About Us

  

Duette NYC offers a collection of beautiful, comfortable, stylish basics that replace the stress of getting dressed with a deep satisfaction and a great sense of self-fulfillment. We offer a much needed alternative to yoga pants and leggings, which have their place in your closet, but are not the foundation of what a stylish, contemporary wardrobe is built upon.

About Us

We are your one-stop-shop for sustainable, chic basics.  We aspire to empower and uplift our customers by creating stylish, effortless clothing to complement all body types, ages and lifestyles. Our clothing leaves you feeling comfortable and confident; they are affordable and long lasting. We are passionate about sustainability, using eco-friendly fibers to make the highest quality fabrics that last. 

  

Diane - Co-Founder, Head of Research and Design

The idea for Duette NYC came from my need for pants that not only fit my lifestyle, but also my changing body.  Over the last few years, all of the pants in my closet, that at one time treated me like a great friend, had become my arch enemy. I was in denial that my body had changed but the demands of my busy life as a mother, wife and professional woman had not. Adding to my frustration, even when I found the perfect pair of leggings or a beautiful fitting crew neck or jacket, I wouldn’t be able to find them again (a typical experience in today’s world of fast fashion). Searching for flattering, stylish, go-to and comfortable pants and tops was time consuming and frustrating - so I decided to make my life, and others that share my feelings, a little easier and happier. 

Re-inventing the perfect go-to black pants was an essential first step, followed by never-let-you-down, great looking essential tops and jackets.  And did I tell you that they must be comfortable, washable, affordable and sustainable?! I worked with my friend and fellow mom Leslie Byron to make this dream a reality, because if anyone knows about making clothes – its Leslie.  We call our first collection the 12 Easy Sustainable Pieces - our favorite essential  garments designed to wear with everything, make life easier by spending less time and money looking great. And, we are embracing a more positively conscious lifestyle with our unique, sustainable and eco-friendly fabrics.

 

Leslie - Co-Founder & CEO, Chief Creative Director, Architect

I studied architectural engineering in college and have built several buildings in NYC. Early in my career I felt the pull to pursue my love for fashion, and so, following my dream, I went on to build a career in fashion as a Creative Director and Designer, making pants and tops for women - curvy women, tall women, petite woman, women of all ages and lifestyles. Tapping into my background in architecture, I tailor clothing with silhouettes that make every women look their best. I've designed and sold well over 1,000,000 pairs of pants over the last 20 years for major brands including Lauren Ralph Lauren, Anne Klein, Jones New York and Perry Ellis.

In the fall of 2018, Diane and I joined forces and got to work researching sustainable fibers, resources, and fabrics that would live up to our exacting standards. Our first design was the 24/7 pant - The Broadway - the wear anywhere, anytime effortless staple. As one of our early clients said, “These pants are game changers. I slip them on and look and feel fabulous and the quality of this recycled fabric is very high, how did you do it?”

We like to say, our pants have “feelings” - they offer our customers the pure joy of knowing they can get dressed in seconds, look in the mirror, love what they see, love how they feel, and move on with their busy day. 
 

 

Striving for Conscious Capitalism
Sustainability was no afterthought for us. From the beginning, Duette NYC embraced the responsibility of creating a conscious clothing line in today’s world, aware of the waste and pollution in the fashion industry. And so we began our journey by making all of our fabrics from recycled fibers and sustainable sources. We have carefully selected manufacturing partners that align with our objectives. We are on a continuous pursuit to find new and creative sources of sustainable materials and collaborate with partners who strive to do more good for more people.