Designer Lele Sadoughi takes a group photo in Houston on Sunday, November 7, 2021.
Designer Lele Sadoughi takes a group photo in Houston on Sunday, November 7, 2021.
The accessories designed by Lele Sadoughi will be on display at the Hope Farm in Houston on Sunday, November 7, 2021.
The accessories designed by Lele Sadoughi will be on display at the Hope Farm in Houston on Sunday, November 7, 2021.
The accessories designed by Lele Sadoughi will be on display at the Hope Farm in Houston on Sunday, November 7, 2021.
The accessories designed by Lele Sadoughi will be on display at the Hope Farm in Houston on Sunday, November 7, 2021.
When Lisa Sadoughi landed in Houston earlier this month, the accessory designer had two things he had to do: shop at the Bayou City store and sell some products suitable for rodeos.
Headband fans know her and her brand best, just like Lele Sadoughi. She is a minimalist, and her whole aesthetic is based on the sensibility of "more is more".
Before the pandemic, her shoulder acrylic floral earrings were all the rage. A popular version features completely rhinestone pistils. Most of Sadoughi's ear candies are clip-on-so almost everyone can wear them.
After the coronavirus hit and forced her customers to stay at home, her other product went viral like wildfire: the headband.
"Given all the Zoom that happened during the pandemic, it is the perfect accessory," she said.
Three years ago, Sadoughi had a different motivation to improve the release of the film. "When I started the company, it was a jewelry company. Then I had two children and didn’t have time to do hair. So I started wearing a headband, but I couldn’t find a high-quality headband—yes, you You can buy one at the drugstore, but I want something more design-oriented."
Around May 2018, she added some styles to her collection. Some styles are knotted in the crown, just like a turban. Others are wrapped in pearls, velvet or crystals. A few months later, Prada will send jeweled headbands on the catwalk during Fashion Week. Sadoughi said this was an accidental moment. Her products have entered the trade show market, which has consolidated the trend of fashion editing. The headband is back.
"It's kind of a new category for department stores," she said. "I have worked with all jewelry buyers, and they now think,'Should I buy this or hat buyers?' Now the headband budget is huge every season."
Their retail prices are also very affordable, ranging from US$45 to US$195. The limited-edition Swarovski crystal design may cost high-end customers $650, although this is an outlier. Sadoughi's base likes to collect her merchandise, and tolerance is part of the brand's spirit.
"We are very lucky. Everything we make includes age and size, and anyone can wear it," she said. "You need to wear clothes, you need to wear shoes, but you don't really need to wear most of the things I make-they just make you happy."
Sadoughi describes her fan base as women who are not wall flowers and fashion-loving women. Loyalists already have great dresses in their wardrobes and stores to add a special touch. This is why she is not interested in designing clothes.
“When I first set foot in the fashion industry 25 years ago, I was engaged in clothing plate making,” she explained. "During the work of J. Crew and Tory Burch, I feel that accessories are sometimes an afterthought. So this is the focus of our attention to create a one-stop shop for accessories."
The Lele Sadoughi brand is a treasure trove of jewelry, sunglasses chains, socks and belts. Recently, cold-weather beanies, scarves, gloves, and headbands with earmuffs have also been introduced (all of which have been carefully decorated, of course). With the emergence of COVID-19, the demand for masks and the purchase of the aforementioned headbands have surged.
HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Reese Witherspoon’s fourth Draper James retail store opens in Houston Plaza
Now, she is expected to celebrate record revenue and 10th anniversary in 2022, and now is the time to expand her business. Sadoughi, a Dallas native, opened her first physical store in Highland Park Village last spring.
"During COVID, I spent a lot of time in Texas, and my family is here," she shared. "I signed the lease without seeing the space. Everything came together."
The Houston store may not be too far behind. When the designer participated in the annual "Field Fashion" event organized by "Secrets of Success" in Hope Farm in the town, he looked for possible locations. There, items currently available for sale at Neiman Marcus are displayed in appropriate pop-up windows at the Houston Livestock Show and rodeo. This season, Sadoughi's merchandise is inspired by the Southwestern style. Participants bought headbands and fisherman hats wrapped in turquoise, horseshoes and long horn jewelry, spurs and artificial leather.
Unsurprisingly, most guests wore bright colors and piles of accessories, dressed like Sadoji.
"It's just for fun, to have basic models and upgrade your accessories to make them look like a person," she said. "You should invest in a great suit jacket, straight dress and cashmere sweater. Keep these forever and replace your accessories."
Amber Elliott reports on art and society for the Houston Chronicle.
This boy is now the youngest victim on the Travis Scott show.
Authors: Nora Mishanek, Emily Foxhall