ATM Anthony Thomas Melillo is a casual luxury brand designed very specifically for the young at heart – the wealthy, carefree, upscale, downtown set whose ATM cards hang as loosely in their pockets as the garments made by a hot new designer, Anthony Thomas Melillo/ATM. (His initials predated the coincidental irony that is referred to in the rest of this article – I checked.)
Melillo burst onto the scene at Barney’s, exclusively, probably because his brand is pricey and Barney’s does pricey very well. In fact, nothing in Barney’s is ever affordable, so they were well matched at the start. His/their prices are as steep and as pretty as any Alexander McQueen archetype, until, winter (as with my unusual introduction to him,) hangs on way too long, and the boutique, bold retailer had to resort to placing an occasional piece or two on the sales rack – perhaps just to tempt the St. Bart’s clientele to come in from the cold, get dressed and then blow out of dodge to a much warmer climate. I must have walked in before they blew – I purchased this black silk crepe de Chine maxi-length tank dress (without trying it on, XS is XS, I guess, and it fit!)
ATM, the man, has been honing his sewing and design skills for several years with many European design houses, learning about natural modal, silk, terry and cashmere fabrics. His mod stylings are contemporary and classic, (actually not anything I would even take a gander at, let alone purchase.) But, on a whim, on a crisp freezing February, I escaped the wind, and tripped over the sale, then fell for the dress and then flew out of the store with this silk sari and make believe vacation plans, (which oddly enough did materialize, sadly though, not in St. Bart’s.)
The ATM brand launched at the Barneys store in New York about three years ago and is now sold at boutique locations in exclusive specialty shops in NY, LA and London. It was originally marketed as the perfect t-shirt line, and has since evolved into a dynamic lifestyle collection.
Sold to the lowest bidder, sans the ATM fee!
