In today’s world (and especially in NYC), style and functionality are integral to everyday life. V Coterie and AmorSui are two innovative brands that are redefining the way we think about personal protection and design. Founder of V Coterie, Dr. Lynna Van Merkey, envisioned a jewelry collection made to celebrate the iconic individuals that uphold science and academia. Ph.D chemist Beau Wangtrakuldee, founder of AmorSui, is bringing modern luxe to personal protective equipment (PPE), with products that combine cutting-edge safety features with high-end aesthetics for a chic and functional approach to protective wear.
I recently attended a thrilling wellness event in New York City at the beautiful NOHO Skyting Yoga Studio that featured both V Coterie and Amorsui. After viewing the innovative products, I was eager to learn more about each brand and founder.
In this interview, we ask the founders of V Coterie and AmorSui a few questions to discuss the inspiration behind their brands, the intersection of design and purpose in their products, and the future of both science and safety. Their dedication to blending style with utility offer a cool perspective on how functionality can exist with luxury.
Images of V Coterie pieces
Dr. Lynna Van Merkey, Founder of V Coterie
As someone with a scientific background, what inspired you to move into the world of design? What was the pivotal moment that led to the creation of V Coterie?
Dentistry is a unique profession that blends art and science. My journey to design began even long before then, perhaps at the kindergarten art station where I’d be spend much of my time doodling rainbows and rolling hills. Throughout high school, I thrived in math and sciences so I knew that a career in STEM could also suit me. But I always had this intrinsic pull towards art and creativity. It was not until college where I found dentistry to be a career that could merge both, having been inspired by my own family dentist. The scent of the dentist’s office — an evocative mix of mint prophy paste, plaster stone, and polished porcelains — was indicative of work in rapid progression; a world of artistry, precision, care, and craftsmanship. He had a mastery of mathematic precision down to the millimeter, prepping teeth for crowns, fillings, and of course, a keen understanding of the systemic body / oral health link. Dentistry seemed like a natural career fit for me.
V Coterie really started from a passion project while I was in dental school. It was a way to break up my studies with something that scratched a different part of my brain. There is a running joke in dentistry that if you had 10 dentists in a room, you could have 20 different treatment plans that all would suitably address the patient’s best interests. Similarly, designers too have their own unique ways of tacking creative projects. It comes with an understanding that there are usually multiple pathways to arrive at similar outcomes — it’s about enjoying the process, above all.
What inspires the designs of your collections?
We’re inspired by the brilliance and humanism of people in STEM. These iconic individuals uphold healthcare, science, and academia. To be a part of this community means you take in centuries worth of knowledge and expertise, and work collaboratively to build upon that. It’s the scientific process of discovery and inquiry, a challenging field where one carries a humble understanding that what we learn tomorrow may have an impact on what we know today. Understanding that this work can be arduous, we like to bring levity and realize their humor through our playful designs.
How do you balance aesthetic appeal with the practical elements needed of the professionals that would wear them?
We incorporate utility and function simultaneously with an aesthetic appeal when it makes sense. For example, our Stethoscope Ring Keeper is a functional and beautiful piece designed to carry the user’s wedding band or engagement ring when they cannot where it in the operating room.
-What can we expect from V Coterie next? Do you see the brand expanding into more accessories?
We want to meet the personalized needs of the V Coterie customer. It even means meeting their needs at a pricepoint that graduates alongside them, starting with an affordable range of lapel pins to fashion jewelry then to more high-end fine jewelry. It means showing up for them for the moments that matter most. We’re dreaming up highly customizable services, like 14K gold name necklaces inclusive of titles to honor their achievements (my heart bursts imagines if someone had gifted me a “Dr. Lynna” necklace for graduation!!) or even our best-selling Stethoscope Rings with birthstones or lab-grown diamonds.
We’re launching an entirely new range of charms that celebrate personal milestones and achievements, tailored to capture the unique moments in each individual’s journey. These charms could symbolize career accomplishments, personal growth, hobbies, or even the simple yet profound joys of life. They’ll not only be a way to mark the milestones but a constant reminder of the strength, passion, and resilience it took to get there.
Through it all, we aim to be more than just a jewelry brand; we want to be a trusted partner in the lives of our customers, accompanying them through every stage, every challenge, and every triumph. More than accessories, it’s about storytelling — a way for individuals to wear their journey, their identity, and their achievements proudly.
Images of AmorSuit lab coat
Ph.D chemist Beau Wangtrakuldee, Founder of AmorSui
AmorSui is focused on creating sustainable apparel for professionals. What unique challenges did you face when merging sustainability with the functionality of workwear?
When standard protective apparel prioritizes cost over functionality and sustainability, building AmorSui to be the brand that delivers better products that outperform the norm is a matter of conscious choice. Our team develops a list of non-negotiable requirements that differentiate us from the disposable and low-quality personal protective equipment (PPE) you’re used to. While it’s more difficult to create products that currently do not exist in the market, we are able to achieve this by following the ethos of doing the right thing, doing right by the end users of our products, and doing right by the planet.
From the functionality perspective, we took additional steps to gather feedback from healthcare professionals and scientists to design products that curate unique functional features that allow them to do their best at work. For example, our better lab coat has 10 multi-use pockets to store everything you need, from stethoscopes for doctors to loupes for dentists. We purposely select super soft fabric with the right amount of stretch that is easy to move around in. To make the lab coat more inclusive to women, we add a drawcord on the inside of the waist to allow for a tailored fit.
From the sustainability perspective, we follow the industry’s best sustainable procurement guidelines. We start with a fabric formula with no harmful chemicals. We thought through every aspect of the products, from fabric to trims, to ensure they were washable and recyclable at the end of their life.
While it has not been easy to deliver innovative products that elevate both functionality and sustainability, we are proud to pave the way for the industry.
How did your background influence the design and materials used in AmorSui products, especially in terms of safety and longevity?
As a PhD chemist, I applied over a decade of experience working in the lab as a PPE user to elevate the safety features of AmorSui products. Notably, several key safety features in our women’s better lab coat were developed from my experience with a chemical spill that inspired the founding of AmorSui. My lab coat was too big on me, with loose fabric around the arm, which caught on to the apparatus I was working on and caused the accident to occur. My standard lab coat was made of cotton with no fluid-repellent properties, which allowed toxic chemicals to seep through the coat readily. The buttoned coat was also hard to remove when a spill occurred, which led to a more significant burn than if I could remove the coat quickly. All of these missing key safety features could be found in AmorSui women’s better lab coat, such as secured ribbed knit cuffs to ensure the sleeves stay in place, adjustable drawcord inside the waist to offer better tailor fit for women’s bodies, fluid-resistant fabric, and snap closures instead of buttons that are easier to put on and take off.
The elevated durability of AmorSui products goes hand in hand with safety. When your lab coat lasts longer, it provides you with better protection. This is where my technical background in chemistry can be directly leveraged when evaluating textile chemistry, which offers superior protection, is durable, and not harmful to wearers.
What motivated you to start a brand like AmorSui, and how has your journey as a chemist shaped the company’s mission and goals?
When I was burned in a chemical spill accident because a traditional low-quality lab coat I wore didn’t protect me when the time came, it was the lack of products and brands that prioritized the safety of the PPE wearers and the health of the planet that drove me to start AmorSui.
Standard PPE was made to fit Caucasian male bodies and was driven mainly by the low cost. My options were either to return to the standard low-quality lab coat that I wore during my accident or a disposable lab coat that would end up in the landfill after one use.
After sharing my frustration in finding quality PPE with over 20 scientists in my group, I was surprised to hear that all of them have had injuries related to PPE that are not functional and face the same challenges of finding products that meet their demands. I end up speaking with over 100 scientists to validate this gap in the market before starting AmorSui.
From the beginning, putting the safety and the interest of the PPE wearers at the forefront have been what I’m passionate about and the core of what we do at AmorSui.
Find V Coterie products here, find AmorSui products here
