About

THE BRAND.
Neutral Ground was established in the spring of 2017 by Alysha Cassis-Shaw. Following her studies at FIT and extensive experience in fashion design and development, she moved from New York City to the Bay Area in 2014. While Alysha was certain she wanted to remain in the fashion industry, she was uncertain about the specific path she wanted to pursue. Drawing inspiration from craftsmanship, timeless fashion, and distinctive styles, she identified an unmet demand for vintage offerings in the local market. After several prosperous years managing her business in California, Alysha made the bold decision to relocate to Lisbon, Portugal, where both the brand and the curator now reside.

At Neutral Ground, we are committed to conservation, style preservation and conscious consumerism. That means, we do not sell fast fashion pieces. We know that while the term vintage gets thrown around a lot for previously-owned items, we are committed to selling well made, unique finds. While we may feature items that are less than 20 years old, it is because these more recent finds are rare, collectible, or one of a kind.

Neutral Ground is a curated assortment of stunning vintage and designer items for individuals looking to elevate their style. Each piece in the Neutral Ground collection is a unique, pre-owned garment that has undergone quality control, showcasing a contemporary color scheme—primarily neutral tones highlighted by occasional metallic touches or bursts of color.

THE FOUNDER.
Why not go to the source? A question that founder Alysha Cassis-Shaw asks when sharing why she started Neutral Ground.

Her interest in fashion started at a very young age— her mother was an avid sewer, and made a lot of her clothes growing up. Before she was old enough to use a sewing machine, she was hand sewing items for her dolls, her pets and eventually herself.

I loved the idea of creating things no one else had.
— Alysha Cassis-Shaw

Her first real break in the fashion industry was when she was hired as a production assistant at the legendary house of Halston. It was here that her interest in vintage really grew after spending hours researching vintage archives to develop the Halston collections. Not only had these items stood the test of time, but they were the basis upon which so much of modern fashion was built. 

I really became enamored with how things used to be made- the craftsmanship, the beauty you often saw inside and out, the individuality of items. It was then that I began to incorporate vintage into my wardrobe more and more.  

— Alysha Cassis-Shaw