Los Angeles has provided the perfect balance for Andrea Lieberman. It’s been the city that enabled her successful styling career to flourish, a place where she built her business, and the sunny setting where her kids can now run around barefoot.
“In this day and age when there are no rules, where the industry is shifting at breakneck speed, being in a place where there is the space and freedom to create your own boundaries and to architect a company that fits both your brand and your life…that for me is the biggest plus,” Lieberman explained of the rich life she’s carefully crafted in L.A.
That life has included her successful transition from stylist to designer and launching the A.L.C. collection eight years ago.
“Starting A.L.C. was something in my mind that I had always kind of planned for,” Lieberman said, just before her brand’s e-commerce channel went live. “I just didn’t know when and how.”
When the time and opportunity presented itself—in L.A., no less—Lieberman had spent so much time between New York (her hometown) and L.A. that starting the brand on the left coast felt logical. The city afforded unexpected advantages over the years for both Lieberman and the growth of the brand as a whole.
“There’s a certain freedom here,” she said. “I think New York is amazing. I grew up there and there’s no place like it in the world, but there’s a certain benefit for me to not being in the eye of the storm.”
By that, she referred to the unintended distraction of being at the epicenter of the industry.
Lieberman has also benefitted from proximity to the tiered artistry that supports the entertainment industry. This continues to provide a unique vantage point from which she approaches design. “There’s an industry here, and because Los Angeles is so driven by the entertainment industry, there are so many layers to that. It’s not just Hollywood and the culture of celebrity,” she explained, referencing set designers, costume shops, expert pleaters and other frequent stops that help inform her creativity.
The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund alum has continued to innovate and bring attention to the way fashion is perceived in L.A.
“When we started eight years ago, there were aspects of the industry that were very expected,” she said. “You were expected to do a show and you were expected to be in New York if you were in a certain part of the market.” Ultimately, she defied convention to stay true to her brand ethos and desire to eschew showing in favor or making real clothes for real people.
Now, the brand has evolved in tandem with the city’s design credibility, bringing attention to downtown L.A., where A.L.C. has its main office.
“There’s been a big evolution in the city and in downtown Los Angeles. It’s grown leaps and bounds, and the city is changing,” she said.
The end result is what Lieberman believes is a bounty for all designers and brands in L.A. According to her, it “brings more resources and more talent to the table and more talent to the city. We all support each other here—it’s a really nice community.”
