Pearl River Native Launches Fashion Line

Stephanie Magrino, a 24 year-old Pearl River native, has announced her first fashion line, “Steph Alise”. Magrino’s clothes are bringing youth and class to modern professional wear through sophisticated silhouettes and refined tailoring.

Growing up, Magrino’s favorite part of the day was getting ready. She remembered meticulously laying out her outfits every morning, excited to try new trends and styles. As Magrino began picking out her outfits to enter the workforce, she realized the traditional corporate outfits did not spark the same excitement she had felt in her childhood. Magrino began dreaming of creating her own fashion line that could reflect a refined style of a new generation of young professionals – while also sparking that same joy she felt in her childhood. From that dream, Steph Alise was born. 

Her creative process began quietly during her nine-to-five, sketching designs in her free time and refining her ideas after work. With encouragement from her parents, she decided to take the leap, combining everything she had learned in both fashion and business to bring Steph Alise to life. Magrino credits her father, Robert Magrino, as her biggest inspiration behind the brand. “Anytime I hesitated, my dad reminded me that I have nothing to lose right now, so it’s worth the risk,” she said. The brand name, Steph Alise, stems from an inside joke in the Magrino household. Robert’s nickname for his wife Mary is “Alice”, and Magrino incorporated this nickname as a way of weaving her parent’s support into the brand’s identity.

This kind of attention to detail bleeds into every aspect of Steph Alise, from the visual identity to the customer experience. Each online order is hand-wrapped with a signature card detailing the brand’s mission of elevating work wear for young professionals. 

To capture this elevated essence, Magrino traveled to Paris this past summer to photograph and advertise her fall collection. “The Parisian aesthetic mirrors the vibe of Steph Alise: modern, timeless, and effortlessly chic,” said Magrino.

Behind the designs, pattern maker and fashion industry veteran Carroll Daretta, helps bring Magrino’s sketches to life. “It’s been such a collaborative process…There’s an understanding between all of us as a team to capture her inspiration,” Daretta said. 

Daretta added that Magrino’s passion has reignited her own creative energy: “Through her dream and effort, it really brought out my talents in ways I didn’t expect. She reminded me that these fun challenges are why I love this work.”

While Magrino’s line is available online direct to consumers at stephalise.com, she has also been involved in trade shows, fashion marketplaces for wholesale purchasers, and her products can be purchased in person at 11 boutiques across the country.

The fashion world is two seasons ahead of the current season, requiring Magrino to constantly be working on new designs. There are eleven pieces set to be released in the spring, and Magrino is busy crafting her summer selection already. Her favorite and best-selling piece is the first design she ever sketched – a vegan suede crossover blazer that exemplifies the updated professional style Magrino dreamed of.

As a young professional myself, I couldn’t resist trying out her fall collection. The trouser skirt fits like a dream, tailored, flattering, and complete with belt loops and pockets, all the while being an appropriate length for work. The navy blue vegan leather jacket, with its structured silhouette and buttery-soft finish, is a standout piece that perfectly captures the Steph Alise aesthetic: modern, confident, and timelessly chic. Steph Alise hs recently added some winter collection pieces to the site, so this holiday season be sure to keep a local designer in mind while shopping for your loved ones.