RIVER NORTH — Joan Pavalon and Jocelyn Weinzimmer, the sisters who started the shawl line ARMigami, began making the multipurpose garments to solve common issues with scarves and shawls.
Weinzimmer, a River North resident, and Pavalon, a Deerfield resident who “dabbles with sewing,” as Weinzimmer put it, began ARMigami to create easy-to-use shawls that don’t fall off. The two announced the debut of their Spring/Summer collection March 15.
Soon after starting the line, they realized that the accessory was particularly useful for women who work in cold, air-conditioned offices and carried sweaters to keep warm, Weinzimmer said. The idea originally arose from Weinzimmer's own shawl obsession, and her frustration at losing them over the years whenever they fell off her shoulders.
“I was the one who was always crazy about a wrap, and it had to match my outfit,” Weinzimmer said. “[Joan] had gotten some interesting fabric, and I was like ‘Can you figure out a way to make [this]?’ ”
The development of the shawl, which started with Pavalon sewing two vintage scarves together, took a lot of trial and error to perfect their two patent-pending designs, Weinzimmer said, adding that neither her nor her sister had been to fashion school. From coming up with a name to making the brand label to determining what to include on the care tag, the two had to do extensive research in order to get every detail right.
“Because we played with the dimensions and how to keep it attached, [the design] organically grew,” Pavalon said.
From thicker polyester and spandex shawls with ivory and gold sequins to black and white striped shawls in a lightweight Lycra fabric, the Chicago-manufactured, one-size-fits-most garments can be worn with variety of outfits and from day to night.
A key challenge for the sisters was conveying the variety of ways it can be worn, they said, so the website is updated with videos demonstrating the garment's many draping options. Customers can wear it in 15 different ways, including wrapping it around their waists as a flowy skirt, across their shoulders as a standard shawl or around their necks to create a dress, Weinzimmer said.
“We call it fun, fashionable and functional,” Weinzimmer said about the brand. “We think every woman needs one.”
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