Sue Sartor

Sue Sartor is an independent designer with a deep admiration for fashion, textiles, art & flowers. A student of art history and lover of the visual world, Sue’s inspiration for her exclusive block prints and original embroideries include an array of sources from art & nature to architectural details & furniture design.

In the prolific 90’s, Sue worked for Calvin Klein’s iconic luxury brand, Calvin Klein Collection, in fashion merchandising. Sue had long dreamed of designing an artisan luxury line dresses & kaftans. After 20 years of raising her family, painting original artwork, and rewarding community volunteering, she realized it was never too late to follow her dream.

In 2019, she launched the “Paloma” dress— named for Paloma Contreras— when she unveiled the first of the dresses at Paloma’s door front in Houston. Now known as the Sue Sartor Flounce™️ Dress, it is a workhorse wear-everywhere dress and the hero of her brand.

Based on a comfy kaftan concept, the Flounce™️ allows ease of movement and absolute comfort while still offering a put-together and sophisticated look. It is known for its versatile easy style, signature hand-piped placket front, 3/4 balloon sleeve, pockets, banded collar, and a joyous textural print mash up.

Sue’s line exemplifies joy & femininity through and through. The dresses are for everyone and made to make the wearer feel like her best self. All of Sue’s designs are made in 100% cotton and or 100% silk, and whenever possible, her fabrications are hand-loomed, preserving a dying art form.

SUE SARTOR is currently found online at suesartor.com, in New Orleans at the flagship location on Magazine Street, and soon in a new Dallas storefront across from SMU in Snider Plaza. Sue is in her third season designing an exclusive capsule for Anthropologie and is launching an exclusive silk kaftan collection with Blackberry Farm this spring. Sue is a Southern Living Tastemaker and was recently interviewed by Laura Vinroot Poole for the “What We Wore” Podcast.

Sue currently has 4 block printing artisan workrooms in Jaipur and Delhi, India, that hand-stamp each one of the brand’s custom prints. Her sewing, pattern making, and embroidery workrooms in Delhi are run by her production family, lead by a husband and wife team consisting of over 30 talented team members.

The small batch brand continues to grow mindfully and thoughtfully. She and her husband Walter, a General Surgeon, met at Tulane University and spend their time between Monroe Louisiana and New Orleans. They have 3 amazingly supportive and creative grown children. Sue attributes The Southern Coterie as being one of the key inspirations that gave her confidence early-on to, in her late 40’s, grow her brand, be the brand, dive in, always reach out and collaborate and have fun doing what you are passionate about!