A fashion conversation with the Veronicas
The Veronica Beard collection taps into a basic tenet in women's fashion - women want to look thin. Or at least thinner.
The Veronica Beard collection taps into a basic tenet in women's fashion - women want to look thin.
Or at least thinner.
And put together. And let's not forget comfortable.
When sisters-in-law Veronica Swanson Beard, 36, and Veronica Miele Beard, 43, started their New York label in 2010, they wanted their go-to-work, go-to-meetings, and go-to-happy-hour pieces to achieve all these goals.
The brand's signature item is a fitted blazer that comes with a zip-in, snap-in, or button-in dickey. So when the Veronica Beard girl wears a faux cable-knit turtleneck, hooded windbreaker, or white tuxedo blouse with said blazer, there is no bulk.
And that's a beautiful thing.
"We just thought about what we wanted," said Miele Beard.
Today, the Veronica Beard label is carried in about 250 specialty stores. It has expanded to include neoprene slacks, off-the-shoulder blouses, pencil skirts, and ruffled, poplin dresses. Prices range from about $800 for a blazer with a dickey to $495 for a shirt dress.
The Veronicas were at Neiman Marcus in King of Prussia Mall on Tuesday for a champagne brunch, runway presentation, and trunk show to raise money for Helpusadopt.org.
Helpusadopt - a New York nonprofit that provides grants to help families pay the tens of thousands of dollars often required to adopt children - is the brainchild of Becky Snyder Fawcett, a Villanova native. Fawcett, 45, who adopted two children, went to Franklin and Marshall College with Miele.
I caught up with the Veronicas (who are married to brothers) before the runway show to talk comfort and the future of Fashion Week.
Talk to me about the success of the dickey. Were you surprised with how it took off?
Veronica Swanson Beard: Every time we hear a girl - or a guy for that matter - buy a dickey with no jacket, we are excited. I mean, the fact they need more dickeys . . . it means this whole idea, this whole concept, worked.
Veronica Miele Beard: It means that girls are styling themselves the way they want to be styled. For example, Veronica and I are very different, but we often show up in similar clothes. It's like, "Oh my gosh, you chose that to go with that."
On Monday, Urban Outfitters CEO Richard Haynes said his store's earnings were down because fashion was dead. Do you agree?
Swanson Beard:
I don't think fashion is dead, but I think that women want a uniform. They want their own personal uniform: a white shirt, or black pants, or jeans and bohemian tops, or whatever.
Miele Beard: That's the kind of fashion that's in fashion, right? It's more day wear. Offices have gotten more casual. With the economy, people don't take fashion risks that much. Does that mean fashion is dead? No. But maybe what's in fashion is more things that you wear all the time . . . things that don't stand out so that you can trick your friends into thinking, "She's wearing something new."
How is our lifestyle different from our mothers', and how does the Veronica Beard wardrobe reflect that?
Swanson Beard:
I think life is so much faster today. There are so many things involved with life: children, career, personal life, keeping up with the exercising. We have such a full plate. It's how you can get dressed at 7 in the morning and go to all of the things you have to until 10 p.m. that night.
Miele Beard: We like to have clothes that you can put on and look put together while you are trying to get five children out of the door. [That's right. She has five children.]
What are your thoughts on the movement to change the fashion calendar?
Swanson Beard: I think it's a good conversation to be having. For us, the conversation is: How do we reach our customer in a really meaningful way? Do we go to 10 Neimans a year? We know we have to reach the customer and not just talk about clothes, but also about life.
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