ABOUT

Cardinal adores prints and celebrates them in a line of vintage-inspired pieces from the imagination of Chelsea Cardinal. A self taught fashion designer, Chelsea began making clothing in her teens and pursued a career in graphic design before launching Cardinal in 2013. Cardinal is devoted to creating beautiful heirloomesque pieces worth cherishing. We believe in thoughtfulness, not taking our good fortune for granted and treasuring the things we have.

Our collections grow from the prints and many of them are hand-painted directly on the garments in very small runs, so they are indeed wearable pieces of art. Cardinal is designed and produced in New York City.

PRINTS AND HAND-PAINTING

Prints are the heart and soul of Cardinal and we love exploring all the ways to put an image on fabric. All of our prints are exclusive to Cardinal. You can see most of them in the Print Library! Many Cardinal pieces are hand-painted and produced in very small quantities, usually between one and three pieces, making them extremely special and one-of-a-kind. Because we do small runs, we are able to source reclaimed and deadstock fabrics for hand-painted treatments, reducing costs and waste. The best part is it’s fun—hand-printing is immediate and physically engaging and reminds us everyday of the complete joy we get from creating.

MADE IN NEW YORK CITY

A vital and beloved aspect of Cardinal is our access to the historic New York City garment disctrict where we produce many of our pieces. We work with a handful of small, family-owned cut-and-sew teams and the expertise and skill of these local businesses have been an integral part of Cardinal’s story—they’ve taught us so much! We are dedicated to keeping our production in NYC, close to home, and continuing to support the small businesses here who are working to keep New York’s garment district alive.