Adam Lippes has achieved critical acclaim for his chic, streamlined designs, has showcased his collections at Fashion Week in New York City’s Bryant Park, and is a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). But despite being famous on an international level, Lippes has a store in the suburbs of his native Buffalo.

Although Lippes works out of New York, he still owns a store, ADAM, on Main Street in Williamsville. The showroom has done incredibly well, despite Buffalo’s reputation as a city with no appreciation for high fashion.

“I opened it as a pop-up store with a six- month lease,” LIppes said. “And now we’ve been there two years in October.”

Lippes started his fashion career at Polo Ralph Lauren before becoming creative director at Oscar de la Renta, eventually leaving in 2004 to begin designing his own collection. What started as a line of basics grew into his signature ADAM label, featuring high-end dresses, feminine skirts, and impeccably tailored pants.

Lippes noted that his fashion sense has always been heavily influenced by his mother’s impeccable taste.“I was very inspired by not only how she dressed, but how she lived,” he said.  “I say that my mother gave me my sense of style and Oscar de la Renta refined it.”

The designer also said his exposure to the arts in his youth motivated him to pursue it as a career.

“The focus on the arts in Buffalo was very inspiring to me,” Lippes said. “My dad was on the board of the Albright Knox since I was a child. I was very immersed in the arts from a very young age.”

Clearly, this early exposure to the arts had quite an impact on Lippes. The designer staged his first runway show in 2007 during New York Fashion Week and has shown his designs multiple times since then. 

“To be able to put it all together, not only with the clothes, but to be able do your vision for makeup, and hair, and the music, and what kind of girl are you showing on – it all comes together at that point,” he said. “It’s the best way to show who or what the brand is.”

Lippes said his fall runway collection was heavily inspired by Native American culture. “There’s a very small American Indian museum in Lower Manhattan. I went into it and was so inspired by the philosophy behind design. American Indians made clothes beautiful out of respect for the animal products that were used in making them.”

Lippes’ fall line features standout pieces like fringed sweaters and a party dress with an American Indian-inspired pattern done entirely in gold thread. Pocohantas would have left John Smith on the chopping block to get at this collection.

The designer gave some advice for young fashionistas looking to have as much success as he’s had: “I think it’s important to go to school for fashion – there are a lot of technical things you can learn. But if you really want it, follow your dream.”

The ADAM showroom is located at 5454 Main Street in Williamsville. For more information on Adam Lippes, or to view his designs, visit www.shopadam.com.