A little over a decade ago, Scarsdale resident Maggie Vitagliano was on the streets of Manhattan when someone wearing a T-shirt sporting the words “Hare Krishna” caught her eye. And in that light-bulb moment, the professional photographer and graphic designer decided to add another means of creative expression to her repertoire: silk-screened Ts. “I’ve always been interested in meditation and learning from the Indian scriptures,” Vitagliano says.
So for her debut effort, she chose to feature the first Shiva Sutra or Indian proverb, “Consciousness is the self.” Soon, her high-profile pals and colleagues, including actresses Gillian Anderson and Natalie Portman, were sporting her Ts. Recognition in Italian and British Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar followed and Vitagliano’s Hermit Wear Ltd. was launched.
Today, Vitagliano continues to turn out hip, 100-percent-cotton yoga- and meditation-inspired T-shirts and tanks with the help of a few assistants in a studio not far from her home. Everything is done by hand and all of the dyes used are non-toxic.
Prices for the Ts and tanks range from $25 to $53. Hermit Wear offerings also include cotton hoodies ($55 to $60); cool, one-of-a-kind denim jackets ($250 to $300); hand-dyed shoulder bags ($125); leather wristlets ($25); and vintage army belts ($100). The entire collection can be purchased online at hermitwear.com.
