Kelly Whitesell and Elizabeth Del Castillo met at the age of 14. In high school was where they realized their shared interest in digging through thrift and antique stores, secretly competing in the quest for the best finds, leading to admiration and respect for each others closets and personal style. The girls both entered a costume design program linked to the prestigious Indiana University School of Music, which paired with the Apparel Merchandising program. This small program in the middle of Indiana is where the vision of Eskell was born. After college, Kelly headed to the Fashion Institute of Technology to study fashion design. Elizabeth concentrated on Apparel Merchandising and Costume Design. Upon graduation, Kelly worked as design assistant for the label Miguelina for two years, cutting her teeth at labels like Mayle. Elizabeth worked with Spiegel for four years handling fabric sourcing and regulating production and traveling the world for work. With their combined backgrounds in Costume & Fashion Design, Apparel Merchandise and Business, this intrepid twosome put their heads and skills together to create Eskell.
In 2005 Eskell, the store was opened in Chicago. The first collection was made entirely by the girls using a mix of old and new fabrics. The press written about Eskell store had constant mention of the in store designed line. By the time anything came to print the collection had sold out. The girls decided to explore the industry in a more serious way leading Eskell into production and wholesaling, landing in stores such as Fred Segal and Barneys.
In 2007, Eskell moved the store to a larger location, still sticking to the same philosophies for buying and designing. The Eskell store is a fantasy blend of the Eskell line, various hard to find labels and of course their first love: vintage.
The philosophy of Eskell is deeply threaded in that of personal style. The idea that clothing is a chance to engage in life and self expression is one of the best things about being a woman. A woman’s wardrobe should be a creation of character shamelessly pulled from all alleys of inspiration. Eskell is about clothing that is feminine and classy yet always wanting to look modern and sexy. Eskell’s vintage inspired look always wants you looking into your wardrobe and thinking that you will have this to cherish in your closet for many years to come and retiring it to be a coveted piece of vintage to someone in the future.