Tag Archives: Jolie & Elizabeth

NOLAFW Day 3

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Baton Rouge & NYC Bloggers: Think Twice Style | A Pinch of Lovely | Haute Off The Rack | Brooklyn Blonde | Eat Sleep Wear

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NOLA & Baton Rouge Bloggers:  Sequin Crush | A Pinch of Lovely | Think Twice Style | The Elizabeth Chronicles | Haute Off The Rack

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This electric blue dress was my favorite look by Jolie & Elizabeth!  I can’t wait to get my hands on that piece in the fall!

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I always love a pop of red with a black and white outfit.

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I was rather impressed with this shot that I got of Izavel’s conceptual collection, Progression.

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Ashlie Ming of Blackout and her team put together an amazing show from the perfect music selection to the fierce models.  “Once you go black, you never go back!”

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It’s always a treat to see my girls Katie Dumestre and Rachel Adams of The Elizabeth Chronicles!

My Outfit: Minnie Ankle Pant (J. Crew), Silver Mirrored Pumps (Target), Mint Tie Front Blouse (Rory Beca old), Ivanka Trump Metallic Laser-Cut Clutch c/o (Thank you to Femme Fatale), Virgins Saints and Angels Pendant Necklace

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Haute Off The Rack + A Pinch of Lovely = #AHautePinch

Good Morning readers, I hope you’re all having a great week.  I’ve been having a blast at NOLA Fashion Week, and can’t wait to go back tonight to see Tallulah Designs, Amanda Deleon, Fair Fit and Andrea Loest.  The photos above are from Tuesday night of Jolie & Elizabeth, Izavel and Blackout’s fall 2013 collections.  I’ll write a whole review at the end of the week, but right now I’m swamped with work so until then please enjoy the photos! Also follow me on Twitter & Instagram at @HauteOffTheRack for live coverage and exclusive photos of tonight’s shows!

Polkadots for Valentine’s Day

Photos by: Kristen Soileau

Outfit: Navy Polkadot Dress (Urban Outfitters similar (here), Red Uber Clucth c/o (Thanks to Gigi New York), Shanghai Express lipstick (Nars), Nude Pumps (Boutique 9) <– SALE alert!

Jewelry: Gold Textured Chain bracelet c/o (Thank you to T + J Designs), Cream Silk Knot & Shine Bracelet Combo c/o  (Thank you to Brighthouse Baubles), Diamond and Bows ring c/o (Thank you to Hello Fab), Stella and Dot Renegade Cluster Bracelet, Michael Kors Gold and Horn Watch

Good Morning readers, here is some more Valentine’s Day style inspiration for you.  This outfit is perfect for anyone who doesn’t want to wear a lot of pink or red on Valentine’s Day, but still wants to rock a fun and flirty look.  I mean can you get any more cute and fun than polkadots?  I think not.  For my shoes, I chose to go with nude pointy toe pumps to keep the look sweet and simple since I was pairing it with a bold red clutch and plenty of wrist candy. I also made sure to apply red lipstick and paint my nails red to add a little Valentine’s holiday flair.

P.S. Below is a closeup of the Brighthouse Baubles Silk Knot & Shine Bracelets.

Oh and Happy Mardi Gras Y’all!  I hope you have the day and get to “do whatcha wanna!”

Credit: Photos by Brei & top right photo by: Kristen Soileau

Miss the Moss Covered Vines…

Photos by: Abbey Brandon of District Dress Up

Outfit: Navy Sheer Mimi Dress c/o (Thank you to Jolie & Elizabeth, Chanel Rouge Allure lipstick in Rouge Noir (Saks), Red Suede pumps, old (but similar (here) and (here)

 JewelryMichael Kors watch, Banana Republic ring, Pegasus Statement Necklace (Stella & Dot), Pave Link Bracelet (J. Crew)

Good Morning readers, I hope you’re all excited to find out the winner of the Amanda Uprichard Leather Martini Peplum top giveaway tomorrow as well as spending Thanksgiving day with family and friends.  I cannot wait to sit down for a delicious meal tomorrow and enjoy some relaxation time.  Thanksgiving day is definitely in my top three favorite holidays!

About the Outfit: On Monday you saw how I styled the Pegasus Necklace with the Amanda Uprichard Leather  Combo Mojito dress (The Leather Mojito), and yesterday you saw it paired with the Jolie & Elizabeth Chelsea dress in Burgundy (Nude & Wine).  Today I’ve styled it with holiday dress number three, the Navy Sheer Mimi dress.  Originally when I received this dress I wasn’t sure what I thought of it, but once I put it on I was shocked to see how flattering the fit was.  It’s such a classy and elegant dress, and best of all it comes in the year round color navy. I especially love how the higher waist band lengthens my legs and accentuates the slimmest part of my waist! All I did to style the dress was add a pair of red suede pumps for a pop of color and the gold Pegasus necklace to brighten up the neckline. Speaking of the Pegasus necklace, after viewing all three outfits together, I can’t decide which dress I like it paired best with!  Which one was your favorite!  Refer to the photos below!

Click here to see entire post–> Nude & Wine

Click here to see entire post–> The Leather Mojito

P.S. Click the ad below for details on how to win the Amanda Uprichard Leather Peplum Top Giveaway!  You must enter by 11:59 pm tonight!  Good luck!

Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans?

Photo Above: Designers, Sarah Elizabeth Dewey and Jolie Benson of Jolie & Elizabeth (Credit: Jason Kruppa)

“Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans, to miss it each night and day?”

Fashion designers Jolie Benson and Sarah Elizabeth Dewey knew what it meant when they found themselves leaving the high life of New York City for their home in the sweet ol’ South.

From the moss-covered vines to the tall sugar pines, the two entrepreneurs drew inspiration from the heart of New Orleans to create Jolie & Elizabeth. Jolie & Elizabeth is a timeless southern clothing line designed and manufactured in New Orleans by Benson and Dewey.

The two designers met while working for BCBG Corporate in New York, and it wasn’t long before they realized they had left their hearts in the South.

After graduating from LSU and interning for Betsy Johnson in New York, then putting in three years at BCBG Corporate and a short time with Alice + Olivia, Benson returned to New Orleans to take her design to the next level by directing her attention to the manufacturing side of the fashion industry.

Dewey graduated from LSU with a degree in business and fashion merchandising and headed straight for BCBG Corporate in New York to further her career in the fashion industry. She worked with buyers and wholesalers in numerous fashion markets before returning to 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

DIG: Which celebrity do you think would best represent your line?

SED: All of our customers and clients used to tell us that they would love to see our designs on Zooey Deschanel. She has been working with us and has worn several of our garments on her show and personally. That has been amazing to see. Now we are focusing on relating to our older customer as well. Kelly Ripa is our most recent celebrity representative in the works.

DIG: Since you founded Jolie & Elizabeth, what has been your proudest moment?

SED: We recently opened our own showroom/wholesale office at Upperline and Magazine Street. This was a huge goal of ours from the start, and it is great to see all of our hard work pay off. We made it here all on our own.

DIG: What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t working?

SED: This is a 24/7 job. We both do make sure we take time to exercise and stay in shape. You may catch us enjoying some live New Orleans music or a Sunday brunch occasionally.

Visit www.JolieAndElizabeth.com to view and shop the entire collection.

Below are more photos that I snapped at the Jolie & Elizabeth S/S 2013 runway show during NOLA Fashion Week!

Photo above: One of my favorite dresses from the upcoming collection

Photo above: I absolutely adore the pleated detail at the bottom of the dress!

Photos by: (me) Jennifer Palpallatoc

Good Morning readers, I hope you all had a nice weekend.  This is my latest article in Dig magazine on designers, Sarah Elizabeth Dewey and Jolie Benson of Jolie & Elizabeth.  In case, you didn’t see my last Dig post,  I repost all of my articles that I write for Dig Baton Rouge magazine on my blog every week for all those of you who don’t live in the area, but still wish to read my articles!   Also, you can always go to www.digbatonrouge.com, click on News Mag and search my articles under Entertainment!  Have a great day!