Alice + Olivia Designer Stacey Bendet on Eloise – And Her Kids’ Line!
 Eloise Eisner and Stacey Bendet/alice + olivia |
Designer Stacey Bendet has made a name for herself dressing celebrities (and civilians!) in glamorous, wearable clothes. Her chic clothing label alice + olivia, founded in 2002, instantly took off, and is now available in more than 800 stores worldwide. Last year, Stacey created a charming kids’ line, featuring pretty party dresses and sweaters for tiny tots. And with the birth of her daughter Eloise Breckenridge last November — her first child with husband Eric Eisner — the designer has even more reason to make cute clothes for kids.
Celebrity Baby Blog recently spoke with Stacey about her inspiration — and her adorable daughter! Click below to read the interview.
CBB: Does Eloise help inspire your line?
Stacey Bendet: Completely! I pick out her clothes every morning and it’s often that I am looking for a certain type of shirt to go with a dress, or something I see in her closet — as simple as a bow — can inspire a range of pieces. Other times I just can’t find what I want for her in stores and I decide I have to design it! I felt like the lack of cute cool basic T-shirts recently made me decide to do kids’ versions of our adult basics line.
Do you design for her?
Yes, I have made her tons of pieces! When she was born I made her several onesies in buttery-soft jersey fabrics, because I wasn’t happy with the quality of several of the ones I initially bought. Yes, I am a little nuts about fabrics!
What do you think sets your line apart from other childrens’ clothes?
I think the pieces are really special and really well made. They are not ‘dumbed’ down for the kids’ market. I have actually had adults stop and say they want Eloise’s dresses and sweaters for themselves!
Do you plan to expand by season? Or maybe offer options that are potentially more affordable?
Maybe we will do a collaboration with a kids’ manufacturer at some point. For now I like the kids clothes how I make them. We use the best fabrics and the best sewers and we make clothes I am proud of. I don’t really know how to make things that are cheap.
How have you found the time to keep working while being a mom?
It’s just a matter of prioritizing. I am lucky to have help but I make sure certain times of the day — and all day on the weekends — are about my family. I never let anything get in the way of that schedule.
How did you choose your daughter’s name?
It was my nickname from my husband, and one of my favorite books growing up.
Moms want to know: How do you get Eloise’s hair accessories to stay in?
They are a brand called No Slippy Hair Clippy and they are awesome! They are backed in a velvet fabric so they don’t slip out!
As Eloise grows older, do you plan to introduce her to the fashion world? How will you keep her safe from the pressures associated with it?
She comes to my office and plays every day! I want her to grow up around creative people and I want her to see that it’s cool for women to work hard. I am not really worried about the pressures of the fashion world — I think there are a lot of scarier things out there right now. I mean, fashion world or swine flu? Hmmmm…
Do you spend more time in L.A. or N.Y.C.? Where do you prefer to raise Eloise?
We are back and forth between N.Y.C. and L.A., and will be until we have to make a school decision. Wait. Is Eric reading this? L.A.!!! We are moving to L.A. tomorrow!
 Courtesy Stacey Bendet |
