EXCLUSIVE: A Look at Nicole and Sofia Richie’s First Fashion Collaboration
Nicole and Sofia Richie have partnered for the first time.
The daughters of singer-songwriter Lionel Richie — who have made names for themselves as a designer and model, respectively — began designing a House of Harlow 1960 collection together in April of last year. They recently shot the campaign.
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“It’s also our first shoot together,” said Sofia, 22, days before the photoshoot in Los Angeles. “This will be fun.”
“Oh, my God, is it?” asked Nicole, 39, who founded House of Harlow 1960 in 2008 as a jewelry line before expanding into apparel and shoes.
“It’s our first shoot!”
“She doesn’t know this, but I’m requesting that she wear a Lionel-style wig,” joked Nicole. “We’ll discuss morning of.”
“Oh no…”
The two explained that it was a mutual decision to work together, conceived of during the early days of shutdowns due to the pandemic.
“The world was really quiet last year, and we were just talking about our individual hopes and dreams and what we wanted to do and make,” said Nicole.
Launching May 10 exclusively on Revolve, the spring line features crop tops, shorts, dresses and swimwear, largely in whites, mint green, corals and nudes. The pieces have elements of Nicole’s signature ’60s and ’70s-influenced aesthetic, using crochet, silk, tie-dye and denim, while incorporating Sofia’s additions — more structured, men’s wear-inspired looks. Everything is priced between $78 and $228.
“I love the oversize button-down,” said Sofia. “You could pretty much wear it so many different ways, whether it’s with jeans and heels or as a cover for a bikini.”
“Sofia brought in a bit more of, I don’t know what you’d call it, street style and more tailored pieces,” chimed in Nicole. “You know, pieces that I think appeal to a younger audience.”
The two worked together remotely with the rest of the design team. There were a lot of Zoom meetings, said Nicole.
“It was a real challenge, and we were dealing with shipping delays,” she said of running the company amid COVID-19. “It’s a real lesson in how to keep a business going in a time of true stillness. And I think for me, creatively, it was also having to take a pause and really make sure that everything that I was putting out in the world was something that I felt like the world would like…that every piece was purposeful and had meaning.”
The biggest challenge was anticipating the needs of consumers during such an unpredictable time in the market. “What I did know is I wanted my customer to feel good in the clothes and to feel light and to feel free,” said Nicole. “And so, that was where I had to go with it and what I had to base all of my decisions off of.”
It’s similar to how she feels about her own personal style, she added: “Dressing is so emotional. It’s really important for me to feel free in my body and confident when I’m out in the world, so that’s kind of where my priority takes place when I’m getting dressed.”
Both sisters have had the public dissect their outfits in paparazzi shots. For Nicole, it was predominantly during the days of tabloids in the 2000s, and for Sofia, it’s on Instagram.
“Back then, there was no internet or tagging brands or anything,” said Nicole. “I actually consider myself pretty much a jeans and T-shirt kind of girl that dabbled in a lot of accessories.”
“When I’m getting ready, I want to feel comfortable and confident, and I don’t really stick to one particular look,” said Sofia. “It’s just really based off how I feel that day. And as long as I feel good and comfortable, then that’s what I wear.”
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