NEW YORK — Jessie Randall and her husband, Brian Murphy, launched their Loeffler Randall shoe label in 2005 and became overnight editorial darlings with metallic flats, wooden platform sandals and black leather knee-high boots.
Now, after a 2006 handbag launch and Swarovski’s Perry Ellis Award nomination at the CFDA Fashion Awards, the photogenic couple is stepping into ready-to-wear this fall with a 25-piece collection that has the same kind of downtown-chic attitude as the heels and bags.
“Clothing has always been in the plan from the beginning,” said Randall, who is president of her company. “My first love has always been shoes and we knew, due to the technical aspect of shoes and the logistics, that if we eventually wanted to have a line comprising both accessories and clothing, we needed to start with footwear.”
Randall isn’t entirely new to apparel. She started her career assisting Katayone Adeli and working in accessories design at Gap Inc. before venturing out on her own. Her husband, the label’s chief marketing officer, worked as an art director and graphic designer for advertising agencies such as Ogilvy & Mather and Fallon Worldwide before teaming up in business with his wife.
The overall philosophy of the Loeffler Randall label is “downtown elegance,” which extends to rtw, Randall said. For the launch collection, each piece comes with unusual names such as the Bar Blouse, the Fraulein Blouse, the Ruffle Yoke Short Coat and the CFDA Dress.
Asked to identify key pieces, Randall pointed to the Italian three-quarter sleeve cashmere-wool Butterfly coat for $316 wholesale, the color-blocked silk georgette Bustier blouse for $107 wholesale and the ruffled Flutter coat, for $216 wholesale in wool and $170 in cotton canvas.
“The attitude of the clothes is young, fashion-forward and chic,” she said. “The pieces are clean, modern and understated, but at the same time they are meant to be impactful.”
The collection targets similar distribution as accessories, which includes upscale department stores and specialty stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Intermix.
The company estimates retail sales between $3 million and $5 million for the clothing in its first year.
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“I love clothing and the idea that I could design the kind of pieces that I wanted to have in my own closet has long been a dream of mine,” Randall said. “Brian and I have always envisioned Loeffler Randall as a lifestyle brand and have always had a very clear picture in our mind of the Loeffler Randall girl. I wanted to outfit her with more than just accessories. With the clothing line I am able to do that.”