Abaete by Laura Poretzky

NEW YORK, Feb 4, 2008 / FW/ — Born in France to a Russian father and Danish-Brazilian mother, Laura Poretzky is a citizen of the world having been raised in Paris, Rio de Janeiro and New York. Her very cosmopolitan upbringing is part of her strength as a designer.

A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, she honed her skills at Ralph Lauren. Feeling the need to expand her creativity, Laura left Ralph Lauren and established ‘James’, a line of very sexy and very wearable swimwear.

Emboldened by the success of James, Laura launched Abaete in 2004, her first collection – Japanese-inspired Resort 2005. The collection was immediately picked up by Kirna Zabete and Linda Dresner.

Later during that year, Abaete debuted on the New York runway at the Altman Building during the Spring 2005 season. A year later, during the Spring 2006 season, Abaete won one of the sponsorships for the UPS Hub at Bryant Park.

Abaete became a household word when Laura Poretzky was approached by Payless to create its first-ever designer shoe collection. The shoes were presented as accessories of the Abaete Fall 2006 collection unveiled at Bryant Park.

While her shoe collection continues to enjoy success at Payless, the Abaete ready-to-wear line has also become a new by-word is luxury clothing. It is sold at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Cusp, Saks Fifth Avenue, Intermix and Henri Bendel.

[MARI DAVIS]

Last updated Aug 18, 2008