Inner Outerwear for the Shameless RomanticHelena Stuart opened Only Hearts in 1978 on Columbus Avenue in New York City. The boutique was an exhibition of all things heart-shaped. Its uniqueness caught the attention of the neighborhood and the newspapers; soon Only Hearts was designated a shop for the shameless romantic, a Mecca for lover's and a Valentine's paradise. Hipsters and celebrities alike flocked in for a piece of the passion.
Sensing an opportunity for further expression and exploration, Helena began designing her own line of intimate apparel – pushing the parameters of their purpose to meet the modern woman's needs. With a toddler and newborn by her side, along with a shop to run, she managed to cut and sew samples on her living room floor, giving rise to the concept of inner outerwear™, which she trademarked in 1980. As her own best advertisement, Helena wore bras and camisoles as shirts, suggesting her customers do the same. In the process she sowed the seeds that Madonna would reap when she so famously wore lingerie as outerwear, and turned popular culture onto the fresh fashion.
Today Helena Stuart for Only Hearts can be found in every major magazine, on every major celebrity, and at specialty shops and finer department stores throughout the world.
Helena continues to develop and refine the Only Hearts concept – obsessively tuned into the quality and humor of her design and product mix. Her upstanding philosophy for fashion, business, and life is self-evident, even down to her choice of earth-friendly recycled brown paper packaging. She is the living manifestation of the familiar saying "all it takes is a little heart."
