I know I’ve said this before, but have you ever met someone and just realized right off the bat, this person is far, far cooler than you are? The kind of person that just sort of exudes that chill, not-even-trying vibe but simultaneously put you at ease? Suzan Lambillotte is one of those people for me. She’s well-traveled, well-read, fascinating to talk to, and yet you feel as though you’ve known her forever the instant you meet her. She’s amazingly down-to-earth for how utterly chic her life is. And by chic I mean traveling the world with her sister for their eponymous line, Lambillotte. Suzan is based in San Antonio and handles all the business aspects of the collection, while her sister Lindsey handles the design process in New York.
Susan (right) and her sister, Lindsey.
Since I have been serving on the board of FGI with Suzan, she has been a true inspiration for how to manage projects seamlessly, juggle having little ones at home, and still manage to keep the “cool factor” going. She gifted me with this dress from their Spring ’16 collection titled “Sailboats”, and I’ve been wearing it religiously all summer-long. You actually saw it in my post about Cora’s ballet recital, but we all know how taking pictures went that day. *insert rolling eyes emoji here* That meant that when I was attending the Neiman Marcus Fall Trend Presentation this past week I decided it was finally time to have Orlando take a few photos of me in this classic, easy look. Every time I wear this dress I get a ton of compliments, so I thought it was only right to give Suzan and her line the center stage for a quick interview! Read on and enjoy:
Haute in Texas: Hi Suzan! Thanks for chatting with us today. To start off, how is Lambillotte different from other apparel lines?
Suzan Lambillotte: The overall mood is what distinguishes Lambillotte from other lines, the exclusive prints designed by Lindsey set the artistic tone of the brand.
HIT: If you had to describe the aesthetic in three words, what would it be?
SL: Modern Prints, Classic Silhouettes (sorry, that’s 4)
HIT: You’re a San Antonio brand, and we love to support local! How can fashion lovers in our city do that for you?
SL: Our line is currently available at San Antonio Musuem of Art and we are adding stockists locally for the release of our resort collection—-so check out the line and watch for our sample sales on instagram:)
HIT: What’s next for the brand? Where are you headed in the next five years?
SL: Our collection is becoming more print focused and we will offer a larger variety of fabrications, straying from our silks only focus to offer more flowy, oversized bodies, in other natural breathable fabrics. We are traditionally a wholesaler but would love to offer the collection retail, so opening a retail location and expanding our brand representation in Europe are goals for our brand in the near term.
HIT: Did you always know you wanted to be in the fashion industry?
SL: I always knew I wanted to be a business woman like my mother, as a teenager my sister and I had plans to open a boutique in West Texas (where we are from)–then the line started naturally progressing a few years after college and we just kept building and expanding the collection
HIT: If you could have any other job in the world, what would it be?
SL: A Medical Anthropologist
HIT: How has FGI contributed to your career success?
SL: FGI has connected me with many local SA Fashion professionals whom are supportive, creative, smart, enthusiastic, and overall strong business women—-this has influenced my ability to effectively build my business in the region
HIT: Finally, an Haute in Texas tradition: pancakes or waffles?
SL: Waffles, for sure, with butter and peanut butter in every square and drenched in Canadian Maple Syrup
Dress: Lambillotte
Sunglasses: I stole from Orlando. 😉
Earrings: Banana Republic
Necklace: Stella & Dot – P.S. If you love it come to our event next week! 🙂 Details here.
Watch: Marc Jacobs
Bag: Céline – a present from Orlando via his recent trip to Europe. EEK! 🙂
Shoes: Steve Madden via Octer.com – This is such a cool site, by the way! You can search for any item, across a massive variety of retailers, and it will show you similar styles so you can compare pricing and shop around for the best deal! Love it!
XO,
A
P.S. Today’s post is sponsored by Lambillotte and Octer.com. Don’t worry though, all opinions are my own!
