Good company: fashionable shoes from Larroudé and more

But instead of embracing the boredom of the lockdown, she and her husband Ricardo, 42, launched the Larroudé clothing line and spent their days building a remote team, setting up third-party logistics, researching factories and raising seed capital, with all of their meetings conducted on Zoom.

“We decided to take the reins of our own future and start our own business,” says Marina, who was a well-known editor and fashion director at Teen Vogue and Style.com before her role at Barney’s. “Together we have 40 years of experience, me in the fashion industry and Ricardo in finance and operations. He’s been following the fashion industry all these years and we’ve always talked about how we would make him different if we had our own business.

The Larroudés even worked by driving a motorhome from New York to Malibu and back with their children for over a month, stopping in national parks along the way and achieving a dream of a lifetime.

“This country is so beautiful,” says Marina. “We can’t wait to start over. We did everything at the start of Larroudé. It was the right start to an adventure of our life.

Larroudé launched a line of shoes, bags and clothing last December; Marina describes the aesthetic as “cheerful and playful”. Larroudé’s irreverent and colorful shoes quickly became ubiquitous on Instagram, but the brand is enjoying wider appeal, with celebrities such as Rita Ora, Normani and Amy Sedaris among Larroudé fans. Even First Lady Jill Biden has been seen wearing the Erin, a black clutch bag embossed in alligator.

ITEMS

Larroudé’s line includes shoes, bags and clothing, but his shoes, especially heels, are the star of the show. From Diana flats to the 4.5 inch tall Dolly sandals, which are crystal encrusted suede, all of Larroudé’s shoes have a larger shape and toe for comfort, and a memory foam sockliner for added comfort. an additional cushion. Materials include high shine suede, leather and patent leather with playful patterns. “Whimsical printed shoes have my heart,” says Marina.

Now that the seasons have changed, she’s switching to the often-selling Louise western boot. “Luckily I have the sample and this is what I’ll be wearing all fall,” she says.

Larroudé currently has a handbag shape, the Erin clutch, which comes in crocodile-embossed leather or patent leather with a naughty cannabis leaf print.

The brand also offers sweatshirts, sweatpants and denim.

THE PRICE

The Larroudé shoes range from US $ 150 for flat mule sandals to US $ 485 for lace-up knee combat boots. The cult platform Miso sandal costs between $ 285 and $ 290. The Erin clutch costs US $ 325 and clothing ranges from US $ 95 for a sweatshirt to US $ 235 for jeans.

Although Larroudé products are sold through retailers like Revolve and Shopbop, the line started out as a direct-to-consumer business, allowing lower prices for high fashion items, Marina explains.

WHAT IS THE GOOD?

Marina says that when she and Ricardo started Larroudé, sustainability was a top priority.

“We want [Larroudé] be a part of people’s lives for a long time, ”she says. “It’s more than an aesthetic, but also how humans should connect to each other and to the world.”

This meant finding a factory with responsible practices. Marina and Ricardo are originally from Brazil and work exclusively with a Brazilian factory that respects the rules of the International Labor Organization. Larroudé also ensures that the plant meets additional criteria, such as proximity to quality housing and social benefits.

Larroudé shoes and bags are made from leather sourced from local tanneries certified gold by the Leather Working Group, a non-profit organization that performs environmental audits for leather manufacturers. Larroudé is responsible for the responsible disposal of all its industrial waste and for taking active measures to reduce environmental pollution.

AND AFTER

Larroudé has several ongoing collaborations, including a collection with vegan shoe brand Melissa to launch during the holidays, and another shoe collection with Oscar de la Renta to launch in the spring.

Marina says the brand is also working to expand its handbag collection, wholesale footprint and new product categories while seeking a physical retail storefront.