It all started with a dress. In 2008, celebrity stylist and Parsons grad Andrea Lieberman launched a little unknown label called A.L.C., which was made up of a fleet of elevated style essentials constructed from exclusive fabrics and thoughtful design — including a flowy striped maxi sundress. While simplistic and unfussy in nature, the dress quickly went viral (as much as one could in the days before Instagram and TikTok), photographed on the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, and Gwen Stefani in a matter of months. A star label was born.
To Lieberman, this immediate response validated her original mission... and target customer. “I think that the brand just resonates with a woman that is very stylish but truly is effortless,” she says to TZR. “She’s stylish and attention-grabbing, but never seeking.” The same can probably be said of the founder, who launched the brand in the midst of a chaotic and successful styling career (which included that iconic J.Lo Versace dress moment from the 2000 Grammys!). The always-on-the-go fashion expert wanted to create a label that would make packing and getting dressed for everyday “off-duty” life a breeze — but still feel luxurious.
“I wanted to make the stuff that I threw in the suitcase,” says Lieberman. “I wanted to be able to go from New York to LA, to Paris, to Morocco, to Australia, to Japan, to Mexico City and back again, and be able to take the dozen to 20 things in my suitcase and create a bunch of different outfits. Whether it's a blazer that I'm wearing with a tank top and jeans and slides, or a silk pussy bow blouse with a tailored short and heels to go to a Cartier party.”
For the past 15 years (A.L.C. officially hit shelves in 2009), the brand has done just that, staying true to its mission of creating quality elevated essentials. And it hasn’t been easy. Between an unpredictable and ever-changing economic landscape, a pandemic, and a trend cycle that rotates at lightning speed, the brand has weathered many a storm, but never wavered. They shifted and pivoted, sure, but Lieberman’s original ethos and vision have stayed intact.
And it’s paid off. These days, while many brands are downsizing and consolidating, A.L.C. is on a trajectory upward and onward. The brand has seven stand-alone stores across the country, the latest of which opened in Beverly Hills this fall. Over the years it’s added a bridal category, accessories, a sustainability initiative called A.L.Conscious, and personal styling services to its business roster. It’s also racked up quite the celebrity following that now includes Mindy Kaling, Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, and Emily Blunt (to name a few).
Ahead, Lieberman discusses A.L.C.’s brand story and her first taste of fashion that led to her own career in design.
What originally sparked your interest in fashion?
I essentially grew up in New York, so I always was very driven towards culture. My grandmother was a big traveler, and so I just always knew the world was a big place. Fashion was my vehicle to get me out there. In the ‘80s, when I was a teenager, it was all about [brands like] Commes des Garçons and Yoji. Gaultier was also just popping. [This decade] was a huge touchpoint for music, fashion, and culture. Look at Madonna and Gaultier and the cone bra.
There was a cross-functional collaboration between fashion and music, which were two things that I loved deeply, and they drew upon other cultural references in the world, from art to the ritual of getting dressed. So it was just really exciting for me. I was running around New York City, going to nightclubs, and getting dressed every night, experimenting with hair color and everything. So, by the time I was 16, I knew that was it — it was my path.
[After graduating from Parsons] I styled for 10 years, and I eventually just wanted something different. I traveled [a lot in my career] and styled my ass off. It was amazing, but I actually felt like I wanted to start a family. I needed a more stable life. So I was like, ‘OK, I'm going to start this company.’ And that's what I did. I started A.L.C. when I was pregnant with my daughter, Paloma, who's now 16. And it's just been incredible.
What was your view of the fashion landscape back in 2008? What do you think was missing that A.L.C. was able to fulfill?
I believe in quality and I believe in luxury, but I don't believe that you should spend $2,000 on a pair of trousers. I believe in the inherent value of women and of the fact that they know and deserve the best quality, but you don't need to spend those types of prices. In the end, I don't think there was a huge ‘advanced contemporary’ category. I feel like we have a tendency to classify ourselves by other people's classifications, if you will. So the ‘contemporary’ and the ‘advanced contemporary’ is very much how the department stores refer to us. I consider us to be a luxury brand, I just think we're more accessible than others.
At the time, you might go out and shop, and you might've been a designer customer and be buying a Givenchy leather jacket, but you weren’t going to buy the whole [outfit it was styled with]. I remember thinking, ‘Do I want to pay my rent or do I want to go shop?’
With A.L.C., it's easier to come to us and spend $300, $400, $500 on a pair of pants as opposed to $2,000, even though the fit, I would argue to say, is probably better. The fabric is equal. So for me, I've always wanted to honor the woman, amplify the woman. Because for me, anytime somebody puts their hand into their wallet to pull out a credit card to pay for something, they trust you. And I think it's an honor, really.
What are some key design codes the brand has championed over the years?
Well, I think that there are definitely brand filters. We are very polished and sophisticated. There's definitely a sense of femininity, but also, we're unfussy. And I like to, as much as possible, really be able to have somebody come into the store and be able to buy a few pieces that all work together to create multiple outfits. So we're quite classic, but also modern. We're modern in proportion. We're modern in fabric. But there are things every season that we're constantly doing. We make a killer trouser and we make great dresses, so there's always going to be those foundational pieces, for sure.
Truly, A.L.C has stuck to its classic yet modern design approach for over a decade, but have you ever felt pressured or tempted to jump on some of the maximalist movements or viral trends?
If I'm going to be honest, I don't think about it. I just think this is what we do, we're going to keep doing it. If it feels right, we're going to do it. There's definitely people in the business that are like, ‘You need to have that.’ And I think that the biggest challenge for me has been understanding the future of retail, understanding our future as a direct-to-consumer brand, but also wanting to see all of our partners succeed with us.
So I think that when I talk about Neiman Marcus or I talk about Bergdorf Goodman, I think they probably care a little bit more about that type of thing. I almost want to say we're trend-light. If it's out there in the zeitgeist, it's going to pass through us. But in the end, I think that if it goes through our brand filters and it feels relevant, then we go there. And then it will resonate with our customer.
Have you ever veered off course from a design perspective?
Oh, 1,000%. Listen, it's an art and a science, and there are times when you just get it wrong. But in the end, I think now the way we develop collections and things that we have coming in the pipeline is really about understanding. The one thing I can say is, after 15 years, I can stand back a little bit and say, ‘This is what we do. This is what we do really well. This is what we should stand for.’ So I think when you're running from pillar to post season after season, it's confusing and it's confusing for the customer. At the end of the day, nobody really needs what we're selling. People want to put it on and desire it.
We're selling things to just make people feel better. So, yes, I have gone off the rails, for sure, and sometimes it's hard because this industry is really hard. When you do as much as we do every single year, however many collections, however many drops, and consider the fabrics and the quality and the intention, it is hard, because there are a lot of metrics to hit. And sometimes I get it wrong. I always say to people, ‘We just need to get it right more than we get it wrong, and we'll be fine.’
What’s been some of the highest points you’ve experienced as a brand?
I've definitely had a few high points. Now, I take it in years. I look back on the history of A.L.C. and think, ‘Damn, those first few years were really hard.’ And then maybe there were those middle years when we had some meat on our bones but still were young enough to pivot really quickly and just do whatever we wanted, like partner with Nike on the Cortez [sneaker]. I love Nike, that was a huge moment for us. We were just a small brand, and it was just great to be able to have that type of partnership.
But I also have to say, right now, opening these stores has been definitely a highlight in so many ways, especially the Beverly Hills store. It's been really exciting to be able to shift some of my creativity from clothes to environment. Also, from a product perspective, I am so happy where we are. We have developed and committed to fabrics that are so special.
So right now, I actually think that we are at a high point. I think the product is good, business is great, the stores are amazing. But I also think that I feel so confident right now in who we are as a brand and in the customers that come to us for their lives — it just feels good. It feels really right.
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