Leave It to Chance

Just see if you can meet Julia Leach without developing a crush on her life. Nearly everything she touches is rendered irresistible, from super-sized brands (she was Kate Spade’s creative director for 11 years) to a heavenly simple striped mariner tee, the iconic “anchor” of her new line, Chance.

Lucky for us, the laid-back tastemaker has injected her coveted sea-meets-street style into every piece. A curated selection of life’s “essentials” by a list of like-minded designers (think skipper sunhats and vintage scarves) rounds out the I-want-everything collection. Find it all on the Chance website or — until the end of June — at their perfect little pop-up shop in Nolita, complete with dainty bowls of saltwater taffy for visitors.

When did you start Chance?
I started it in January of 2010, but I actually had the idea in my mind for probably 6 years. I launched it really quietly last August just to friends and family and I’ve spent the last eight months nurturing it and getting it out into the world.

Stripes: why do you love them so much?
When you find a really great boatneck tee it’s about design, simplicity, personal style, and adventure. In one garment it telegraphs so much, and that’s why it’s the icon for Chance. It can stand not just for a fashion idea but a whole way of living and an outlook on the world.

What are your current design obsessions?
Right now: California. I have a dear friend with a house in Palm Springs and I’m obsessing about the colors: the sky, the brown sand, cactus greens with tiny bits of pink and yellow. From Northern California down to the Baja Peninsula, it’s really rich territory for me right now, everything from fish tacos with limes to bands like The Dodos and the artist Toba Khedoori.

When talking about Chance you often invoke the word “adventure”. What does that word mean to you?
For me, it’s about curiosity, whether you’re just getting on the subway and going to the Greek restaurants in Queens or booking a ticket to a place that’s 14 hours away. It has a lot to do with satisfying a need to see how other parts of the world feel and look and sound and taste.

Are there specific places on the planet that are your go-to destinations for a dose of inspiration?
Mexico always draws me back. I love the colors, the clarity, the flavors, the people, and the sunshine. I feel very at home there and I feel like there’s still more territory to explore. I’m also really drawn to the Mediterranean and I can’t wait to explore more of Japan. I also love Scandinavia because I’m Danish by heritage. And France, of course, where my mother lives. Those are places that really call my name.

What are your suitcase essentials?
There’s one old Comme des Garçons fisherman sweater that has been on every single trip with me for the past dozen years; it is a bit like a Linus-blanket. And then always a pair of white jeans no matter what season it is, a travel candle from Lafco, and a good book. Those four things can get you a long way.

You’ve mentioned that “One day there will be a Chance petit hotel by the sea.” Obviously, we need to know more.
The ultimate manifestation of Chance is a hotel. It combines everything I love: style, environment, music, food, design, and architecture. There are many amazing small hotels, but none that bring that American-abroad sensibility to seaside America. That feeling that you get when you’re in Capri or Cinque Terre or the coast of Spain, that kind of wonderful, stylish nonchalance. I’d love to bring that to life here in the US, whether in Florida or California. Those are the two places that it makes the most sense, because Chance is so much about sunshine.

The Chance pop-up store (211 Elizabeth Street, New York) is open Thurs–Sun, 12–7 PM, until the end of June.
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