Inside Kilby, a contemporary suiting atelier in New Orleans, James Collier and his wife and creative partner Kristen Engelsen Collier’s vision for the future of style unfolds: tailored fits, slow fashion, and fabrics that make sense for the Southern heat. Named for James’s grandfather, a World War II veteran whose quiet sophistication inspired James’s early style ideals, Kilby opened in September 2024 in a bright storefront on Magazine Street, the lively and historic six-mile thoroughfare of art galleries, restaurants, and humming small businesses in the heart of the Crescent City.
That spirit infuses Kilby, too. Clients sip whiskey during fittings, friends stop by to linger, and art and conversation fill the room alongside stylish and structured safari jackets, colorful sport coats cut from British blends, crisp button-downs, and timeless tuxedos. Silk pocket squares and fabric samples greet visitors on a marble entryway table, and while it’s tempting to pull a monochromatic seersucker or white linen jacket off the rack to take home, you can’t. The wide-ranging suits here are all custom, combining elements of old-school craftsmanship, European fabrics, and Southern ease, hearkening back to a bygone era when garments were made specifically for the person wearing them.
“We wanted it to feel like home,” says Kristen, who brings a background in clothing operations, design, and marketing to her role as creative director. “That sense of community was part of the dream.” A New Orleans native, James inherited his fashion sense from his father and grandfather, but it wasn’t until after college that a job in ready-to-wear clothing led him to pick up a tape measure for the first time. “That was a pivotal moment,” he says, “realizing I could help people feel confident.”
The atelier itself speaks to the Colliers’ mission to kindle camaraderie. Kristen’s artwork printed onto pocket squares hangs beside her brother-in-law’s photography and the unmistakable graphic hand of James’s father, Phillip Collier, a prolific designer whose work has influenced the city’s visual identity for decades, from Jazz Fest posters to World’s Fair materials. “Keeping everything local wasn’t just a choice,” James says. “It’s who we are.” That goes for their tailoring, too. “We’re creating clothing that feels like New Orleans,” Kristen says. “Easy, breezy, deconstructed. A lot of our jackets are half lined. People should be able to move, breathe, live in what they wear.”
The Colliers have suited Super Bowl champions, Heisman winners, and Grammy honorees. Alvin “Pepper” Baumer III, CEO and president of Baumer Foods (maker of Crystal Hot Sauce), is a loyal customer, turning to James, Kristen, and their partner Sonny Mitchell for the likes of a velvet wedding-day blazer and a sky-blue linen suit. “When you put on a suit, you carry yourself differently,” Baumer says. “People take you seriously when you elevate your style instead of looking like a ragamuffin.”
But what James loves most isn’t the celebrity—it’s the intimacy. “People open up during a fitting,” he says. “Maybe it’s the whiskey, but I’ve formed real relationships.” Clients beyond New Orleans receive personal attention, too; Kilby offers virtual fittings, concierge home visits, and periodic trunk shows in other cities.
In a world tethered to internet convenience, James sees men dressing more intentionally post-COVID. “We’re fighting the good fight against fast fashion,” he says. “Making timeless pieces, honoring where we come from, and doing it our way.”
