Before she became QVC’s queen of denim, Laurie Feltheimer worked in the finance industry as a variable annuities wholesaler. (Talk about a career transition!) Read on to see how Feltheimer switched directions and built an empire out of a comfortable pair of jeans.
HC: In 2002, ‘Laurie Felt Los Angeles’ was known as ‘Hot in Hollywood’ — at what point did you decide to switch your direction? What was your “aha” moment?
Feltheimer: “I thought all I had to offer was being a plus one to my husband. He runs a studio in Hollywood, so I had a front row seat to see the designers of the year. But after doing that for 15 years, I decided ‘I’m a designer and I can stand on my own two feet. I’m my own person.’”
HC: What makes your line different? What will our readers feel when they put on a pair of Laurie Felt jeans?
Feltheimer: “What’s really special is that we have premium denim at an affordable price. Trying to make something that is beautiful and high quality is a challenge and we mastered it. Our sizes range from XXS to XXX. There is no sizeism and the jeans look amazing on everyone, from young girls to 90-year- old women. They’re affordable, beautiful, and comfortable. They look good on everyone, no matter their color, size, or age.”
HC: Could you tell our readers a little bit about Heartfelt?
Feltheimer: “Heartfelt is a platform for our customers to share their interests and help each other grow. Through meeting our customers, we were able to get to know the women who shop with us. And what they want is to empower women and share their skills with one another.”
HC: What does it mean to be a Heartfelt Role Model? What does that entail?
Feltheimer: “We’re so interested in our customers’ stories, that we select a group of women every month to wear our jeans. Once the month is over, the customer sends back a photo with a story about what happened, what they did during their day. We then share the photos with our QVC audience.”
HC: Why QVC? What prompted you to sell exclusively to QVC?
Feltheimer: “I love the platform because it allows me to have the ability to tell the story directly to the customer. We take our brand personally, and we want to have that interaction. It [selling on QVC] feels more personal than having our products on a store shelf.”
HC: Did you always want to pursue a career in fashion? I read that you started out in finance — that was quite a switch. Could you tell our readers about that?
Feltheimer: “I think that sometimes life hands you cards you weren’t expecting, so for me I ended up being a single mom and I had to support my daughter, so I worked in finance because that is what I had a degree in. Then I met my husband, and I was a mom and a wife, so the finance schedule wasn’t ideal. For me, it’s always been important to be able to support myself and I’ve always wanted to make my own way. My best friend married Suzanne Somers’ son and so I was inspired by her. I have a natural talent for fashion. I love it and I see her doing it and I know I can make it work, too.”
HC: How did you break into the industry? Do you have any tips for our readers who are interested in becoming a designer?
Feltheimer: “I think that my biggest tip would be not to limit yourself in your own mind. I always told myself that I’m not really a designer because I’m not trained but there is no substitute for hard work. I would push every day until I fully learned to do what I do now. It takes perseverance, hard work, and confidence.”
HC: Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers?
Feltheimer: “If any of the young women who read Her Campus would like to contact us, we’d love to hear their story. They can actually call the office 310-395-1600.”