved back to New York to work for an accessories company. Then a friend from St. Louis persuaded Cates to move to her hometown with her. Cates says she was looking for a fresh start and motivated by the thought of living in a smaller city with fewer barriers to entry. Six years later, the decision seems to have paid off. In fall 2018, Cates launched her first collection. Today, items from the collection can be purchased online. Cates, who works out of a studio, designs clothes—gingham maxi dresses ($360), puff-sleeve blouses ($160), box-pleat skorts ($100)—that sell out in a New York minute.
What inspired the name Potion23? “Potion” is in reference to the magical, witchy aesthetic that comes from the time I lived in Salem, Massachusetts. Twenty-three is my lucky number. My mom had a nickname for me—deux trois—meaning “two three” in French. I have a lot of history with the number.
Did you grow up sewing? I inherited a 1930s Singer sewing machine from my great-grandmother who was an artist and all-around creative lady. I took sewing classes but used my skills mostly to do alterations. In high school, I made some of my own clothes but not too many. I wish I had made more.
Your background is in hand embroidery. Why did you switch to making clothing? Hand-embroidery is very niche. It is beautiful but incredibly time-consuming. I used to hand-embroider very detailed images—like leopards, rabbits, faces—and place them on garments that I’d also made, like collars or hats. Each item could take weeks to complete. It became very expensive and not a viable way to earn a living. I think hand embroidery is almost better as art, framed and displayed on a shelf, rather than sewn onto a garment. Some of my original hand-embroidered pieces are now framed in my studio.
What motivated you to launch Potion23? I was working for Parsimonia, the vintage clothing store on South Grand. I was the “clothes doctor” there: I spent most of my time repairing and adjusting vintage clothes. The items were beautifully made, very ornate with vibrant prints and color. Some still looked perfect even after 85 years. Being among all those garments inspired me to start my own line.
How do you describe the look of Potion23? Vintage meets modern with a whimsical, colorful twist. I make wearable silhouettes. The styles aren’t fussy but still hark back to that era when people got dressed up and took pride in wearing well-made clothes.
Where do you find the inspiration for your clothes? I loved working among old clothes in vintage stores. As items would come in, I realized that I had favorite eras. I fell in love with 1930s and 1940s garments. I’m inspired by the Art Deco magic of these historic styles and try to rejuvenate them with playful modern prints. I also like to find a trend and go nuts and make it my own. I recently made beach hats that draw on the bucket hat trend. But unlike a bucket hat, mine are pointy with a brim. I look at what people are buying and think, How can I make it me?
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Describe your design process. I source small runs of vintage fabric that I use to create one-of-a-kind pieces. I started out buying new fabric yardage but am moving away from that, as I want to be more sustainable. So now I go to estate sales or shop for individual pieces of vintage fabric. And it’s amazing: When people know what you do, word spreads and they’ll randomly drop off a bag of fabric that they found in their mom’s attic. I’m always trying new things. I prefer to give my clients [consistent] new things to keep them engaged as opposed to creating a few big seasonal drops.
How can people buy your clothing? My website has the most updated styles. They’re either ready to ship or will be made to order and available in two weeks. Some of my pieces are at May’s Place, in The Grove, and I’m active on social media—that’s where I share information about the markets and pop-ups I’ll be attending.
Any advice for aspiring fashion designers? Know that it takes a lot of hands to run a clothing business. You can’t do it alone, and you need to recognize your strengths and delegate when necessary. I had two sewers who helped me make my clothing to ensure that orders got out in time. But I had to scale back when the pandemic hit and sales declined. I also work with a local pattern maker. She takes my ideas and tweaks them to make a pattern and a sizing run. There are certain things that you have to outsource. If you’re not willing to do that, you are going to be frustrated.
Finally, what are your goals? I’d love to expand the reach of my brand to the point where I can employ local stitchers. I’d love to be able to teach people the craft of sewing.
