La ligne celebrates a decade: from dtc darling to brick-and-mortar force
Ten years ago, La Ligne arrived on the scene, a fledgling brand born from the frustration of three former Vogue editors with a simple, yet audacious idea: a modern uniform for the modern woman. Now, as the brand marks its tenth anniversary with a celebratory “Perfect 10” collection—starring Connie Britton, no less—it’s clear that La Ligne’s vision wasn’t just timely; it was prescient.
The unsexy truth of building a brand
Molly Howard, one of La Ligne’s founders, reflects on the realities of scaling an independent fashion business. “It was all-hands-on-deck, every single thing we did,” she recalls. The early days were a whirlwind of trunk shows, photo shoots, and, crucially, a lack of the robust team support they have today. The biggest lesson? “The unglamorous stuff – that’s what makes or breaks a brand.” It’s a sentiment echoed by Howard’s experience at Rag & Bone, a grounding realization in the often-illusory world of fashion.
Beyond the behind-the-scenes chaos, Howard emphasizes the profound satisfaction of seeing strangers embracing La Ligne’s aesthetic. “We have a La Ligne ‘in the wild’ Slack channel—everyone gets excited.” That organic, customer-driven validation, the feeling of contributing to someone’s sense of style, is a reward in itself.
From dtc hype to the joy of physical retail
The brand’s trajectory mirrors the evolution of direct-to-consumer fashion. Meredith Melling, another founder, remembers the initial fervor surrounding DTC models. “The era we launched in, 2016, was peak DTC, where everything was possible online and it almost seemed old-fashioned to want to open a store.” Yet, in 2019, La Ligne defied the trend, opening a physical storefront in New York City—a moment Melling describes as “such a big feeling, I could cry now.”
Growing up alongside the customer
Valerie Macaulay, completing the founding trio, highlights the brand’s commitment to evolving alongside its customer. “We try to answer that question almost every single time we are designing a season.” The La Ligne woman has matured, just as the founders themselves have. Their lives have shifted from a whirlwind of social engagements to the realities of motherhood and entrepreneurship. “I went from wearing heels almost every day to pretty much never wearing a heel anymore,” Macaulay observes, demonstrating how personal evolution informs the brand's design ethos.
A fashion editor's regret: the bandage skirt
No fashion journey is without its missteps, and La Ligne’s founders are candid about their early experiments. A foray into bandage skirts, inspired by the pursuit of “sex sells,” proved a humbling experience. “Nobody bought it,” Macaulay admits with a laugh. The lesson learned: authenticity trumps fleeting trends. The brand’s signature aesthetic – consistent, wearable, and undeniably chic – is a testament to that realization.
The experience also stems from a time when the founders were still immersed in the fast-paced world of Vogue. “La Ligne was born while we were still at Vogue, and it was a bit of a reaction to the kind of hamster wheel of trends that we found ourselves on with the advent of Instagram,” explains Melling. Witnessing the enduring style of influential editors—a simple Breton T-shirt or a tailored shirt—inspired a desire to create a wardrobe based on timeless staples.
The founders’ years at Vogue provided invaluable lessons, but it was the hands-on experience of building La Ligne that truly shaped their perspective. As Macaulay puts it, “I’m still that kind of tailored tomboy editor that I was long ago, and I hope that joy of getting dressed and getting that confidence and poise is instilled in La Ligne.”
Looking ahead, Howard reveals a long-term vision that extends beyond the current success. A decade ago, the founders drafted an ambitious plan, including denim, home goods, and international expansion. “We obviously didn’t understand,” she jokes, “but we have a lot of plans to try out some new categories, denim being the one that’s been a really big success. And then we want to keep rolling out retail stores.” With a foothold firmly established in the US, La Ligne is poised for a global future.