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Watch the full conversation between Marina Larroudé and our Deputy Editor Ana Colón on The Fashionista Network.
Marina Larroudé has had a truly expansive career in fashion. From working as a luxury fashion assistant in London to becoming the fashion director of Teen Vogue and then Barneys New York, to now designing for her eponymous footwear brand, the Brazilian businesswoman has touched just about every corner of the industry.
Just a few months before the ultimate closure of Barneys, Larroudé was laid off from the company. “We were home in the middle of the pandemic and (my husband and I) both lost our jobs,” she shared during a live chat on The Fashionista Network (watch it here!). “We looked at each other and were like, ‘What are we going to do?'”
Her role at Barneys left Larroudé with plenty of insight into what consumers were looking for in the luxury space. And thanks to her experience in editorial, Larroudé knew what made something quality and what held up in real life — not just within photoshoots. “I had learned that it’s not necessarily what is going to work well on the runway. It has to work for the mass audience. I learned a lot about balance,” said Larroudé. “My goal was to create fashion that you can wear every day.”
Larroudé officially launched her brand in 2020, propelled by a lack of innovation and options she’d observed within the luxury footwear space. “I didn’t think there was any newness in the space, and (not really) the big American houses,” said Larroudé. Her and her husband (Ricardo Larroudé, the brand’s CEO) thought, “‘Let’s create a product that is not only for evening or occasional wear. (We want women to) come to us for all of their needs — for school drop-offs, interviews or being a bridesmaid in a wedding,” she said.
Starting the business at a time when people weren’t leaving their homes turned out to be less of an obstacle and more of a benefit for the brand’s success: “It was great to launch our brand when no one else was launching it because we were the only news. I actually highly recommend it. If you are a designer or want to be a designer (…), do not launch your collection or your brand during fashion week,” said Larroudé. “It’s the craziest time. No one is going to pay attention to you. You have to do it at a time when it’s quiet and people can actually go and see it. So that played out in our favor.” Once the world began to open up again and people were ready to leave their bubbles, Larroudé was there.
A big part of Larroudé’s approach to buzz and innovation involves the several designer collaborations the brand has under its belt — Jonathan Cohen, Oscar de la Renta and, most recently, Altuzarra have all released shoes with the Brazilian company.
“The shoe business is very difficult. That’s why you don’t see so many new brands in the footwear space as you do in other categories,” said Larroudé. It’s very hard to develop a shoe, manufacture it, understand the sizing and everything. We’d like to think that nowadays (Larroudé) is this amazing, credible fashion platform that can make everyone’s dreams come true. From the customer to the designer.”
Larroudé’s ultimate success, celebrated reputation and continuing growth within the industry are all a result of one thing, according to Larroudé: passion. That’s one thing any aspiring designer needs to succeed, she argues.
“You’ve got to have passion. Fashion needs to be the only (thing) you want in your career. I don’t want to say you shouldn’t love something else, but if you are in doubt about (what industry you want to go into), then in the first month, you’ll probably get an entry level job and quit, right? (…) It’s very hard early on,” said Larroudé. “I do think if this is what you want to do, you’re going to have to go and work hard and realize your dreams. You know? Make it happen.”
This conversation was hosted on “The Fashionista Network” powered by interactive media platform Fireside, where viewers get the chance to participate and speak directly with industry figures. Learn more about “The Fashionista Network” here.
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