Diana LoMonaco is a master of ideas – her friends and family describe her as a jack of all trades!
After working in the corporate world of graphic design, Diana took a leap of faith to build her own creative agency. Once she felt that entrepreneurial itch again, she moved to channel her design expertise into the Platinum Penny blog and, ultimately, Classic Six.
A unique notion built on finding a solution to excess fast fashion, Classic Six is a capsule collection concept of wardrobe essentials made up of timeless silhouettes and classic styles that can be worn, mixed and matched for endless looks – solving every woman’s problem of having a "closet full of clothes and nothing to wear."
As female founders with businesses that focus on style, versatility and sustainability, there was obvious common ground for Diana and Lindsey to form a bond.
Let’s dig a little deeper and learn more about Diana LoMonaco.
My favorite thing to listen to when I design is…
My go-tos are Billie Holiday or any kind of Jazz, because it is the calm to my crazy days. Loving 60’s French pop lately, but it totally depends on my mood. This week I was listening to Rodrigo y Gabriela because I needed upbeat.
My favorite person I’ve dressed is…
I wish I could say someone famous, but probably my mom, who incidentally is famous as far as Classic Six goes! Everyone knows her because our Donna shirt is named after her. She is and has been such a fashion inspiration throughout my life. She is not one to take construction and quality lightly, so to see her wearing and loving all of the pieces brings me so much joy.
A trend I wish would die is…
Crocs. I just don’t understand it. And now Balenciaga has a heel croc?!
One way I’ve had to pivot my business during the pandemic is…
How can I even count the ways! Every day there is a new pivot, but the biggest one had to be our launch. Classic Six was supposed to launch in February of 2020 and our entire production was put on hold because our factory was closed for months following the initial outbreak. At that point I was so ready to share Classic Six with the world, but my dreams were being squashed every day with news of more delays. Our inventory wound up not arriving until June 2020, but I decided in April of 2020 to launch the brand without a single piece in stock just so I could start telling the brand story through social content while people were home scrolling. It wound up being a blessing because by the time the inventory came in, people were excited about it.
My first experience with design/fashion was…
My mom made me and my sister clothes for all special occasions growing up, so I think my first experience with design would have had to be at a very young age. I remember sorting through all of her patterns and picking the ones as close as possible to what I had envisioned. She could tweak any pattern and make an idea a reality. When I was about 8, she taught us how to use her sewing machine and we decided we were going to make scrunchies and sell them in the driveway. I have such fond memories of going to the fabric store and finding fabrics to make these scrunchies. We would buy lace and tulle and put pearls and jewels inside each so you can see them floating around when you wore them.
The people seated at my rond table are…
Different people on different days! My girlfriends are legitimately like food for my soul. They light me up and inspire me, each one in individual ways. My sister is always at my table because she is my best friend and someone I talk to 100 times a day. My family is my comfort, so they definitely have a seat. And my husband is not just figuratively, but LITERALLY at my table every night and there is no one I love sitting across from me more.
I started Classic Six because…
I was so overwhelmed with the amount of stuff I had in my closet that I never wore. I was determined that there was a way to pare down without sacrificing style.
My designs are inspired by…
The decades! It is so inspiring to see the way one piece of clothing can be styled and reinvented in so many different ways throughout the years. If we are playing favorites, I get lost in the 60’s and 70’s. I wish I lived during those decades.
“Classic” vs. “Basic” to me means…
Basic is your t-shirt and jeans. Classic is what takes that t-shirt and jeans to the next level.
The last thing I sketched was…
Not romantic at all, but we are adding length to our Beverly pant and 5 minutes ago I had to create a sketch/rendering of it for our technicians.
My go-to look this winter features…
Donna shirt and Katharine blazer with jeans, my favorite Stuart Weitzman combat boots and a cashmere beanie.
Something about me you may not know is…
I am an identical twin!
My mantra is…
If it’s meant to be it will be.
A family pass-down I cherish the most is…
I can’t remember if I borrowed my mom’s vintage Gucci bags from the 1970’s and never gave them back or if they were passed down to me ;) but I CHERISH them.
My story, my style in a word…
Classic. How can it not be at this point, right?!
The Rondel piece that speaks to me…
The pearl charms. I just love the idea that a pearl doesn’t have to be so traditional and buttoned up. It’s the same way I feel about our Classics. How can we think outside the box when it comes to the Classics? The Baroque Pearl Charm is such a beautiful outside-the-box take on your classic pearl. It can dress up or tone down any look.
