NYLON - October 2007 - (Page 44) Loeffler Randall is the quintessential accessories success story—the brand’s minimalist footwear helped usher in the flats revolution, a capsule collection with Target debuts this fall, their buttery leather handbags look flawless on arms from Westchester to Red Hook, and Jessie Randall— the cute-as-a-button, Brooklyn-dwelling designer—recently won a CDFA award. Clearly, it is the accessories label we can’t live without and this fall, with the launch of a ready-to-wear line, it becomes the clothing label we can’t live without as well. “Clothing was always part of the plan from the beginning,” says Randall, who launched the label in 2005 with her husband, Brian Murphy. (Previously, Randall, now 31, studied at the University of Virginia, Parsons, and F.I.T., and worked under Katayone Adeli as well as on the handbag design team at Banana Republic). When she began focusing on clothing, Randall used a coat as her point-of-departure. “I wanted to design a coat that goes with everything in your closet, but that you still get excited to wear day after day,” she says. Soon, the collection evolved to include not just softly tailored wool outerwear, army-inspired khaki jackets, and romantic little capes, but also pared-down dresses, tops, and blouses. They are the kind of pieces that evoke the detailing of well-made lingerie, with subtle ruffles, bow-accent straps, and lace insets. “I’m always drawn to women who are understated but incredibly alluring in the way they put themselves together,” Randall says. And as exciting as a CFDA award and the launch of a clothing line is, for Randall, it’s merely a few drops in the bucket of what has been a busy and fulfilling year: She and Murphy also have their hands full with a set of newborn twins. “It’s amazing!” Randall says. “I’ve always wanted to be a mom, and to have two babies! If someone would have told me as a little girl that I would grow up to be a designer and a mom of twins, I wouldn’t have believed it. It’s almost like that game M.A.S.H., and I keep landing on all the best details.” For more information, see loefflerrandall.com STEPPING UP LOEFFLER RANDALL IS NOT JUST ABOUT SHOES ANYMORE. BY KATE WILLIAMS. PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOANNA TOTOLICI stylist: sarah schussheim. hair and makeup: masha gvozdov at kramer and kramer for bumble and bumble/make up for ever. model: karina at ny models. dress and boots by loeffler randall, bracelet by lee angel, stylist’s own tights. http://loefflerrandall.com
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