Founder Lele Sadoughi on growing her brand at her 'own pace'
Though Lele Sadoughi the brand has been around for a decade, founder and creative director Lele Sadoughi brings a wealth of knowledge to her namesake business. Previously. she worked at Tory Burch, Club Monaco and Banana Republic. She launched J.Crew’s jewelry category in 2005 before creating her own line. “Working for these bigger companies, you had interaction with merchandising, with copywriting, with planning, with production, with visuals — with everything. In retrospect, it was the greatest primer to me starting my collection,” Sadoughi said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. After making a splash in 2018 with its pearl and jewel headband, Lele Sadoughi has since expanded into nearly 15 different categories including handbags, eyewear and home decor. Sadoughi attributes the brand’s success to its organic marketing, dedication to its DNA and authentic collaborations, like the one it did with LoveShackFancy in 2020. According to Sadoughi, the company has seen record revenue since the start of the pandemic and shows no signs of slowing down. Currently, Sadoughi is focused on opening more physical retail spaces. The plan is to open the brand’s first NYC location, on Bleecker Street, at the end of summer. It has two existing store locations, in Dallas and Newport Beach. “Our best, newest advertising is all of our stores opening up. It’s a way where people can see the brand and see all the categories in one space,” said Sadoughi.