For busy, stylish women
Veronica Beard opens an outpost on Melrose Place that stars the label’s on-the-go ‘classic and cool clothing.’
When Veronica Swanson Beard and Veronica Miele Beard launched their eponymous brand, Veronica Beard, eight years ago, the sisters-in-law thought to create clothes for busy women who wanted to be stylish while juggling life’s demands.
“I realized men on Wall Street had a uniform — a suit and tie for every day,” Miele Beard said. “Women needed a uniform for their daily lives, whether going to work, dropping kids off at school or going out in the evening.”
“We felt what was missing [in the market] was classic and cool clothing for women on-the-go,” Swanson Beard added.
That’s part of the story behind Veronica Beard, the much-buzzedabout line of elevated women’s casual wear sold at Nordstrom, Net-a-Porter and Neiman Marcus. The label, which has stores in Dallas and New York, made its way West last month with its first L.A. boutique on Melrose Place.
“We knew Melrose Place would be the perfect location for Veronica Beard,” Miele Beard said. “It’s an iconic shopping destination.”
The 1,800-square-foot space carries the full Veronica Beard collection, including a selection of the label’s signature Dickey Jacket (blazers with interchangeable dickeys). “It was our answer to looking classic, chic and versatile without having to think too much about it,” Miele Beard said.
The Melrose outpost also carries Veronica Beard jeans and shoes, which were recently launched. “For us, designing jeans symbolizes the two coasts coming together,” said Swanson Beard, “the cool, West Coast jean meets the classic, East Coast blazer.”
Prior to launching Veronica Beard, Miele Beard was a partner and chief operating officer at a hedge fund; Swanson Beard was a retail buyer.
“It was quite the meeting of the minds,” Miele Beard said. “At family gatherings we found ourselves chatting about fashion, styling and trends — what we loved, what we wanted and what we needed. Finally, with the concept of the Dickey Jacket, we decided to take the leap.”
“We don’t agree on every decision or design detail, but we’re always aligned on the big picture, and having each other makes our successes that much more rewarding,” Swanson Beard said.
At the L.A. store, vintage furniture populates the space, as do palm and leopard accents, a Veronica Beard signature touch. However, don’t expect the L.A. boutique to look like its counterparts elsewhere. “No two Veronica Beard stores will ever be exactly alike, because we design each with its location in mind,” Swanson Beard said. “Melrose Place features a pink facade and plants throughout the space. This store feels pared down and natural, tying back to that laid-back California feeling.”
As for other items at the store, “we select merchandise that fits our local customers’ lifestyles,” Swanson Beard said. “In L.A., we have colorful, bold earrings and statement necklaces from Lele Sadoughi. We carry Le Specs, an amazing sunglass brand from Australia, and fabulous handbags from Future Glory, a San Francisco-based company that crafts their pieces from discarded leather byproducts.”
There are also offerings from Dannijo, Clare V., St Piece and other accessory lines. One thing shoppers can buy only in the L.A. store is a jean jacket featuring a drawing by illustrator Donald Robertson. The exclusive capsule collection consists of 10 one-of-a-kind jackets ($995) hand-painted with a California motif. Also available is a votive set co-designed by Robertson, featuring three scents inspired by the label’s spring collection.
On shelves now is Veronica Beard’s spring ’18 collection. “The collection was inspired by 1970s Acapulco,” Swanson Beard said. Veronica Beard, 8471 Melrose Place,
Los Angeles, www.veronicabeard.com image@latimes.com