Local Fashionista Big Hit In NYC
By Linnea Sheldon

Famed fashion designer Jessie Loeffler Randall, the name, face and genius behind the luxurious Loeffler Randall line, got her start right here in Worcester.

Her designs have come a long way since she and her friend vamped it up in a Girl Scout Fashion Show.

“We each hopped down the runway in skirts we had made by cutting up a pair of my mom’s wide leg pants,” she said. “[We were] wearing one leg as a long skirt, no slit so we couldn’t walk.”

The duo received a prize for their creativity and hard work. You could say this was the first award-winning design for Randall. Who knew she would go on to receive the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Swarovski Award for Accessory Design?

Jessie grew up on Berwick Street in Worcester and attended Flagg Street School, Forest Grove Elementary and Doherty High School. She left for college at the University of Virginia in 1994.

“I was active in the Worcester Children’s Theatre and the Brownies at Flagg Street,” she said. “I played softball at Jesse Burkett and loved taking art classes at the Worcester Center for Crafts.”

She still comes home to Worcester, where her mother lives, to relax during the holidays and visit with aunts, uncles and cousins. Her father lives in Rochdale where the retiree keeps himself busy by making furniture. She said some of her favorite things include taking her twin boys to Elm Park to play on the playground, eating at the Boynton, going to Hot Dog Annie’s and then Pinecroft for ice cream.

Randall is still close to many of her friends that she grew up with.

“My friends from growing up in Worcester are some of my most intelligent, creative and hilarious friends,” she explained.

As a New Yorker, Randall started the company with her husband and partner Brian Murphy.

“I worked really hard and paid a lot of dues and was also incredibly lucky,” she said.

After graduating from her liberal arts college with a B.A., she worked in advertising but dreamed about going into fashion. Murphy encouraged her to quit her job and go back to school to pursue her dreams. She took classes and worked for designers without pay in order to gain experience and work her way up.

“I learned as much as I could before leaving my job as a handbag designer at Banana Republic to start my own shoe line with my husband Brian,” she said.

Randall’s love of shoes launched the company, which grew to include clothes and handbags. Her inspiration comes from all over including people watching, vintage shopping, old movies and magazines. it begins with an idea of something that Randall would want in her own closet.

Her recent Target line made it possible for everyone to have some of her designs in their own closets.

“The idea was to bring the LR aesthetic to a mass customer base,” she explained. “I was very pleased with the level of craftsmanship and quality we were able to achieve.”

The best fashion advice she could give to anyone is to be true to yourself.

“What makes you different is what makes you interesting,” she said.

Randall was more than happy to give Pulse a glance into her upcoming designs.

“The concept behind my Fall 2008 collection is Grace Jones meets ‘Working Girl,’” she said. “It’s a modernized take on 1980s inspiration with a more masculine edge.”

An exhibit of Randall’s designs are currently on display at the Worcester Historical Museum at 30 Elm Street. Chic and Modern: The Designs of Jessie Randall is part of the Going Out in Style exhibition. For more information, visit the Worcester Historical Museum web site at www.worcesterhistory.org or call (508) 753-8278.

Also look at Randall’s work at www.loefflerrandall.com.

Jessie Randall photo credit: Max Kim-Bee