August 3, 2023 • 55 mins
This week, Rachel Zoe is joined by the incredible founder of LoveShackFancy, the powerhouse that is Rebecca Hessel Cohen. Rebecca is a born and raised New Yorker and was surrounded by fashion her whole life. In this episode, she talks about her early career as a fashion editor and what inspired her to start her brand LoveShackFancy.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 2 (00:36):
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Speaker 1 (00:38):
R dot com slash gold Curation. Hi everyone, I'm Rachel Zoe.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
And you're listening to Climbing in Heels.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
This show is all about celebrating the most extraordinary superwoman
who be sharing their most incredible journeys to the top, all.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
While staying glamorous.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Today with me, we have the incredible, beyond impressive founder
of Love Shack Fancy.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
I'm sure you've heard of it.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
The powerhouse that is Rebecca hessel Cohen. Rebecca is a
born and raised, true and true New Yorker and was
really surrounded by fashion her entire life. She started her
career as a fashion editor in New York and was
inspired to start her brand, love Shack Fancy after she
designed bridesmaids dresses.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
For her wedding. She is truly.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
One of the most incredible fashion entrepreneurs and I'm so
excited for you.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
To all listen to this episode.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
I could talk to her for hours, and I think
what really comes through is her passion for her brand,
for her customer, and really her dedication to her work
and really seeing it be the success that it is.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Climbing and heels.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
You know, it's funny because it does literally pertain to you,
But many of them.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
It's my favorite favorite name ever, climbing and I'm always
always are You're always in?
Speaker 4 (02:19):
Are you always in heels?
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Always? Always?
Speaker 1 (02:22):
But ninety percent of the women I've had on here
do not wear heels. And they're like, what, Rachel, does
it matter if I don't wear heels? And I'm like, no,
It's it's very tongue in cheek because it's really about
the journey to get to the top, all while embracing
the sort of best things about being a woman.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Right Yeah, And.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
And for you you know, it's funny because we've become
friendly more recently through mutual friends, but I very clearly
remember meeting you, like when you first opened I think
the store in sag Harbor, And you know, I want
to first go back to the beginning for a minute,
(03:06):
because I think it's very important to talk about like
who you started as in life, like who you were,
what kind of kid you were. And I think as
a mother, as you raise your girls, I'm sure you
sort of look at them like who are you going
to be?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
What are you doing? Like like where you.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Know, like and everything you say and do you probably
feel like, oh my god, what's this doing to her?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Is this going to help her?
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Right?
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Right?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
But I mean, so you grew up in New York City.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Grew up in New York City. Yes, so you are
like a born and bred New York City girl.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Daughter of a fashion.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Y So my mom was the creative director at seventeen
magazine for like over twenty years. She started there actually
nineteen sixty eight, which is crazy. And then yeah, and
then so she was there and during its like heyday.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Of full on.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
You know, she was finding all of the up and
coming actresses, the model, like really really just hands on
in all that.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
So I grew up in the fashion closet, the beauty closet, and.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Then so many of her first assistants then grew on
to be fashion director and then fashion director at Vogue,
you know, beauty director at Bizarre.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Or wherever it was.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
So those were my romos all growing up, like, and
I'm an only child, so they were basically like my sisters.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
You know that's wild.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Wait a minute, so I don't know if you know this,
but my one and only job was at ym Max.
Oh no way, which at the time was the compete
seventeen right exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Seventeen was better.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Way seventeen was great.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
I mean it was like during the whole So yeah,
it was really like very revolutionary and very much putting
girls like you know, in their teens, in their teens
on the on the cover. So I remember Alicia Silverstone
when she was first on the cover. It's like Catherine Heigel.
And then it was also the couples. It was, you know,
(05:03):
so it was really the sisters Chrissy.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
And Nikki tail like it was.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
And then I had every magazine, I mean even the Vogue,
my favorite, like all over my wallpaper.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Growing up, I was just upset magazine obsessed.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
But see, it's interesting because I did that also, and
I think and I didn't grow up in that in
the traditional sense, Like my mom was definitely a fashion person,
but never employed in that way. Like if she ever
knew what a stylist was, that would have been her
job for sure. But I think, but it's interesting because
what I do find having daughters and what I find
so fascinating about you and your daughters, and also as
(05:37):
we talk about it, you with your mom, as you know,
that can go one way or another, right, like as
the child of fashion, you can.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Very often it.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Happens where they hate it, they like, push it away,
they don't like it, they don't want any part of it,
they whatever. Or you live in life for it, which
clearly happened to you, is clearly happening to your girls.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
Uh yeah, I just love.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
I mean, I think it was like the photos, shoots,
the event.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
You know, everything, Yeah, the glamour.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Of it, it was just it was all fun and
it was very much like the storytelling.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
And it was I mean I remember every night my
mom worked so hard.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
She would come home even at like eight o'clock. I
would sit there, I would edit through. You know, that
was when it was like the film printed out. Of course,
we would circle our favorite photos.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
We would I would help.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
She always asked my opinion, and I always ask my
daughter's opinion. So I think it's just something that's, you know,
very much a part of me since the beginning.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
And you want to get there. You want to get their.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
Point of view because they have a different perspective. And
I'm so you know, interested in what the younger girl's
perspective is as well.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
So yes, and it's so fascinating. And I say this
to you all the time. I mean, love, shock, fancy.
I have so much to say about it. But I
but I want to understand. So you grew up in
New York City.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
You went to Spence, So I went to Nightingale, and
then I went to Robertelle, so into all girls, and
then I went to co Ed.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Yeah okay, And then at what point did you go
to college?
Speaker 4 (07:08):
So I went to college as a freshman.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
I went to Skidmore College and then I went I
transferred to NYU after a year because I was like
ready to get back into the hustle and Bustle, and
I had always been you know, I actually thought I
wanted to study journalism. They didn't have a journalism department there,
and then I ended up just doing English literature, dramatic literature,
art history. But I was always working, Like I started
(07:33):
interning in when I was I think fourteen, I worked
in every magazine every summer.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
During the years L I worked for Ann Slowly, I
worked for Gloria baumetteen Vague.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
I worked for everyone, Wendy Klerman at Vogue who now
works with me, and so all of these girls were
so incredible who had worked with my mom as well,
some of them had worked with her. But and then
I just was I mean, it was literally every internship
I could possibly get my and I was ready to go.
So I think when I came back to New York,
(08:05):
I was like college even just a real more traditional
college experience for me. For one year going to the.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
Bar, I was like I had enough, and so I
wanted to be in New.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
York City where I could also work and learn and
you know, just get my hand started.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
Like I really started.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
I really started freelancing and interning as much as I
possibly could during college.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
It's the best because you know, it's funny. I talk
about college a lot.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
It's a common thread on this podcast because I would
say more than half of the women that I've had
on either didn't go to college, some barely graduated high school,
someone all the way.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
And then you.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Know, but I do believe your education in no way
defines you, right, And I really stand by that, and
I do think you know, for me, I went to
college the whole thing.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
If my parents had given me a choice.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
To work or go to college, I probably would have
gone to work because I was the same.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
I was like ready, I wanted to work.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Yeah, And you know, it's funny because I do think
you grow up in college at least I did, right,
And I think, but I will say that I learned
more in my first six months of working than I learned.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
In four years at college.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
So I think, I think that's a really important thing
to talk about because I think that fires in you
from day one, right, Yeah, And I think that at
what point, so like, after all that, you did a
million internships, right, so you're clearly this like born fashion girl. Yeah,
(09:37):
you have any incredible work ethic, and then what happened
were you like Okay, so then you became an editor, right.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Yeah, so then, I mean I did everything though I
also worked at like Sony Recording Studios. I did an
internship in the creative services department where it was like
Eve and the Rough Riders, and I worked from.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
My shift was ten pm to two am, and.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
I would bring them like any thing they wanted, like
whatever Chinese but whatever. You know, they were in the
it was whole, the whole record like I loved that
music music aspect too. I was freelancing, even for some
more celebrity music stylists at the time. And then I
was and I worked at BBDO Advertising like my mom
(10:18):
definitely want She wasn't the one pushing me to work.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Did we not know each other? Why?
Speaker 4 (10:24):
You were like, I mean you were insane. I mean
I was like watching you go and go and go.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Literally I was the assistant running in the heels everywhere
around and then.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
And so I worked everywhere.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
I got my first job working for Suzi Olop Sports
at Glamour doing the we did like morning shows and
the Glamour makeovers and all that.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
And then you know, she was my camp counselor. She was.
That's how I know oh, she was like my color worth.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Literally wait, I love that at her and then where
it's yeah, and she said, you aren't always to wear
high heels.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
You were always to pick up every little like piece
of dirt or hair on the floor and never think
that anything is like below you, even in your heel,
you know, And that was I remember it so well.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
I literally never took my heels up ever since that.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Do you see how that impacted you? Though it is
not wild?
Speaker 4 (11:20):
Yeah, it's so funny, that's crazy.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
So and then I worked for her, and then I
got a job as an associate fashion editor at Cosinpolitan,
where I was like the assistant to the fashion director
and then kept on one, you know. And so I
did all the shoots, I did the fashion stories, beauty
I did, I covered some markets and then I just
realized yeah, and then I just I loved it. I
(11:44):
always wanted to be in magazines. It just was the
At first, I didn't know did I want to write?
Did I want to which side? But and then that's
where I ended up. And Cosmo at the time was
just fun, you know. It wasn't too yeahs fashion. It
was just like fun.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah, yeah, well.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
It was fun and also, like I always talk about
those days in fashion, it was so different because it
was like boot camp. Any job you had at these
magazines was like make five dollars and you work twenty
four to seven and if you skirt it up, it.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Was basically there was a hundred girls waiting.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
For you right exactly, and you felt so lucky to
be there, and it was like such a bond with everyone.
It was like this very fun like club that you
were a part of, you know.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
So, yeah, it was amazing.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
So then at what point is there this moment where
you're like, I'm now crazy enough to start my own.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
So so it all started when, you know, So I
was working, traveling all the time doing photo shoots I
was doing. Then I became a senior fashion and beauty eater,
and then I did a lot of the cover shoots there.
So I was like back and forth from LA or
traveling to wherever it may be.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
And then I just design.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
I couldn't find bride's maid stresses for my wedding, so
I looked all over and I decided I was like, okay,
I'll just make my own. I've found a seamstress in
New York, a pattern maker. I've found this like the
idea that I wanted these beautiful, ethereal but sexy dresses.
You know, I felt very much because I was such
(13:22):
a storyteller and I still am such a storyteller.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
The dress, as you know how.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
It is like the whole vision of it, like it
has to do with my dress has to go with
the tents, the flowers, and.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
The dresses needs to be perfect, and the girls.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Need to look stunning and they need to feel amazing,
and they need to be you know, have a volume
and like have this beautiful cascading like silk dress. So
I just designed this one halter dress that you could
twist and tie and the girls could wear it more
umpire and you know, or they could do it like
lower and more like halston esque and cool.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
Yeah, and just depending on their body elastic.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
And then we I had the wedding, everyone was like
dying over these dresses. Then I wore one of my
I borrowed one of my bridesmaid's dresses to wear to
a friend's wedding. Two weeks later, I was like, this
is the best dress I've ever worn. And then I
decided to make some I was like I need this dress,
like to wear to the beach over a bathing suit.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
I need I want to wear this.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Stress just to like you know, Surflage and Montak and
so I just started making these dresses and then everyone
asked for them, so I decided to sell them. I
did little trunk shows pop ups with Joey Wolfer at
the Vineyard. I did little pop ups all around Blue
and Cream, and then they would just sell the dresses,
you know, I had a limited addition, and then they
(14:40):
would be gone and sell that. So I did that
for about and I was literally like had the dresses,
would make them in the garment district with the sample room,
put them in the back of my cart, roll them
up into a little knot, and then drop them off.
And I was just like, that was this little side
project that I was doing. And then sometimes if I
couldn't find a shoe, you know, dressed for a cover,
(15:01):
I'd make what I was like, Oh, lady Gaugash, I
mean we never really once you.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Were still working. You were still working and you got married.
I got married and I was just both wed. Where'd
you get married? At my parents house in Bridgehampton?
Speaker 3 (15:15):
So at my family's you know, like surrounded by apple
orchards and this like old farmhouse we had we had
a tent in the back and then and still there,
like it's where we do all of our photo shoots.
The garden, the arbor is still there that we got
married under, and so this is very much like a
hub of everything that we do. And in this house
(15:36):
it was you know, my mom always bought so much vintage.
I grew up like as a full you know, just
piles of laces and vintage dresses and Guardian you know,
Victorian everything you could imagine all around. So that was
kind of this like central place that where I spent all.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
These all my summers, and that was like my happy place.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
And how'd you get the name? How'd you get the name?
Speaker 4 (16:01):
So originally my mom was actually trying to think. She
was always hand dying dress.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
So then we started hand dying dresses because we would say, oh,
this is like.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
Feels too perfect.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
It needs to feel more linden, it needs to feel
more washed out, like sunfaded bleach. We would so we
started dying these dresses, these halter dresses, and my mom
had this huge collection of vintage slip dresses which she
had like previously, wanted to make create a website before
websites were even really a thing.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
She wanted to do a little.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Prop styling vintage, you know, sell her vintage dresses hand dyed.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
And she was coming up with the name.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
She had the sign that she used to put used
to help her friends when they moved into rentals and
that was like ugly for later and she would throw
her vintage fabrics over it and.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
To like twice she put up a little sign that
was called love Shock.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
She you know, she wasn't working at the time, but
always she's like us, like always working.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
So she had this little name love Shock. She so
it's kind of cute for this website.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
And then there was a photo shoot with Red magazine
and all British magazine. Everyone was like, oh, I fancy that,
I fancy this saying the word like and she said,
that's just so it it's love shock.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
But it has that I love that word and name.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
And it's also this juxtaposition of something that feels, you know,
perfectly imperfect. It's the you know chandelier, it's the gold
jet with the little chip paint. It's just like, yeah,
the raw edges, it's the sun bleached and so that name.
Then she never did anything with it. And then when
I was trying to think of a name, this like
love Shack Fancy sign had been around and she and
(17:32):
I just came back to and I.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Was like, that's just it.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
This is so love shack fancy.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
So that's how we came up with the name and
dying the dresses, you know, doing all this, and then
I decided. So I was still working at Cosmopolitan and
then that's when I decided to I was actually on
a trip to you.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
I was in Santropez.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
I was introduced to Lisa Marie Fernandez on the beach
and we were hanging out talking and she's like, you know,
and I was like, I feel a little like magazines
are just changing.
Speaker 4 (18:01):
Fashion is changing. I'm not challenged anymore.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
I have this little line that I'm doing on the side,
but I need to start to put more energy into
it if I want to make it anything instell to
She's like, just go for it. I'm like you, I
was in magazines, I'm a stylists. I started my line.
It's just you just have to go for it and
just try it.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
So then after.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Which is scary, so which is very scary.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
I mean it was the scariest thing. I was so
emotional that it. I remember going back to the office.
I went to Kate White, my editor in chief, and
I mean I was like crying. I was emotional, and
I was like, I don't know what to do. I
have no idea why I'm doing this, but I just
feel in my heart that I want to give it
a try. And at that time, I was already starting
to shoot. It was like bloggers were coming around and
(18:45):
I was doing you know, it was fashion was definitely shifting, so.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
And you weren't pregnant yet, right, It wasn't pregnant.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
So I then resigned from COSMPOL and she's like, you
always have a place here, you could always come back.
Speaker 4 (18:56):
Just give it a try.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
So I want to talk about that though, for one
second before we move on. I want to talk about
that because that's something I really like to not skim
over on the podcast, is how important it is to
not burn bridges in your career, but more importantly, if
you're working in the right place and you're in a
supportive place.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
I think a lot of mistakes.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
That women make, myself included is you don't leave, and
you don't leave because you're worried. You're like a you're scared,
of course, but you're also like, oh, they're going to
be so upset.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
I'm going to be blacklisted. I'm going to be this,
I'm going to be that.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
There is a difference in leaving and saying, hey, I'm
going to try this new venture. I want to launch
my own clothing line like whatever. Then in the magazine world,
as many people don't understand going directly to a competitor
to like right, because you've got a higher title and whatever.
It's never that you leave somewhere, it's how you leave
yet and you never know that you will be working
(19:53):
with people for a lifetime in different capacities. If you
leave in the right way, you will always have that
door open.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Yeah, and that's support. But if you don't, it's it's
it's just it.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
It never it never stops hurting, right, I know, Yes,
so good, so good move Yeah, great support and love okay, great.
Speaker 4 (20:13):
And then that's what I did.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
And then I thought, oh, I can freelance style for
a little bit, I can consult and I'll start this line.
See what works, and you know, then learned how to
but I had no idea. I didn't even know what
a sales showroom was. I didn't know, what's the point.
How do you get your clothes, I mean into a store?
How do you really produce all of this? Like, so
I was starting through the beginning, and then I was Charlotte,
(20:38):
my daughter, my first daughter, who's now ten.
Speaker 4 (20:41):
So I basically was putting the line together.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
It was going to be like an eight, eight or
ten piece capsule collection of like effortless pieces that never
go out of style. I was like, I'm not getting
into that world of fashion where you have to keep
making patterns, And how do people do that and get
into that cycle? I mean now here we are like
you know, as always we spoke about that before. But
(21:04):
and so that was the idea. It was just so
I designed our ruffle mini skirt that year. I hired
this amazing freelance designer to work with me, taught me everything.
She introduced me to a freelance production girl in New
York City. We you know, produced there. And then so
I designed the ruffle mini skirt. And then wait are
we talking about the rough miniskirt?
Speaker 1 (21:24):
The one that every girl in middle school and every.
Speaker 4 (21:28):
Age the iconic. Yes, And it took me like months
and months I worked on the skirt.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Literally it was like had to be perfect, and I
had a collection of hundreds. My outfit was like high heels,
mini skirt and like a blazer. I was maybe more
like a vintage tea at the time, like that was
my my style, or a leather jacket. Like wasn't so
pink because pink really started mostly like in a huge
(21:56):
way when I had daughters, I was and so but
I was always in skirts and I always I just
had the hugest collection of mini skirts and so that's
really where that was when this this style was created,
which is still like our best selling and like cult.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
So your miniskirt is like my calf hands, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Exactly, exactly, always like the go to and what I'm Yes.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
And someone asked me this morning, like what do you
wear every day? There, I'm like a calf h I
just wear a different cal That's just what I wear.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
But I think like I.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
Should ask you for someone we need some calf hands.
Actually we really do. Yeah, let's talk about it.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Let's talk about it.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
We're going to collaborate.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Yeah, but I think you know, it's interesting and I think.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
You know your brand.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
And I said this to you, I think last summer
at your dinner.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Coming.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
You know, for me, having been in the industry for
a really long time, I mean, you're not that far behind.
You have quite a history, and I think you know
I've learned all sides, right, I mean there's still more sides.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
I'm sure that I don't know.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
But I think that one thing that I think nobody
knows unless you've done it, is that having a clothing
line is by far and away one of the hardest
jobs in the industry. And it's for a myriad of reasons.
It's for a myriad of reasons. But that said, having
done it, having hundreds of friends successful and not so
(23:27):
successful in it luxury and all price points, I know
how hard it is. I've done it. And to watch
you just like at the top of your game after
ten years and sort of stay true to the brand
is to me the hardest part of all of it,
(23:50):
because in the world of clothing and manufacturing and doing
the thing, you know, especially when you're in retail, it's
incredibly difficult to please everyone, right, And I find that
the most commendable thing to me from the outside and
also a bit on the inside is that you've never
(24:13):
veered from what the brand is, right, like maybe a
little bit here and there, more pink, more this or whatever,
but ultimately you are this brand, right you are. And
I can say that from experience. Every dinner, every tablecloth,
every flower, every place card, every napkin at a seat
(24:35):
says the brandy.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
And the reason that that is so impressive.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Is because I remember when I first became friends with
Mark Jacobs, and it was one hundred years ago, and
I remember that we talked about a brand and what
it means. And I did an interview at the time
with like a big publication and they said, what is
brand success? And I said, brand success is when it's
stranger who doesn't know. You can look at something, whether
(25:05):
it's a lamp, a bag, whatever, and say that's Mark Jacobs, right,
or that's whoever. And you were at a point right
now where and have been where I'll look at something
and go that's Love Shock, Like that's Love Shock, that's
her brand. And so it's interesting because to me that's
(25:27):
the gold medal of this business. And you know, there's
not that many that have wonted that, and so I
think it's hard work. I think it's authenticity first and foremost,
you know, and I think you just you are what
you talk about, you are what you design. And I'm
watching all these girls and all these women from ages
(25:52):
like six to like sixty wearing love shock and it's
like that's the dream, right yeah, right.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
Generation, Yeah, the generational thing is really amazing.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
And it definitely I mean, it didn't it started off
as like just these timeless pieces at you know, and
I started, I launched. I guess I was what thirty one,
so at that stage of my life and that's when
I started to make then the girl's clothes when I
had a daughter, so every that's when I started to
do the tablecloth because it's like, oh, I want this
dress as a print, and I would cut up the
(26:25):
fabric and then put on the table and then through
social media everyone would say, you know, that's really how
I also got so much of the feedback because it
was very much like, you know, showing my world and
what I was doing in the most organic, like authentic
way and then saying, oh, well I want to buy that.
I was like, oh, you want to buy this, Oh great,
(26:45):
then we should make it. You want to have the napkins.
You want to also buy this little little fluttersleep dress
you want to do And so that's really how everything
has evolved, I think.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
And then generationally all these.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Moms were buying, moms were buying the dresses, and then
their daughters were taking or the skirts, and then their
daughters would take the skirts and then the jog and
then it became this cult thing, which I didn't even
realize until I opened that store. I think also the
difference between having this a wholesale business the first five
years was just wholesale, so selling in department stores and
other boutiques and not really having that connection, and then
(27:22):
also being so controlled by the retailers and doing what
they thought was and they you know, they were never
buying anything that I loved, and they were never telling
a story of the brand, and it would be so frustrating.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
So that is the thing, and that is that's the
part that I got really star Yeah, I.
Speaker 4 (27:39):
Mean it's like crazy, it's just like so it's we.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
Only want purple, we only want stripes, we only want this, and.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
I'm just like yeah, and then you're like at the
mercy for them. But then it's hard because you know
what works for your brand and your customers, and they're
trying to think what works for theirs, and so that's
why I really think, you know, the most important and
pivotal moment for sure was when we opened our first
door in seg Harbor, because it really was I had
(28:06):
no idea about anything in retail.
Speaker 4 (28:08):
I had no idea what was going to work.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
But it was just my dream to have one little
shop where I could just show everything.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
And it was like, I'll.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Tell your story, yeah, and tell the story, and you know,
in that one little store, I said, oh, well, my
story is so vintage inspired, so I'm going to have
some of the original vintage and inspires the collection, and
then I'll source. I sourced all the furniture, and then
I bought different independent designers from all over, you know,
and had them use some of our.
Speaker 4 (28:35):
Fabrics and make handmade.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
Dolls with them or you know, embroidered pillows from Senegal
or wherever it may be. And so it was really
like this little curation of everything with Loveshack's fancy as
the collection. And that was really the pivotal moment when
and then when we opened those doors and I saw
all these like teenagers and ten year olds and grandmothers,
(28:59):
and I was like, how do you even know about
love Jack fancy? And so that was really when I
started to understand who the customer was. And I had
to you know, my girls were probably one and a
half and three or something at the time, or like
a little bit older. So that was really like connecting
to that customer and understanding what he wanted and then
(29:25):
reinforcing what I wanted and what was working.
Speaker 4 (29:28):
Were you scared? Oh my god, it was the scariest thing.
I mean, I worked on that. I had just scared.
I was so scared. But I had no idea what.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
I was getting myself into at all. And it was
very much like a family thing. My mom was helping,
my best friend Dean, who's also a photographer, was like
changing over the bricks in the second room. It's like
the little, you know, Captain's House in sag Harbor at
the old house John who was our landlord at he
was ninety years old. He sat on his porch, He's like, Recca,
you could do whatever you want, just make sag Harbor
(29:58):
beautiful again. And oh he was so sweet, and I
had no idea.
Speaker 4 (30:03):
I was so scared that no one was going to come.
And then when we opened.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Course, because then that the thought of course everyone's going
to judge and no one's gonna like it, and no
one's you know, and then we opened the doors and
it was like as if it was like a like
they ransacked the I mean I was in the stock
room trying to rea, and I had no idea the
sizes were wrong that you know, I didn't understand how
any of it worked. And honestly I had like a
huge panic attack after, like because I realized that.
Speaker 4 (30:30):
That like this was this there's something.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Like it was real and like my and and my
brand is and I.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
Had no idea what I was doing. Like I hadn't built.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
I hadn't I didn't have the proper team in order
to move forward at the time.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
So you know, I was going to ask you that, Yeah,
how many people did you have at that point working
for that.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
I mean I probably had, like probably had like ten
people maybe, right, but no one who really knew how
to run a store. I didn't even know what like
operations was. I knew I needed like a store manager,
like all these things. I really was very much learning
in the thick of it and then realized, Okay, this
(31:13):
is who I need to hire.
Speaker 4 (31:15):
You know.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
Then I realized, okay, now this slowly and I'm still learning.
I mean, we're still putting together the proper team of like,
you know, hopefully the best of the best, and understanding
that you really need to let go and have incredibly
talented people as part of your team to run those
you know, to be the experts.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
And go with it. So that was a huge scary
It was like the scariest.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
That summer was intense. Like I, you know, and you
had young kids. I had young kids.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
I remember going into the store.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
I remember the first time and they, by the way,
they were so sweet. Like I remember walking in and
being like I just like walked into a dream.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Like it was like, yeah, you.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
Know, it's because I was talking to someone about this
the other day. I'm like, people think of me as
being very girly, but I'm not so girly different ways.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
And what's funny about love Shack is that.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Like it's almost like I'm in love with it now,
Like right, it's almost like I now.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
But like what I mean is that I get it.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
I get it, and I love it and I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Whenever you send me.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Like pictures of like pick something, if you want to
wear something, blah blah blah, It's like immediately and like
zoom this one right, And then I put it on
and I feel just like myself in this very kind
of feminine but vintagey way, almost like I'm in a
movie a little bit like it gives me a little
(32:46):
bit of like.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
A movie set vibe.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Yeah, like an old story, you know, but modern. Yeah,
but I think so I want to talk about that.
So how many stores do you have now?
Speaker 3 (32:56):
So now we have seventeen stores? Yeah, so, which is
amazing crazy.
Speaker 4 (33:01):
We ow. My heart just dropped like nuts. And I
mean but and that was never the plan. That's incredible.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
We were never like, oh, we're going to open seventeen
stores we had.
Speaker 4 (33:10):
I was justy with the one and then that cute
little one.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
I was like.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
Then we live in the West Village, so there was
a little sweet shop that used to be the old
Club Monaco that that was available.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
So we took that Bleaker Street shop.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
You know.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
That was when I was like doing the windows and
I wanted each one to be able, each store at
the time, I needed to be able to like walk
or drive like super closed, so I could.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
Be there, and I spent so much time in those
two stores.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
And then we opened Palm Beach and then that's when,
and then COVID happened, and so since twenty twenty, we've
opened fourteen stores, which is crazy. Yeah, so that was
how did you survive COVID?
Speaker 1 (33:54):
And I also want to talk about Todd when because
we've talked about this too, but I think it's very
important part of the conversation to talk about for better
for worse.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Yeah, no pun intended.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Yeah, but so like, okay, so I'm also obsessed with
the one in London.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
I just want to say that. Okay, I feel like
that's sort of the dream.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
Yeah, but okay, So you and Todd have been married
how many years.
Speaker 4 (34:20):
We've been married thirteen years and we've been together twenty
twenty years since I was twenty one.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Now, gods like me and Rodger, right, okay, so he
was not working with you, right, and he was.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
When real estate work.
Speaker 4 (34:39):
He's a real estate guy. He's a real estate developer.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
Hence all these stores, you know, so, right, which is beautiful.
Speaker 4 (34:45):
I was like, okay, you know he.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
Helped me open the first one by obviously like negotiating
the deal and making sure I was not going to
be in a position where we were going to spend
too much rent and do you know, get ourselves in
a bad situation. And so it's always been very strategic
in terms of finding the right size for what we
can do for our sales, and you know what all
the finances that go into it.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
And then what happened was twenty twenty.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
We had like one we had the lease sign actually
here in our Melrose store, which we had found I
always I love love Meloe Space, and those two leases
were already that those were happening no matter what. And
those we opened that summer of twenty nineteen was here
like it was like.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
During the like the riots, like we still had.
Speaker 3 (35:27):
I hadn't seen those stores until like six seven months
after they opened because I couldn't be here. Then the
other stores became available because there were they dropped the
rent so much, so you know, like amazing stores like
we opened in Austin, we opened in Dallas, and Highland
Park Village, Charleston, all these other incredible retail opportunities just
(35:50):
started to you know, Todd really took all like a
or really is he's a real sick guy. He's a
risk taker. So he saw, you know, he was helped
really handling all these negotiations landlords, finding the best deals
and really focusing in on what were the key.
Speaker 4 (36:07):
The key opportunities to open love shack stores.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Which is also such a gift, by the way, because
it's like that's one of the huge hurdles of opening
stores is like not knowing how to navigate that process,
getting stuck in endless rents and overpinging and exactly getting
spaces that are too big for like a bigger footprint
than you actually want. It makes sense, so like that
(36:32):
that's actually a huge, huge, huge plus and huge so
and so you really really thrived in COVID, weirdly, like
because most businesses did not unless they were like pajamas
and sweats.
Speaker 4 (36:45):
Well that was the bit. Well, so we pivoted to
like making many more pajamas.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
Sweats, like, right, we had all these fancy dresses that
obviously weren't selling that we would start and then wholesalers
they canceled their orders, just like they did for everyone,
and they were like, you know, no one was making
new seasons and it was almost you know, we were
starting to work on our summer collection, and that's when
so many brands said, Okay, we're actually just going to sell.
Speaker 4 (37:08):
The past season and not go forward.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
And actually we continued to produce and to design, and
we did everything like out of my house in Sagaponic.
Then we got another house for the design team. We
just like we had to just keep going. We sold online,
we sold our stores virtually lived and then also our
Southern stores. We had started to open Southern stores, so
we opened all that, we opened downs, we opened Austin, Charleston, Nashville,
(37:37):
all these.
Speaker 4 (37:38):
Doors, and then just really shifted what.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
We were designing and creating based on what you know,
started doing many more like house stresses that you could
wear like these like easy cotton, and and so the
design elements shifted. We shifted much more to this like
direct to consumer because our website was doing really well.
Speaker 4 (37:59):
We're opening the stores and wholesale.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
You know, we were before before COVID, we were seventy
percent wholesale to thirty percent direct to consumer, and now
we're thirty percent wholesale seventy percent direct to consumer.
Speaker 4 (38:14):
Stop. Yeah, so that like really and that was like
a sick so sick.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
That is so amazing. That's that's like the dream. Yeah,
because that's also a lot of repeat. I right, that's
a lot of like people are like, I love the brand,
what's new blah blah blah, Like yeah, you know, and
I think, so, how okay, first of all, what is
your most successful area?
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Like which, what's your best store?
Speaker 4 (38:39):
Do you have? Palm Beach is our best store?
Speaker 2 (38:41):
Beach?
Speaker 4 (38:41):
Yeah, Palm Beach.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
Everyone goes through Palm Beach, like everyone is goes through
Palm Beach, and which is amazing because girls really go
and travel to each different destination. And so whenever I'm
talking to any other I was like, oh, I just
want to go visit your Palm Beach store or I went.
Madison Avenue was actually amaze because we have such just
like a loyal customer base there and it's on the
(39:04):
upper eaze. I mean it's on eightieth of Madison, but
it's just incredible. And then we have Dallas Highlandburg Village
and so yeah, but Palm Beach.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
Do you just die? Like so okay, so this is
what I want to know.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
So as you're expanding and I'm watching you expand, and
I'm watching you grow and like your perfect formula, and
I know it's ever changing.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
There's no perfect formula, and you follow.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
But one thing I do know is your You follow
your gut and your instinct, and you know, I think
as creative people, that's just how we're wired, right. How
So a few things. One is how do you like
working with your husband and I And I asked that
because obviously I have forever, not forever, but for a decade.
(39:48):
And there's times I really do want to kill them,
and and there's times where I'm grateful for it. But
I have a lot of friends, like you know, Manieluliers
worked with her husband from day one.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
Like there's just there's a lot of people where it
really does work.
Speaker 1 (40:02):
So I want to know sort of you know, the
pros and concerts, it's just all one way or another.
Speaker 3 (40:08):
Well, it just that it was a very recent thing
because it was during COVID when we were all just together,
just happened.
Speaker 4 (40:15):
I never in my life would ever have imagined this ever.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
So you know, in terms of opening the store like that,
we were very much like Tod was just handling the
real estate and the stores.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
And but then obviously.
Speaker 3 (40:31):
Then now having had opened seventeen stores and the business
has grown so much, and just trying to navigate all
of that. You also, I think realize, like when you
get to a certain point, like Todd knows me better
than anyone, and he knows what's going to be the best.
I mean, I always say he's like my best executive
assistant I could ever have.
Speaker 4 (40:49):
Like he was literally setting me up and doing all
this stuff. So but so he knows me, you know,
he knows all of that.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
So I think, well, when we first moved into when
we were during lockdown, it was like I never worked.
Speaker 4 (41:03):
I've never I don't. I'm not on calls with him.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
I won't do calls with him, I won't do zooms,
I won't do like it's very much. But when we
were designing the stores together, we'd make sure we had
everything set up. Then we would for that, we would
take our calls with our designers of the store, you know,
choose all the finishes, choose all of that stuff. And
then now I would say, there's a little bit more crossover.
But because I just I'm so the creative and oversee
(41:28):
all of that, and he really helps to oversee much
more like operation business.
Speaker 4 (41:34):
Yeah, like new businesses, opportunity things like that.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
And then we haven't opened a store in the last
like six months.
Speaker 4 (41:41):
My gosh. But he's definitely the one.
Speaker 3 (41:44):
He's like going pushing, like moving ahead. So we just
now I see him in the office all the time
because we moved into a beautiful new.
Speaker 4 (41:52):
Showroom which you have to come see last September.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
But he was literally working in my office and I
was like, okay, now this is like two much.
Speaker 4 (42:00):
You need to get your own office down the hall
so that I'm not.
Speaker 3 (42:04):
Like, I know you want to see He's like, don't
you want to see me every second? The answer is no, no,
but I love you. But yeah, so it's very much,
you know, we need to. It's figuring out the balance
with the girls when we're traveling. You know, they don't
really like us to They're very much in it and
they know everything going on, but they don't want if
we're having a business conversation they can see they're like,
stop fighting.
Speaker 4 (42:24):
We're not fighting, We're just happy. It's hard. Yeah, So
I think we're.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
Still been the biggest when to not talk about it right.
Speaker 3 (42:31):
When to not to talk about it because you're kind
of allway like it's just like done, like you need to.
So we're figuring that part out and being much better,
I think, just in terms of like leaving those conversations
to when the girls go.
Speaker 4 (42:44):
To bed or just when we're not.
Speaker 3 (42:45):
With them, and because it's like you know, often like
not that we're arguing, it's just having a conversation.
Speaker 1 (42:52):
It's a conversation and it's and it's and it's hard
because your brain's always going there's so much happening, your
brand is growing, and it's like you want to talk
about it, and it's kind of awesome, yeah that it's
your husband, right, because imagine if you were like calling
someone else.
Speaker 2 (43:06):
To talk about it.
Speaker 3 (43:07):
Yeah, So at the end that I'm starting to realize
that it's actually like he knows me better than anyone
and I know that. I like what you said, like
you can trust each other so much, and so I
think having that and when your business growth all these things,
it's really hard to find people that you trust, you know,
through and through and so, and that's the most important
thing to be able to really rely on an amazing
(43:28):
team and to help you know, make the right decisions
for you and you know, know what you're capable of
doing and not and pushing you in the right way.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
So all of that, so what just sort of keeps
you up at night and like.
Speaker 4 (43:43):
All of it everything I know.
Speaker 3 (43:45):
So, I mean it's still like whenever I'm whenever I
have like a big shoot or I have something like that,
the next day, I feel like my brain is constantly
going because then I'm like looking at my looking for
inspiration here. Oh my god, I need to make sure
I get that shot, because that that's really where my
heart and soul is, like in the storytelling in these
(44:06):
you know, in all of the content that we're all
you know, but I'm constantly thinking about all of that,
So I think that for sure that's what the image.
Speaker 4 (44:17):
Yeah, it's like the image that that keeps me up.
Speaker 3 (44:19):
And then you know, now we've started to do more,
you know, we've started to get on the fashion calendar.
So this is going to be our third yes, our
third fashion So during that time, that's like the most
I mean that forget it like you're it's terrified like
that you're just going because there's always a million things
to think about and a million things that you're going
to forget and nobody knows everything that you need to
(44:42):
keep in mind except for you, really, so it's just
like crossing off all those different boxes and making sure
that like you're the one as like the creative head
to make sure that it all gets done.
Speaker 1 (44:55):
Now, tell me about your most recent collab that launched today, Yes.
Speaker 2 (45:00):
Today.
Speaker 3 (45:02):
Officially launches tomorrow, which is amazing. August fourth, it's amazing.
I went tell me, it's so good. And we shot
Sierra for it and her her son and daughter. She's
literally the best person, Like, she's so beautiful, she's so
like talented, smart, sexy, like everything about her and just
(45:24):
like her kids. So she was just the perfect face
of the campaign.
Speaker 4 (45:29):
And I'm so happy that it came to be.
Speaker 3 (45:31):
And also she's like a tomboy cool, she's not so
girly girly, which I love. And so this collection is
very much like I mean, if it was up to me,
it would have had a hundred more ruffles and like
all that.
Speaker 4 (45:42):
And I'm so it's cool, Like it's very cool. It's
and it's for everyone. It's for the whole family. It's
for you know.
Speaker 3 (45:51):
We have pieces for men, we have pieces for baby,
we have accessories we have and also and also just
not like I was at the Gap at.
Speaker 4 (45:59):
The Grove yesterday which is amazing yesterday showing the.
Speaker 3 (46:03):
Team there, and it's just it really is just like easy,
so taking like their icons and our icons, bringing them together.
Speaker 4 (46:11):
That ruffle mini skirt we made one like a.
Speaker 3 (46:14):
Floral with a little islet for them, and really keep
denim like Boussier's and dresses the denim jackets I love.
Speaker 4 (46:21):
And you know, it's just it's fun.
Speaker 3 (46:23):
It has you can if you're girly and you're feminine
and you want to get that, there's plenty to get.
Speaker 4 (46:28):
And then if you also like also.
Speaker 3 (46:30):
Want to want something love shack fancy and you're not
so fun overly girly, you still have a million options.
Speaker 4 (46:37):
So it's cool to be.
Speaker 3 (46:39):
You know, I grew up with the Gap, so it's
like it's fun and I yeah, it's iconic.
Speaker 4 (46:45):
It's totally iconic. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (46:47):
Well my Scarlet, my ten year old before she was
like really mom, gat and now she's like Gap is
just so iconic.
Speaker 4 (46:52):
I'm like it's so ict Like I the you know,
it's just all the same.
Speaker 3 (46:57):
Like storytelling, getting like cool faith, cool ambassadors and thinking
outside the box. And I think it's a really fun
you know, we have like it's fun to just keep
on evolving when things get so you know that you
get into routine and so yeah, pink and exactly like thank.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
Gosh, it's not and then came Barbie.
Speaker 3 (47:17):
Yeah, and then came Barbie and then but you know,
even like and in terms of.
Speaker 4 (47:21):
Our main line, like that's getting much more.
Speaker 3 (47:23):
We have a huge range that I need to show
you everything because we've like an incredible new design team
and it's very evolved and it's like really now going
to be for all ages, and the fabrications and the
fits are like.
Speaker 4 (47:37):
Beautiful tailored pieces all seasons. Like it's really great.
Speaker 3 (47:41):
So that launch is like mid August, which is going
to be incredible. So it's really just keeping in mind
like all the ages of girls and women and all
these because you know, we realized having all these stores,
there's so many women that come in that are older
and that are all ages, and we we didn't really
have enough to be able to offer everyone.
Speaker 4 (48:02):
So that's you know, same like we had to in
terms of like.
Speaker 1 (48:06):
They may want to sleeve, they may want to see,
they don't want something, so roughily.
Speaker 3 (48:10):
They want something easy, So that's really where we're you know, merchandising,
like who it's so important, So like these are all
things that we've just you know, we understand now as
a business and we're being you know, we're really moving
forward in.
Speaker 4 (48:25):
That direction to be able to have it for.
Speaker 3 (48:27):
Everyone, because it started off as you know, what I wanted,
and now it's really what, like, you know what what
all of our customers and all of our audience wants well,
which is why we're you can't do every time, I'm like.
Speaker 1 (48:40):
Yes, one hundred, one hundred percent. I mean, it's clear
to me that you're living your dream. You've worked incredibly
hard for it. Do you ever dream beyond this moment
or do you just live in every single moment and
just go, Okay, this is what it is now, this
is what I'm thinking for this year, like dadada, or
do you go, okay, in like five years from now,
(49:00):
I hope to be doing X. Do you have that
dream or do you just kind of like take each day.
Speaker 3 (49:07):
I mean, I definitely take each day, but I'm always
thinking of everything. Where we have like an amazing new
category that's launching in September, which we've been working on.
Speaker 4 (49:15):
So that's so exciting.
Speaker 3 (49:18):
And I am always any but I love to travel,
like I mean, I'm here at you really do. I'm like,
oh my gosh, I knowed this is my dream, Like
I want to have like a whole hotel, like you know,
it's like all pink and York now around. So I
very much think in terms of like lifestyle hospitality. I mean,
I'm like hotels, restaurant, like that's the whole. I'm always
(49:41):
thinking about that kind of thing, so much more in
terms of of many different ideas as opposed to just
the clothing.
Speaker 1 (49:50):
And you know, yeah, I mean I think of Love
Shock as a lifestyle brand right one thousand percent. And
I think and like I said, it's because the brand
is wrecking nice well to a point where you walk
into a hotel suite at whatever hotel and it's a
Love Shock fancy sweet yeah, and you would know that,
and that's the dream in my opinion. I mean, just
(50:10):
outside looking in. And you know, I'm obviously a fan.
I adore you. I'm so impressed with you. Your family's
the sweetest.
Speaker 4 (50:20):
And thank you, you.
Speaker 2 (50:21):
Know, I mean, congrats a thousand times.
Speaker 1 (50:24):
But like just I feel like you haven't even weirdly
scratched the surface of what you're going to do. But
you know, I'm excited to see all of it, and
I'm here for it.
Speaker 2 (50:33):
I'm cheering.
Speaker 4 (50:34):
I'm cheering in good I know. We need to just
do this like weekly.
Speaker 1 (50:39):
Well, come home, come home, and okay, and we will
come home and we.
Speaker 2 (50:45):
Will and we have lots to do together, and let's.
Speaker 4 (50:47):
Talk about amazing. I love you, Matt, seriously, Thank you Rachel.
Speaker 1 (50:58):
It's that time in the show when I answer to
listener questions, So let's see what we have today. Do
you consider yourself a content creator? And if so, what
is your favorite part about making content?
Speaker 2 (51:11):
Interesting? Great question.
Speaker 1 (51:13):
Actually, I don't know that I consider myself a content
creator the same way I really never considered myself a
quote unquote influencer.
Speaker 2 (51:21):
And I think that's maybe just.
Speaker 1 (51:23):
Because I am who I am, and I think I've
just always been doing different iterations of brand expression. And
I think now there's maybe a title for it, which
is making content. But I don't think I would really
put a label on myself as a content creator.
Speaker 2 (51:42):
Not that that's a bad thing.
Speaker 1 (51:43):
I think it's genius, But I think at that point,
it's probably considered like your full time job is creating content,
and I would say that that is a part of
my job and definitely not my full time job, if
that makes sense. But certainly my favorite part about making
content of any kind, I think is having that ability
(52:07):
to communicate my brand to more people and to also
really connect with more people every time, you know, I
put something out into the universe publicly, and also I
think just trying to constantly be new and have new
ideas and you know, new messaging about important things. So yeah,
(52:28):
that would be my favorite constant connection. Okay, the next
question very unrelated. Do you dress your boys or do
they dress themselves? I would say Caius one hundred percent
of the time. I dress him, although lately he's become
obsessed with wearing suits because he thinks it's very gentlemanly.
Speaker 2 (52:46):
He likes dressing up, which I love.
Speaker 1 (52:49):
He's always been my little prince Charming, and all of
a sudden, he's really taken a liking to wearing suits,
which is funny and amazing.
Speaker 2 (52:56):
Skyler.
Speaker 1 (52:57):
I dress him most of the time, but I think
now that he's starting seventh grade, he will be dressing himself.
Speaker 2 (53:05):
For school, and I will probably have no saying it.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
But I kind of have a deal with Skuy that,
like when it matters, like if we're doing something nice,
he'll let me choose it, and then when he's just
hanging out with his friends, he chooses it. So yeah,
I don't want to hold him back from expressing himself
the way he wants to. But I will say, out
of pure laziness, very often Sky'll just be like, you
(53:31):
pick it and tell me what to where.
Speaker 2 (53:32):
I don't care. So there you go.
Speaker 1 (53:34):
Don't forget to submit your questions for next week's episode.
All you have to do is dm us your questions
to at Climbing in Hills pod on Instagram and I
might just answer them. I want to thank Rebecca so
(53:54):
much for coming on the podcast.
Speaker 2 (53:58):
She has truly been welt a real.
Speaker 1 (54:00):
Fashion empire, and you know, I'm someone that has watched
it from the outside. I've seen it from the inside,
and I have to tell you that, you know I
said it.
Speaker 2 (54:14):
In the episode.
Speaker 1 (54:15):
It's it is the hardest thing really in the fashion industry.
It is the hardest thing to create a brand and
have it last and have it be successful, all while
keeping the DNA of the brand, the true essence of
the brand and the vision of the brand, the aesthetic
of the brand. To really keep that true to who
(54:37):
you are as the founder and the creative director. It's
it's really hard and to not get lost in the
poll of what different retailers want and pholesale, and it's
it's really a grind and it's really hard, and it
takes thick skin and it takes perseverance. And I can
(54:58):
tell you that while Rebecca has grown up in fashion,
she wasn't handed things. She built this really ground up
and is still doing it and is really hands on.
And I have to say, she's just so impressive and
she's a sweetheart, and she loves her brand.
Speaker 2 (55:14):
She is her brand.
Speaker 1 (55:15):
And you know, I really hope you enjoyed this episode
as much as I did. If you want more Climbing
and Heels content, follow me on at Rachel Zo and
at Climbing in Heels pod on Instagram for more updates
on upcoming guests, episodes, and all things cure Ature.
Speaker 2 (55:34):
I'll see you all next week.
If you love beauty as much as I do, you're
going to be obsessed with Carator's latest launch, the Gold Curation.
These limited edition boxes are perfect for those who want
to treat themselves to a little extra indulgence. I curated
the first edition with Ultralex beauty products that will.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Pamper you from head to toe. Literally.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
The Gold Curation is valued at over eight hundred dollars,
but I'm offering it to you for only two hundred
and fifty dollars. They're so close to selling out, so
hurry and get yours by heading to curator dot com
slash gold Curation.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
That cur at eu.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
R dot com slash gold Curation. Hi everyone, I'm Rachel Zoe.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
And you're listening to Climbing in Heels.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
This show is all about celebrating the most extraordinary superwoman
who be sharing their most incredible journeys to the top, all.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
While staying glamorous.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Today with me, we have the incredible, beyond impressive founder
of Love Shack Fancy.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
I'm sure you've heard of it.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
The powerhouse that is Rebecca hessel Cohen. Rebecca is a
born and raised, true and true New Yorker and was
really surrounded by fashion her entire life. She started her
career as a fashion editor in New York and was
inspired to start her brand, love Shack Fancy after she
designed bridesmaids dresses.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
For her wedding. She is truly.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
One of the most incredible fashion entrepreneurs and I'm so
excited for you.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
To all listen to this episode.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
I could talk to her for hours, and I think
what really comes through is her passion for her brand,
for her customer, and really her dedication to her work
and really seeing it be the success that it is.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Climbing and heels.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
You know, it's funny because it does literally pertain to you,
But many of them.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
It's my favorite favorite name ever, climbing and I'm always
always are You're always in?
Speaker 4 (02:19):
Are you always in heels?
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Always? Always?
Speaker 1 (02:22):
But ninety percent of the women I've had on here
do not wear heels. And they're like, what, Rachel, does
it matter if I don't wear heels? And I'm like, no,
It's it's very tongue in cheek because it's really about
the journey to get to the top, all while embracing
the sort of best things about being a woman.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Right Yeah, And.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
And for you you know, it's funny because we've become
friendly more recently through mutual friends, but I very clearly
remember meeting you, like when you first opened I think
the store in sag Harbor, And you know, I want
to first go back to the beginning for a minute,
(03:06):
because I think it's very important to talk about like
who you started as in life, like who you were,
what kind of kid you were. And I think as
a mother, as you raise your girls, I'm sure you
sort of look at them like who are you going
to be?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
What are you doing? Like like where you.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Know, like and everything you say and do you probably
feel like, oh my god, what's this doing to her?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Is this going to help her?
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Right?
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Right?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
But I mean, so you grew up in New York City.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Grew up in New York City. Yes, so you are
like a born and bred New York City girl.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Daughter of a fashion.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Y So my mom was the creative director at seventeen
magazine for like over twenty years. She started there actually
nineteen sixty eight, which is crazy. And then yeah, and
then so she was there and during its like heyday.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Of full on.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
You know, she was finding all of the up and
coming actresses, the model, like really really just hands on
in all that.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
So I grew up in the fashion closet, the beauty closet, and.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Then so many of her first assistants then grew on
to be fashion director and then fashion director at Vogue,
you know, beauty director at Bizarre.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Or wherever it was.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
So those were my romos all growing up, like, and
I'm an only child, so they were basically like my sisters.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
You know that's wild.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Wait a minute, so I don't know if you know this,
but my one and only job was at ym Max.
Oh no way, which at the time was the compete
seventeen right exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Seventeen was better.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Way seventeen was great.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
I mean it was like during the whole So yeah,
it was really like very revolutionary and very much putting
girls like you know, in their teens, in their teens
on the on the cover. So I remember Alicia Silverstone
when she was first on the cover. It's like Catherine Heigel.
And then it was also the couples. It was, you know,
(05:03):
so it was really the sisters Chrissy.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
And Nikki tail like it was.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
And then I had every magazine, I mean even the Vogue,
my favorite, like all over my wallpaper.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Growing up, I was just upset magazine obsessed.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
But see, it's interesting because I did that also, and
I think and I didn't grow up in that in
the traditional sense, Like my mom was definitely a fashion person,
but never employed in that way. Like if she ever
knew what a stylist was, that would have been her
job for sure. But I think, but it's interesting because
what I do find having daughters and what I find
so fascinating about you and your daughters, and also as
(05:37):
we talk about it, you with your mom, as you know,
that can go one way or another, right, like as
the child of fashion, you can.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Very often it.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Happens where they hate it, they like, push it away,
they don't like it, they don't want any part of it,
they whatever. Or you live in life for it, which
clearly happened to you, is clearly happening to your girls.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
Uh yeah, I just love.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
I mean, I think it was like the photos, shoots,
the event.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
You know, everything, Yeah, the glamour.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Of it, it was just it was all fun and
it was very much like the storytelling.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
And it was I mean I remember every night my
mom worked so hard.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
She would come home even at like eight o'clock. I
would sit there, I would edit through. You know, that
was when it was like the film printed out. Of course,
we would circle our favorite photos.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
We would I would help.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
She always asked my opinion, and I always ask my
daughter's opinion. So I think it's just something that's, you know,
very much a part of me since the beginning.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
And you want to get there. You want to get their.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
Point of view because they have a different perspective. And
I'm so you know, interested in what the younger girl's
perspective is as well.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
So yes, and it's so fascinating. And I say this
to you all the time. I mean, love, shock, fancy.
I have so much to say about it. But I
but I want to understand. So you grew up in
New York City.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
You went to Spence, So I went to Nightingale, and
then I went to Robertelle, so into all girls, and
then I went to co Ed.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Yeah okay, And then at what point did you go
to college?
Speaker 4 (07:08):
So I went to college as a freshman.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
I went to Skidmore College and then I went I
transferred to NYU after a year because I was like
ready to get back into the hustle and Bustle, and
I had always been you know, I actually thought I
wanted to study journalism. They didn't have a journalism department there,
and then I ended up just doing English literature, dramatic literature,
art history. But I was always working, Like I started
(07:33):
interning in when I was I think fourteen, I worked
in every magazine every summer.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
During the years L I worked for Ann Slowly, I
worked for Gloria baumetteen Vague.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
I worked for everyone, Wendy Klerman at Vogue who now
works with me, and so all of these girls were
so incredible who had worked with my mom as well,
some of them had worked with her. But and then
I just was I mean, it was literally every internship
I could possibly get my and I was ready to go.
So I think when I came back to New York,
(08:05):
I was like college even just a real more traditional
college experience for me. For one year going to the.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
Bar, I was like I had enough, and so I
wanted to be in New.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
York City where I could also work and learn and
you know, just get my hand started.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
Like I really started.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
I really started freelancing and interning as much as I
possibly could during college.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
It's the best because you know, it's funny. I talk
about college a lot.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
It's a common thread on this podcast because I would
say more than half of the women that I've had
on either didn't go to college, some barely graduated high school,
someone all the way.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
And then you.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Know, but I do believe your education in no way
defines you, right, And I really stand by that, and
I do think you know, for me, I went to
college the whole thing.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
If my parents had given me a choice.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
To work or go to college, I probably would have
gone to work because I was the same.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
I was like ready, I wanted to work.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Yeah, And you know, it's funny because I do think
you grow up in college at least I did, right,
And I think, but I will say that I learned
more in my first six months of working than I learned.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
In four years at college.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
So I think, I think that's a really important thing
to talk about because I think that fires in you
from day one, right, Yeah, And I think that at
what point, so like, after all that, you did a
million internships, right, so you're clearly this like born fashion girl. Yeah,
(09:37):
you have any incredible work ethic, and then what happened
were you like Okay, so then you became an editor, right.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Yeah, so then, I mean I did everything though I
also worked at like Sony Recording Studios. I did an
internship in the creative services department where it was like
Eve and the Rough Riders, and I worked from.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
My shift was ten pm to two am, and.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
I would bring them like any thing they wanted, like
whatever Chinese but whatever. You know, they were in the
it was whole, the whole record like I loved that
music music aspect too. I was freelancing, even for some
more celebrity music stylists at the time. And then I
was and I worked at BBDO Advertising like my mom
(10:18):
definitely want She wasn't the one pushing me to work.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Did we not know each other? Why?
Speaker 4 (10:24):
You were like, I mean you were insane. I mean
I was like watching you go and go and go.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Literally I was the assistant running in the heels everywhere
around and then.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
And so I worked everywhere.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
I got my first job working for Suzi Olop Sports
at Glamour doing the we did like morning shows and
the Glamour makeovers and all that.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
And then you know, she was my camp counselor. She was.
That's how I know oh, she was like my color worth.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Literally wait, I love that at her and then where
it's yeah, and she said, you aren't always to wear
high heels.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
You were always to pick up every little like piece
of dirt or hair on the floor and never think
that anything is like below you, even in your heel,
you know, And that was I remember it so well.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
I literally never took my heels up ever since that.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Do you see how that impacted you? Though it is
not wild?
Speaker 4 (11:20):
Yeah, it's so funny, that's crazy.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
So and then I worked for her, and then I
got a job as an associate fashion editor at Cosinpolitan,
where I was like the assistant to the fashion director
and then kept on one, you know. And so I
did all the shoots, I did the fashion stories, beauty
I did, I covered some markets and then I just
realized yeah, and then I just I loved it. I
(11:44):
always wanted to be in magazines. It just was the
At first, I didn't know did I want to write?
Did I want to which side? But and then that's
where I ended up. And Cosmo at the time was
just fun, you know. It wasn't too yeahs fashion. It
was just like fun.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah, yeah, well.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
It was fun and also, like I always talk about
those days in fashion, it was so different because it
was like boot camp. Any job you had at these
magazines was like make five dollars and you work twenty
four to seven and if you skirt it up, it.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Was basically there was a hundred girls waiting.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
For you right exactly, and you felt so lucky to
be there, and it was like such a bond with everyone.
It was like this very fun like club that you
were a part of, you know.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
So, yeah, it was amazing.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
So then at what point is there this moment where
you're like, I'm now crazy enough to start my own.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
So so it all started when, you know, So I
was working, traveling all the time doing photo shoots I
was doing. Then I became a senior fashion and beauty eater,
and then I did a lot of the cover shoots there.
So I was like back and forth from LA or
traveling to wherever it may be.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
And then I just design.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
I couldn't find bride's maid stresses for my wedding, so
I looked all over and I decided I was like, okay,
I'll just make my own. I've found a seamstress in
New York, a pattern maker. I've found this like the
idea that I wanted these beautiful, ethereal but sexy dresses.
You know, I felt very much because I was such
(13:22):
a storyteller and I still am such a storyteller.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
The dress, as you know how.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
It is like the whole vision of it, like it
has to do with my dress has to go with
the tents, the flowers, and.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
The dresses needs to be perfect, and the girls.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Need to look stunning and they need to feel amazing,
and they need to be you know, have a volume
and like have this beautiful cascading like silk dress. So
I just designed this one halter dress that you could
twist and tie and the girls could wear it more
umpire and you know, or they could do it like
lower and more like halston esque and cool.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
Yeah, and just depending on their body elastic.
Speaker 3 (13:58):
And then we I had the wedding, everyone was like
dying over these dresses. Then I wore one of my
I borrowed one of my bridesmaid's dresses to wear to
a friend's wedding. Two weeks later, I was like, this
is the best dress I've ever worn. And then I
decided to make some I was like I need this dress,
like to wear to the beach over a bathing suit.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
I need I want to wear this.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Stress just to like you know, Surflage and Montak and
so I just started making these dresses and then everyone
asked for them, so I decided to sell them. I
did little trunk shows pop ups with Joey Wolfer at
the Vineyard. I did little pop ups all around Blue
and Cream, and then they would just sell the dresses,
you know, I had a limited addition, and then they
(14:40):
would be gone and sell that. So I did that
for about and I was literally like had the dresses,
would make them in the garment district with the sample room,
put them in the back of my cart, roll them
up into a little knot, and then drop them off.
And I was just like, that was this little side
project that I was doing. And then sometimes if I
couldn't find a shoe, you know, dressed for a cover,
(15:01):
I'd make what I was like, Oh, lady Gaugash, I
mean we never really once you.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Were still working. You were still working and you got married.
I got married and I was just both wed. Where'd
you get married? At my parents house in Bridgehampton?
Speaker 3 (15:15):
So at my family's you know, like surrounded by apple
orchards and this like old farmhouse we had we had
a tent in the back and then and still there,
like it's where we do all of our photo shoots.
The garden, the arbor is still there that we got
married under, and so this is very much like a
hub of everything that we do. And in this house
(15:36):
it was you know, my mom always bought so much vintage.
I grew up like as a full you know, just
piles of laces and vintage dresses and Guardian you know,
Victorian everything you could imagine all around. So that was
kind of this like central place that where I spent all.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
These all my summers, and that was like my happy place.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
And how'd you get the name? How'd you get the name?
Speaker 4 (16:01):
So originally my mom was actually trying to think. She
was always hand dying dress.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
So then we started hand dying dresses because we would say, oh,
this is like.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
Feels too perfect.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
It needs to feel more linden, it needs to feel
more washed out, like sunfaded bleach. We would so we
started dying these dresses, these halter dresses, and my mom
had this huge collection of vintage slip dresses which she
had like previously, wanted to make create a website before
websites were even really a thing.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
She wanted to do a little.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Prop styling vintage, you know, sell her vintage dresses hand dyed.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
And she was coming up with the name.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
She had the sign that she used to put used
to help her friends when they moved into rentals and
that was like ugly for later and she would throw
her vintage fabrics over it and.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
To like twice she put up a little sign that
was called love Shock.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
She you know, she wasn't working at the time, but
always she's like us, like always working.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
So she had this little name love Shock. She so
it's kind of cute for this website.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
And then there was a photo shoot with Red magazine
and all British magazine. Everyone was like, oh, I fancy that,
I fancy this saying the word like and she said,
that's just so it it's love shock.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
But it has that I love that word and name.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
And it's also this juxtaposition of something that feels, you know,
perfectly imperfect. It's the you know chandelier, it's the gold
jet with the little chip paint. It's just like, yeah,
the raw edges, it's the sun bleached and so that name.
Then she never did anything with it. And then when
I was trying to think of a name, this like
love Shack Fancy sign had been around and she and
(17:32):
I just came back to and I.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Was like, that's just it.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
This is so love shack fancy.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
So that's how we came up with the name and
dying the dresses, you know, doing all this, and then
I decided. So I was still working at Cosmopolitan and
then that's when I decided to I was actually on
a trip to you.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
I was in Santropez.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
I was introduced to Lisa Marie Fernandez on the beach
and we were hanging out talking and she's like, you know,
and I was like, I feel a little like magazines
are just changing.
Speaker 4 (18:01):
Fashion is changing. I'm not challenged anymore.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
I have this little line that I'm doing on the side,
but I need to start to put more energy into
it if I want to make it anything instell to
She's like, just go for it. I'm like you, I
was in magazines, I'm a stylists. I started my line.
It's just you just have to go for it and
just try it.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
So then after.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Which is scary, so which is very scary.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
I mean it was the scariest thing. I was so
emotional that it. I remember going back to the office.
I went to Kate White, my editor in chief, and
I mean I was like crying. I was emotional, and
I was like, I don't know what to do. I
have no idea why I'm doing this, but I just
feel in my heart that I want to give it
a try. And at that time, I was already starting
to shoot. It was like bloggers were coming around and
(18:45):
I was doing you know, it was fashion was definitely shifting, so.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
And you weren't pregnant yet, right, It wasn't pregnant.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
So I then resigned from COSMPOL and she's like, you
always have a place here, you could always come back.
Speaker 4 (18:56):
Just give it a try.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
So I want to talk about that though, for one
second before we move on. I want to talk about
that because that's something I really like to not skim
over on the podcast, is how important it is to
not burn bridges in your career, but more importantly, if
you're working in the right place and you're in a
supportive place.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
I think a lot of mistakes.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
That women make, myself included is you don't leave, and
you don't leave because you're worried. You're like a you're scared,
of course, but you're also like, oh, they're going to
be so upset.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
I'm going to be blacklisted. I'm going to be this,
I'm going to be that.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
There is a difference in leaving and saying, hey, I'm
going to try this new venture. I want to launch
my own clothing line like whatever. Then in the magazine world,
as many people don't understand going directly to a competitor
to like right, because you've got a higher title and whatever.
It's never that you leave somewhere, it's how you leave
yet and you never know that you will be working
(19:53):
with people for a lifetime in different capacities. If you
leave in the right way, you will always have that
door open.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Yeah, and that's support. But if you don't, it's it's
it's just it.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
It never it never stops hurting, right, I know, Yes,
so good, so good move Yeah, great support and love okay, great.
Speaker 4 (20:13):
And then that's what I did.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
And then I thought, oh, I can freelance style for
a little bit, I can consult and I'll start this line.
See what works, and you know, then learned how to
but I had no idea. I didn't even know what
a sales showroom was. I didn't know, what's the point.
How do you get your clothes, I mean into a store?
How do you really produce all of this? Like, so
I was starting through the beginning, and then I was Charlotte,
(20:38):
my daughter, my first daughter, who's now ten.
Speaker 4 (20:41):
So I basically was putting the line together.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
It was going to be like an eight, eight or
ten piece capsule collection of like effortless pieces that never
go out of style. I was like, I'm not getting
into that world of fashion where you have to keep
making patterns, And how do people do that and get
into that cycle? I mean now here we are like
you know, as always we spoke about that before. But
(21:04):
and so that was the idea. It was just so
I designed our ruffle mini skirt that year. I hired
this amazing freelance designer to work with me, taught me everything.
She introduced me to a freelance production girl in New
York City. We you know, produced there. And then so
I designed the ruffle mini skirt. And then wait are
we talking about the rough miniskirt?
Speaker 1 (21:24):
The one that every girl in middle school and every.
Speaker 4 (21:28):
Age the iconic. Yes, And it took me like months
and months I worked on the skirt.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Literally it was like had to be perfect, and I
had a collection of hundreds. My outfit was like high heels,
mini skirt and like a blazer. I was maybe more
like a vintage tea at the time, like that was
my my style, or a leather jacket. Like wasn't so
pink because pink really started mostly like in a huge
(21:56):
way when I had daughters, I was and so but
I was always in skirts and I always I just
had the hugest collection of mini skirts and so that's
really where that was when this this style was created,
which is still like our best selling and like cult.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
So your miniskirt is like my calf hands, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Exactly, exactly, always like the go to and what I'm Yes.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
And someone asked me this morning, like what do you
wear every day? There, I'm like a calf h I
just wear a different cal That's just what I wear.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
But I think like I.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
Should ask you for someone we need some calf hands.
Actually we really do. Yeah, let's talk about it.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Let's talk about it.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
We're going to collaborate.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Yeah, but I think you know, it's interesting and I think.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
You know your brand.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
And I said this to you, I think last summer
at your dinner.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Coming.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
You know, for me, having been in the industry for
a really long time, I mean, you're not that far behind.
You have quite a history, and I think you know
I've learned all sides, right, I mean there's still more sides.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
I'm sure that I don't know.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
But I think that one thing that I think nobody
knows unless you've done it, is that having a clothing
line is by far and away one of the hardest
jobs in the industry. And it's for a myriad of reasons.
It's for a myriad of reasons. But that said, having
done it, having hundreds of friends successful and not so
(23:27):
successful in it luxury and all price points, I know
how hard it is. I've done it. And to watch
you just like at the top of your game after
ten years and sort of stay true to the brand
is to me the hardest part of all of it,
(23:50):
because in the world of clothing and manufacturing and doing
the thing, you know, especially when you're in retail, it's
incredibly difficult to please everyone, right, And I find that
the most commendable thing to me from the outside and
also a bit on the inside is that you've never
(24:13):
veered from what the brand is, right, like maybe a
little bit here and there, more pink, more this or whatever,
but ultimately you are this brand, right you are. And
I can say that from experience. Every dinner, every tablecloth,
every flower, every place card, every napkin at a seat
(24:35):
says the brandy.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
And the reason that that is so impressive.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Is because I remember when I first became friends with
Mark Jacobs, and it was one hundred years ago, and
I remember that we talked about a brand and what
it means. And I did an interview at the time
with like a big publication and they said, what is
brand success? And I said, brand success is when it's
stranger who doesn't know. You can look at something, whether
(25:05):
it's a lamp, a bag, whatever, and say that's Mark Jacobs, right,
or that's whoever. And you were at a point right
now where and have been where I'll look at something
and go that's Love Shock, Like that's Love Shock, that's
her brand. And so it's interesting because to me that's
(25:27):
the gold medal of this business. And you know, there's
not that many that have wonted that, and so I
think it's hard work. I think it's authenticity first and foremost,
you know, and I think you just you are what
you talk about, you are what you design. And I'm
watching all these girls and all these women from ages
(25:52):
like six to like sixty wearing love shock and it's
like that's the dream, right yeah, right.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
Generation, Yeah, the generational thing is really amazing.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
And it definitely I mean, it didn't it started off
as like just these timeless pieces at you know, and
I started, I launched. I guess I was what thirty one,
so at that stage of my life and that's when
I started to make then the girl's clothes when I
had a daughter, so every that's when I started to
do the tablecloth because it's like, oh, I want this
dress as a print, and I would cut up the
(26:25):
fabric and then put on the table and then through
social media everyone would say, you know, that's really how
I also got so much of the feedback because it
was very much like, you know, showing my world and
what I was doing in the most organic, like authentic
way and then saying, oh, well I want to buy that.
I was like, oh, you want to buy this, Oh great,
(26:45):
then we should make it. You want to have the napkins.
You want to also buy this little little fluttersleep dress
you want to do And so that's really how everything
has evolved, I think.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
And then generationally all these.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Moms were buying, moms were buying the dresses, and then
their daughters were taking or the skirts, and then their
daughters would take the skirts and then the jog and
then it became this cult thing, which I didn't even
realize until I opened that store. I think also the
difference between having this a wholesale business the first five
years was just wholesale, so selling in department stores and
other boutiques and not really having that connection, and then
(27:22):
also being so controlled by the retailers and doing what
they thought was and they you know, they were never
buying anything that I loved, and they were never telling
a story of the brand, and it would be so frustrating.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
So that is the thing, and that is that's the
part that I got really star Yeah, I.
Speaker 4 (27:39):
Mean it's like crazy, it's just like so it's we.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
Only want purple, we only want stripes, we only want this, and.
Speaker 3 (27:46):
I'm just like yeah, and then you're like at the
mercy for them. But then it's hard because you know
what works for your brand and your customers, and they're
trying to think what works for theirs, and so that's
why I really think, you know, the most important and
pivotal moment for sure was when we opened our first
door in seg Harbor, because it really was I had
(28:06):
no idea about anything in retail.
Speaker 4 (28:08):
I had no idea what was going to work.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
But it was just my dream to have one little
shop where I could just show everything.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
And it was like, I'll.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Tell your story, yeah, and tell the story, and you know,
in that one little store, I said, oh, well, my
story is so vintage inspired, so I'm going to have
some of the original vintage and inspires the collection, and
then I'll source. I sourced all the furniture, and then
I bought different independent designers from all over, you know,
and had them use some of our.
Speaker 4 (28:35):
Fabrics and make handmade.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
Dolls with them or you know, embroidered pillows from Senegal
or wherever it may be. And so it was really
like this little curation of everything with Loveshack's fancy as
the collection. And that was really the pivotal moment when
and then when we opened those doors and I saw
all these like teenagers and ten year olds and grandmothers,
(28:59):
and I was like, how do you even know about
love Jack fancy? And so that was really when I
started to understand who the customer was. And I had
to you know, my girls were probably one and a
half and three or something at the time, or like
a little bit older. So that was really like connecting
to that customer and understanding what he wanted and then
(29:25):
reinforcing what I wanted and what was working.
Speaker 4 (29:28):
Were you scared? Oh my god, it was the scariest thing.
I mean, I worked on that. I had just scared.
I was so scared. But I had no idea what.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
I was getting myself into at all. And it was
very much like a family thing. My mom was helping,
my best friend Dean, who's also a photographer, was like
changing over the bricks in the second room. It's like
the little, you know, Captain's House in sag Harbor at
the old house John who was our landlord at he
was ninety years old. He sat on his porch, He's like, Recca,
you could do whatever you want, just make sag Harbor
(29:58):
beautiful again. And oh he was so sweet, and I
had no idea.
Speaker 4 (30:03):
I was so scared that no one was going to come.
And then when we opened.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Course, because then that the thought of course everyone's going
to judge and no one's gonna like it, and no
one's you know, and then we opened the doors and
it was like as if it was like a like
they ransacked the I mean I was in the stock
room trying to rea, and I had no idea the
sizes were wrong that you know, I didn't understand how
any of it worked. And honestly I had like a
huge panic attack after, like because I realized that.
Speaker 4 (30:30):
That like this was this there's something.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
Like it was real and like my and and my
brand is and I.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
Had no idea what I was doing. Like I hadn't built.
Speaker 3 (30:41):
I hadn't I didn't have the proper team in order
to move forward at the time.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
So you know, I was going to ask you that, Yeah,
how many people did you have at that point working
for that.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
I mean I probably had, like probably had like ten
people maybe, right, but no one who really knew how
to run a store. I didn't even know what like
operations was. I knew I needed like a store manager,
like all these things. I really was very much learning
in the thick of it and then realized, Okay, this
(31:13):
is who I need to hire.
Speaker 4 (31:15):
You know.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
Then I realized, okay, now this slowly and I'm still learning.
I mean, we're still putting together the proper team of like,
you know, hopefully the best of the best, and understanding
that you really need to let go and have incredibly
talented people as part of your team to run those
you know, to be the experts.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
And go with it. So that was a huge scary
It was like the scariest.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
That summer was intense. Like I, you know, and you
had young kids. I had young kids.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
I remember going into the store.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
I remember the first time and they, by the way,
they were so sweet. Like I remember walking in and
being like I just like walked into a dream.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Like it was like, yeah, you.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
Know, it's because I was talking to someone about this
the other day. I'm like, people think of me as
being very girly, but I'm not so girly different ways.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
And what's funny about love Shack is that.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Like it's almost like I'm in love with it now,
Like right, it's almost like I now.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
But like what I mean is that I get it.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
I get it, and I love it and I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Whenever you send me.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Like pictures of like pick something, if you want to
wear something, blah blah blah, It's like immediately and like
zoom this one right, And then I put it on
and I feel just like myself in this very kind
of feminine but vintagey way, almost like I'm in a
movie a little bit like it gives me a little
(32:46):
bit of like.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
A movie set vibe.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
Yeah, like an old story, you know, but modern. Yeah,
but I think so I want to talk about that.
So how many stores do you have now?
Speaker 3 (32:56):
So now we have seventeen stores? Yeah, so, which is
amazing crazy.
Speaker 4 (33:01):
We ow. My heart just dropped like nuts. And I
mean but and that was never the plan. That's incredible.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
We were never like, oh, we're going to open seventeen
stores we had.
Speaker 4 (33:10):
I was justy with the one and then that cute
little one.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
I was like.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
Then we live in the West Village, so there was
a little sweet shop that used to be the old
Club Monaco that that was available.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
So we took that Bleaker Street shop.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
You know.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
That was when I was like doing the windows and
I wanted each one to be able, each store at
the time, I needed to be able to like walk
or drive like super closed, so I could.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
Be there, and I spent so much time in those
two stores.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
And then we opened Palm Beach and then that's when,
and then COVID happened, and so since twenty twenty, we've
opened fourteen stores, which is crazy. Yeah, so that was
how did you survive COVID?
Speaker 1 (33:54):
And I also want to talk about Todd when because
we've talked about this too, but I think it's very
important part of the conversation to talk about for better
for worse.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Yeah, no pun intended.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Yeah, but so like, okay, so I'm also obsessed with
the one in London.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
I just want to say that. Okay, I feel like
that's sort of the dream.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
Yeah, but okay, So you and Todd have been married
how many years.
Speaker 4 (34:20):
We've been married thirteen years and we've been together twenty
twenty years since I was twenty one.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Now, gods like me and Rodger, right, okay, so he
was not working with you, right, and he was.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
When real estate work.
Speaker 4 (34:39):
He's a real estate guy. He's a real estate developer.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
Hence all these stores, you know, so, right, which is beautiful.
Speaker 4 (34:45):
I was like, okay, you know he.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
Helped me open the first one by obviously like negotiating
the deal and making sure I was not going to
be in a position where we were going to spend
too much rent and do you know, get ourselves in
a bad situation. And so it's always been very strategic
in terms of finding the right size for what we
can do for our sales, and you know what all
the finances that go into it.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
And then what happened was twenty twenty.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
We had like one we had the lease sign actually
here in our Melrose store, which we had found I
always I love love Meloe Space, and those two leases
were already that those were happening no matter what. And
those we opened that summer of twenty nineteen was here
like it was like.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
During the like the riots, like we still had.
Speaker 3 (35:27):
I hadn't seen those stores until like six seven months
after they opened because I couldn't be here. Then the
other stores became available because there were they dropped the
rent so much, so you know, like amazing stores like
we opened in Austin, we opened in Dallas, and Highland
Park Village, Charleston, all these other incredible retail opportunities just
(35:50):
started to you know, Todd really took all like a
or really is he's a real sick guy. He's a
risk taker. So he saw, you know, he was helped
really handling all these negotiations landlords, finding the best deals
and really focusing in on what were the key.
Speaker 4 (36:07):
The key opportunities to open love shack stores.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
Which is also such a gift, by the way, because
it's like that's one of the huge hurdles of opening
stores is like not knowing how to navigate that process,
getting stuck in endless rents and overpinging and exactly getting
spaces that are too big for like a bigger footprint
than you actually want. It makes sense, so like that
(36:32):
that's actually a huge, huge, huge plus and huge so
and so you really really thrived in COVID, weirdly, like
because most businesses did not unless they were like pajamas
and sweats.
Speaker 4 (36:45):
Well that was the bit. Well, so we pivoted to
like making many more pajamas.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
Sweats, like, right, we had all these fancy dresses that
obviously weren't selling that we would start and then wholesalers
they canceled their orders, just like they did for everyone,
and they were like, you know, no one was making
new seasons and it was almost you know, we were
starting to work on our summer collection, and that's when
so many brands said, Okay, we're actually just going to sell.
Speaker 4 (37:08):
The past season and not go forward.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
And actually we continued to produce and to design, and
we did everything like out of my house in Sagaponic.
Then we got another house for the design team. We
just like we had to just keep going. We sold online,
we sold our stores virtually lived and then also our
Southern stores. We had started to open Southern stores, so
we opened all that, we opened downs, we opened Austin, Charleston, Nashville,
(37:37):
all these.
Speaker 4 (37:38):
Doors, and then just really shifted what.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
We were designing and creating based on what you know,
started doing many more like house stresses that you could
wear like these like easy cotton, and and so the
design elements shifted. We shifted much more to this like
direct to consumer because our website was doing really well.
Speaker 4 (37:59):
We're opening the stores and wholesale.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
You know, we were before before COVID, we were seventy
percent wholesale to thirty percent direct to consumer, and now
we're thirty percent wholesale seventy percent direct to consumer.
Speaker 4 (38:14):
Stop. Yeah, so that like really and that was like
a sick so sick.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
That is so amazing. That's that's like the dream. Yeah,
because that's also a lot of repeat. I right, that's
a lot of like people are like, I love the brand,
what's new blah blah blah, Like yeah, you know, and
I think, so, how okay, first of all, what is
your most successful area?
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Like which, what's your best store?
Speaker 4 (38:39):
Do you have? Palm Beach is our best store?
Speaker 2 (38:41):
Beach?
Speaker 4 (38:41):
Yeah, Palm Beach.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
Everyone goes through Palm Beach, like everyone is goes through
Palm Beach, and which is amazing because girls really go
and travel to each different destination. And so whenever I'm
talking to any other I was like, oh, I just
want to go visit your Palm Beach store or I went.
Madison Avenue was actually amaze because we have such just
like a loyal customer base there and it's on the
(39:04):
upper eaze. I mean it's on eightieth of Madison, but
it's just incredible. And then we have Dallas Highlandburg Village
and so yeah, but Palm Beach.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
Do you just die? Like so okay, so this is
what I want to know.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
So as you're expanding and I'm watching you expand, and
I'm watching you grow and like your perfect formula, and
I know it's ever changing.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
There's no perfect formula, and you follow.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
But one thing I do know is your You follow
your gut and your instinct, and you know, I think
as creative people, that's just how we're wired, right. How
So a few things. One is how do you like
working with your husband and I And I asked that
because obviously I have forever, not forever, but for a decade.
(39:48):
And there's times I really do want to kill them,
and and there's times where I'm grateful for it. But
I have a lot of friends, like you know, Manieluliers
worked with her husband from day one.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
Like there's just there's a lot of people where it
really does work.
Speaker 1 (40:02):
So I want to know sort of you know, the
pros and concerts, it's just all one way or another.
Speaker 3 (40:08):
Well, it just that it was a very recent thing
because it was during COVID when we were all just together,
just happened.
Speaker 4 (40:15):
I never in my life would ever have imagined this ever.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
So you know, in terms of opening the store like that,
we were very much like Tod was just handling the
real estate and the stores.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
And but then obviously.
Speaker 3 (40:31):
Then now having had opened seventeen stores and the business
has grown so much, and just trying to navigate all
of that. You also, I think realize, like when you
get to a certain point, like Todd knows me better
than anyone, and he knows what's going to be the best.
I mean, I always say he's like my best executive
assistant I could ever have.
Speaker 4 (40:49):
Like he was literally setting me up and doing all
this stuff. So but so he knows me, you know,
he knows all of that.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
So I think, well, when we first moved into when
we were during lockdown, it was like I never worked.
Speaker 4 (41:03):
I've never I don't. I'm not on calls with him.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
I won't do calls with him, I won't do zooms,
I won't do like it's very much. But when we
were designing the stores together, we'd make sure we had
everything set up. Then we would for that, we would
take our calls with our designers of the store, you know,
choose all the finishes, choose all of that stuff. And
then now I would say, there's a little bit more crossover.
But because I just I'm so the creative and oversee
(41:28):
all of that, and he really helps to oversee much
more like operation business.
Speaker 4 (41:34):
Yeah, like new businesses, opportunity things like that.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
And then we haven't opened a store in the last
like six months.
Speaker 4 (41:41):
My gosh. But he's definitely the one.
Speaker 3 (41:44):
He's like going pushing, like moving ahead. So we just
now I see him in the office all the time
because we moved into a beautiful new.
Speaker 4 (41:52):
Showroom which you have to come see last September.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
But he was literally working in my office and I
was like, okay, now this is like two much.
Speaker 4 (42:00):
You need to get your own office down the hall
so that I'm not.
Speaker 3 (42:04):
Like, I know you want to see He's like, don't
you want to see me every second? The answer is no, no,
but I love you. But yeah, so it's very much,
you know, we need to. It's figuring out the balance
with the girls when we're traveling. You know, they don't
really like us to They're very much in it and
they know everything going on, but they don't want if
we're having a business conversation they can see they're like,
stop fighting.
Speaker 4 (42:24):
We're not fighting, We're just happy. It's hard. Yeah, So
I think we're.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
Still been the biggest when to not talk about it right.
Speaker 3 (42:31):
When to not to talk about it because you're kind
of allway like it's just like done, like you need to.
So we're figuring that part out and being much better,
I think, just in terms of like leaving those conversations
to when the girls go.
Speaker 4 (42:44):
To bed or just when we're not.
Speaker 3 (42:45):
With them, and because it's like you know, often like
not that we're arguing, it's just having a conversation.
Speaker 1 (42:52):
It's a conversation and it's and it's and it's hard
because your brain's always going there's so much happening, your
brand is growing, and it's like you want to talk
about it, and it's kind of awesome, yeah that it's
your husband, right, because imagine if you were like calling
someone else.
Speaker 2 (43:06):
To talk about it.
Speaker 3 (43:07):
Yeah, So at the end that I'm starting to realize
that it's actually like he knows me better than anyone
and I know that. I like what you said, like
you can trust each other so much, and so I
think having that and when your business growth all these things,
it's really hard to find people that you trust, you know,
through and through and so, and that's the most important
thing to be able to really rely on an amazing
(43:28):
team and to help you know, make the right decisions
for you and you know, know what you're capable of
doing and not and pushing you in the right way.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
So all of that, so what just sort of keeps
you up at night and like.
Speaker 4 (43:43):
All of it everything I know.
Speaker 3 (43:45):
So, I mean it's still like whenever I'm whenever I
have like a big shoot or I have something like that,
the next day, I feel like my brain is constantly
going because then I'm like looking at my looking for
inspiration here. Oh my god, I need to make sure
I get that shot, because that that's really where my
heart and soul is, like in the storytelling in these
(44:06):
you know, in all of the content that we're all
you know, but I'm constantly thinking about all of that,
So I think that for sure that's what the image.
Speaker 4 (44:17):
Yeah, it's like the image that that keeps me up.
Speaker 3 (44:19):
And then you know, now we've started to do more,
you know, we've started to get on the fashion calendar.
So this is going to be our third yes, our
third fashion So during that time, that's like the most
I mean that forget it like you're it's terrified like
that you're just going because there's always a million things
to think about and a million things that you're going
to forget and nobody knows everything that you need to
(44:42):
keep in mind except for you, really, so it's just
like crossing off all those different boxes and making sure
that like you're the one as like the creative head
to make sure that it all gets done.
Speaker 1 (44:55):
Now, tell me about your most recent collab that launched today, Yes.
Speaker 2 (45:00):
Today.
Speaker 3 (45:02):
Officially launches tomorrow, which is amazing. August fourth, it's amazing.
I went tell me, it's so good. And we shot
Sierra for it and her her son and daughter. She's
literally the best person, Like, she's so beautiful, she's so
like talented, smart, sexy, like everything about her and just
(45:24):
like her kids. So she was just the perfect face
of the campaign.
Speaker 4 (45:29):
And I'm so happy that it came to be.
Speaker 3 (45:31):
And also she's like a tomboy cool, she's not so
girly girly, which I love. And so this collection is
very much like I mean, if it was up to me,
it would have had a hundred more ruffles and like
all that.
Speaker 4 (45:42):
And I'm so it's cool, Like it's very cool. It's
and it's for everyone. It's for the whole family. It's
for you know.
Speaker 3 (45:51):
We have pieces for men, we have pieces for baby,
we have accessories we have and also and also just
not like I was at the Gap at.
Speaker 4 (45:59):
The Grove yesterday which is amazing yesterday showing the.
Speaker 3 (46:03):
Team there, and it's just it really is just like easy,
so taking like their icons and our icons, bringing them together.
Speaker 4 (46:11):
That ruffle mini skirt we made one like a.
Speaker 3 (46:14):
Floral with a little islet for them, and really keep
denim like Boussier's and dresses the denim jackets I love.
Speaker 4 (46:21):
And you know, it's just it's fun.
Speaker 3 (46:23):
It has you can if you're girly and you're feminine
and you want to get that, there's plenty to get.
Speaker 4 (46:28):
And then if you also like also.
Speaker 3 (46:30):
Want to want something love shack fancy and you're not
so fun overly girly, you still have a million options.
Speaker 4 (46:37):
So it's cool to be.
Speaker 3 (46:39):
You know, I grew up with the Gap, so it's
like it's fun and I yeah, it's iconic.
Speaker 4 (46:45):
It's totally iconic. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (46:47):
Well my Scarlet, my ten year old before she was
like really mom, gat and now she's like Gap is
just so iconic.
Speaker 4 (46:52):
I'm like it's so ict Like I the you know,
it's just all the same.
Speaker 3 (46:57):
Like storytelling, getting like cool faith, cool ambassadors and thinking
outside the box. And I think it's a really fun
you know, we have like it's fun to just keep
on evolving when things get so you know that you
get into routine and so yeah, pink and exactly like thank.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
Gosh, it's not and then came Barbie.
Speaker 3 (47:17):
Yeah, and then came Barbie and then but you know,
even like and in terms of.
Speaker 4 (47:21):
Our main line, like that's getting much more.
Speaker 3 (47:23):
We have a huge range that I need to show
you everything because we've like an incredible new design team
and it's very evolved and it's like really now going
to be for all ages, and the fabrications and the
fits are like.
Speaker 4 (47:37):
Beautiful tailored pieces all seasons. Like it's really great.
Speaker 3 (47:41):
So that launch is like mid August, which is going
to be incredible. So it's really just keeping in mind
like all the ages of girls and women and all
these because you know, we realized having all these stores,
there's so many women that come in that are older
and that are all ages, and we we didn't really
have enough to be able to offer everyone.
Speaker 4 (48:02):
So that's you know, same like we had to in
terms of like.
Speaker 1 (48:06):
They may want to sleeve, they may want to see,
they don't want something, so roughily.
Speaker 3 (48:10):
They want something easy, So that's really where we're you know, merchandising,
like who it's so important, So like these are all
things that we've just you know, we understand now as
a business and we're being you know, we're really moving
forward in.
Speaker 4 (48:25):
That direction to be able to have it for.
Speaker 3 (48:27):
Everyone, because it started off as you know, what I wanted,
and now it's really what, like, you know what what
all of our customers and all of our audience wants well,
which is why we're you can't do every time, I'm like.
Speaker 1 (48:40):
Yes, one hundred, one hundred percent. I mean, it's clear
to me that you're living your dream. You've worked incredibly
hard for it. Do you ever dream beyond this moment
or do you just live in every single moment and
just go, Okay, this is what it is now, this
is what I'm thinking for this year, like dadada, or
do you go, okay, in like five years from now,
(49:00):
I hope to be doing X. Do you have that
dream or do you just kind of like take each day.
Speaker 3 (49:07):
I mean, I definitely take each day, but I'm always
thinking of everything. Where we have like an amazing new
category that's launching in September, which we've been working on.
Speaker 4 (49:15):
So that's so exciting.
Speaker 3 (49:18):
And I am always any but I love to travel,
like I mean, I'm here at you really do. I'm like,
oh my gosh, I knowed this is my dream, Like
I want to have like a whole hotel, like you know,
it's like all pink and York now around. So I
very much think in terms of like lifestyle hospitality. I mean,
I'm like hotels, restaurant, like that's the whole. I'm always
(49:41):
thinking about that kind of thing, so much more in
terms of of many different ideas as opposed to just
the clothing.
Speaker 1 (49:50):
And you know, yeah, I mean I think of Love
Shock as a lifestyle brand right one thousand percent. And
I think and like I said, it's because the brand
is wrecking nice well to a point where you walk
into a hotel suite at whatever hotel and it's a
Love Shock fancy sweet yeah, and you would know that,
and that's the dream in my opinion. I mean, just
(50:10):
outside looking in. And you know, I'm obviously a fan.
I adore you. I'm so impressed with you. Your family's
the sweetest.
Speaker 4 (50:20):
And thank you, you.
Speaker 2 (50:21):
Know, I mean, congrats a thousand times.
Speaker 1 (50:24):
But like just I feel like you haven't even weirdly
scratched the surface of what you're going to do. But
you know, I'm excited to see all of it, and
I'm here for it.
Speaker 2 (50:33):
I'm cheering.
Speaker 4 (50:34):
I'm cheering in good I know. We need to just
do this like weekly.
Speaker 1 (50:39):
Well, come home, come home, and okay, and we will
come home and we.
Speaker 2 (50:45):
Will and we have lots to do together, and let's.
Speaker 4 (50:47):
Talk about amazing. I love you, Matt, seriously, Thank you Rachel.
Speaker 1 (50:58):
It's that time in the show when I answer to
listener questions, So let's see what we have today. Do
you consider yourself a content creator? And if so, what
is your favorite part about making content?
Speaker 2 (51:11):
Interesting? Great question.
Speaker 1 (51:13):
Actually, I don't know that I consider myself a content
creator the same way I really never considered myself a
quote unquote influencer.
Speaker 2 (51:21):
And I think that's maybe just.
Speaker 1 (51:23):
Because I am who I am, and I think I've
just always been doing different iterations of brand expression. And
I think now there's maybe a title for it, which
is making content. But I don't think I would really
put a label on myself as a content creator.
Speaker 2 (51:42):
Not that that's a bad thing.
Speaker 1 (51:43):
I think it's genius, But I think at that point,
it's probably considered like your full time job is creating content,
and I would say that that is a part of
my job and definitely not my full time job, if
that makes sense. But certainly my favorite part about making
content of any kind, I think is having that ability
(52:07):
to communicate my brand to more people and to also
really connect with more people every time, you know, I
put something out into the universe publicly, and also I
think just trying to constantly be new and have new
ideas and you know, new messaging about important things. So yeah,
(52:28):
that would be my favorite constant connection. Okay, the next
question very unrelated. Do you dress your boys or do
they dress themselves? I would say Caius one hundred percent
of the time. I dress him, although lately he's become
obsessed with wearing suits because he thinks it's very gentlemanly.
Speaker 2 (52:46):
He likes dressing up, which I love.
Speaker 1 (52:49):
He's always been my little prince Charming, and all of
a sudden, he's really taken a liking to wearing suits,
which is funny and amazing.
Speaker 2 (52:56):
Skyler.
Speaker 1 (52:57):
I dress him most of the time, but I think
now that he's starting seventh grade, he will be dressing himself.
Speaker 2 (53:05):
For school, and I will probably have no saying it.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
But I kind of have a deal with Skuy that,
like when it matters, like if we're doing something nice,
he'll let me choose it, and then when he's just
hanging out with his friends, he chooses it. So yeah,
I don't want to hold him back from expressing himself
the way he wants to. But I will say, out
of pure laziness, very often Sky'll just be like, you
(53:31):
pick it and tell me what to where.
Speaker 2 (53:32):
I don't care. So there you go.
Speaker 1 (53:34):
Don't forget to submit your questions for next week's episode.
All you have to do is dm us your questions
to at Climbing in Hills pod on Instagram and I
might just answer them. I want to thank Rebecca so
(53:54):
much for coming on the podcast.
Speaker 2 (53:58):
She has truly been welt a real.
Speaker 1 (54:00):
Fashion empire, and you know, I'm someone that has watched
it from the outside. I've seen it from the inside,
and I have to tell you that, you know I
said it.
Speaker 2 (54:14):
In the episode.
Speaker 1 (54:15):
It's it is the hardest thing really in the fashion industry.
It is the hardest thing to create a brand and
have it last and have it be successful, all while
keeping the DNA of the brand, the true essence of
the brand and the vision of the brand, the aesthetic
of the brand. To really keep that true to who
(54:37):
you are as the founder and the creative director. It's
it's really hard and to not get lost in the
poll of what different retailers want and pholesale, and it's
it's really a grind and it's really hard, and it
takes thick skin and it takes perseverance. And I can
(54:58):
tell you that while Rebecca has grown up in fashion,
she wasn't handed things. She built this really ground up
and is still doing it and is really hands on.
And I have to say, she's just so impressive and
she's a sweetheart, and she loves her brand.
Speaker 2 (55:14):
She is her brand.
Speaker 1 (55:15):
And you know, I really hope you enjoyed this episode
as much as I did. If you want more Climbing
and Heels content, follow me on at Rachel Zo and
at Climbing in Heels pod on Instagram for more updates
on upcoming guests, episodes, and all things cure Ature.
Speaker 2 (55:34):
I'll see you all next week.
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