Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans?

With Benson’s longtime design experience and Dewey’s savvy business skills, there was no doubt that Jolie & Elizabeth would make it in the fashion industry. Since the two entrepreneurs founded Jolie & Elizabeth in September 2009, the line has expanded into over 30 boutiques and stores. Dewey and Benson are still working around the clock to continue cultivating their business. Jolie & Elizabeth recently contributed to NOLA Fashion Week by previewing their Spring/Summer 2013 Collection.

It took close to four months of designing next season’s collection, finding just the right music and selecting the perfect models to represent their line, before Dewey and Benson were ready to take on NOLA Fashion Week. Jolie & Elizabeth proudly presented its Spring/Summer 2013 Collection on Oct. 18 at the Saratoga in New Orleans. After viewing the collection, I can say that Jolie & Elizabeth truly exudes class with a southern uptown flair.

I had the pleasure of meeting with Sarah Elizabeth Dewey after the show and got a chance to ask her some questions about the new designs and her involvement in NOLA Fashion Week.

Left Photo: Dewey and I after the runway show   Right Photo: The two women who helped to make NOLA Fashion Week possible, Andi Eaton and Lauren Lagarde.

DIG: You just had an amazing runway showing featuring your S/S 2013 Collection. What kind of preparation went into putting on such a fantastic show?

Sarah Elizabeth Dewey: So many different factors go into producing a great show. Our focus was first and foremost on the collection, not only pieces that the audience would love but what buyers would like to see in their stores. If you focus on creating a well-merchandised collection, everything else falls into place. As far as preparation for the actual show, we handle all of our models, fittings, styling, etc. We also wanted to make sure our music was fun and upbeat for the audience and the models.

DIG: What goes into designing a new line, and what is the most challenging part?

SED: We focus mainly on appropriate, well-fitting dresses. Yes, we pay attention to trends; however, that does not always reflect in our work. We would rather make an amazing dress with a great fit that you would wear to any occasion and have it sell at all of our retailers than an extremely detailed style that may only flatter certain body types. We look at what colors customers love and what colors are trending for the next season as well. In the end, our main goal is to create a dress that will sell and ladies will be able to have in their closet forever.

The most challenging part for us is satisfying all of our customers. We are lucky to have customers ranging from age 15 to 85 due to our wide variety of styles we have made. It can be hard to please everyone, but we try our best and have had success in the past. We make sure there are a certain amount of dresses with sleeves, a certain amount of work dresses, cocktail dresses, etc.

DIG: What kind of work happens post-NOLA fashion week?

SED: Traditionally, fashion week comes before market. However, this year Atlanta market – we are in the Ambrosia Showroom permanently – fell the weekend before. So we had most of our buying appointments before fashion week this year. We are still in the buying process now, and are seeing buyers both at our showroom and on the road.

DIG: How did you go about choosing the right models to best represent your collection?

SED: We have a core group of girls that we have been blessed to work with from the beginning. Models for our shows don’t have to be the tallest or thinnest girls – we choose girls that will be relatable to our customer. We love having girls with figures and all different heights. It shows how versatile our dresses can be and how many girls can look great in them.

DIG: What are your favorite pieces in the fall 2012 and spring 2013 collections?

SED: My favorite fall 2012 piece is the Sage Wrap Dress. With all of the showers and luncheons and weddings going on this fall/holiday, this will be my go-to dress. As for spring, it is too early to tell for both of us. We love so many – ask us again in April.

Right Photo: One of Dewey’s Favorite pieces, the Sage Wrap Dress.  (Credit: Jason Kruppa)

DIG: I read that your mission is to “stay true to timeless southern style,” and that “the dresses of Jolie & Elizabeth surpass forced trends that overlook the purpose of a dress.” Are you ever tempted to step outside the classic southern style and venture toward trends and more fashion-forward looks?

SED: We do pay very close attention to trends and incorporate a few design details into our collections subtly. However, in this time of fast fashion and throwaway trends, we like to set ourselves apart by making garments that we know our customers will love season after season.

DIG: Since you founded your company in 2009, have you changed any of your original plans?

SED: We have set goals and reached them since starting back in 2009. Our original plan grew organically, and our company has done the same. So the best answer would have to be no, there have not been any major changes to our plan.

DIG: What has been the most difficult part of being a designer and owning your own company? How did you you learn to overcome it?

SED: When you own something that you believe in and that your name is on, it’s hard to not treat it like your own child. We have learned that it is better to make mistakes in our business, learn from them, and move on, than not to take any chances at all. It helps having two of us to balance each other out and to make major decisions as a team. We don’t know what we would to without each other.

Photo above: Zooey Deschanel in the “Zooey” dress by Jolie & Elizabeth