They say your shoes reveal a lot about you – your character, your ambitions, even where you’re headed. For Loeffler Randall founder Jessie Randall, the answer is rather uncomplicated: make it beautiful, make it fun, but for goodness’ sake, make it comfortable. After 22 years of world-building, that philosophy has taken Randall from her original atelier, her Brooklyn apartment, to five retail spaces in the US – and now, a little nook of a store on Marylebone’s Chiltern Street.
“I am simply a total wimp when it comes to shoes and comfort,” Randall tells Broadsheet. “I will not wear a pair that is uncomfortable or with a heel that’s too high. I commute each day by subway, I’m on my feet most of the day running to meetings, then I’m off to something at night.”
It’s perhaps why Randall feels “so at home” in London’s urban rhythm. Britain has long been one of Loeffler Randall’s strongest international markets, with special occasion and bridal footwear among the brand’s best sellers. There’s also a cult following for its signature pleated bow styles, including the hero Penny heels, which involve more than 400 hand-crinkled plisse pleats and 28 individual steps to make.
“The customers here seem to have a similar aesthetic to my own, an appreciation for craftsmanship, elegant details, feminine touches, a reverence for the past. I expect our versatile ballet flats and boots will do well in London, as well as our lovely knits,” she says.
London’s a natural next step for a brand whose growth has been deliberately measured. “I always say that if it weren’t for my husband, who is the entrepreneur, I would still be hand-making shoes in my kitchen,” Randall says. Since launching in New York in 2004, Loeffler Randall has expanded from shoes into handbags, accessories and ready-to-wear, while retaining its playful DNA: a little bit of romance and fantasy, grounded in luxurious materials and considered design.
It’s why everyone from brides-to-be to women in power is showering themselves in bows, jewel tones, and metallic lamé. Even Emerald Fennell invited Loeffler Randall into her surreal, hyper-stylised world of Wuthering Heights, which Randall calls a “career highlight”. On screen, Margot Robbie’s Cathy wears the brand’s theatrical Louisa lace-up ballet flat, with that particular red iteration becoming a London store exclusive.
“I’ve always loved Chiltern Street and every time I visit I make a point to shop along that street. It’s home to brands that are true passion projects, as Loeffler Randall is to me,” Randall says. “As we’ve expanded our retail footprint we’ve realised we don’t need a ton of selling floor space. We like to have a cosy space.”
With its Victorian dollhouse feel, the Chiltern Street store fuses the brand’s childlike wonder and Randall’s travel inspirations with distinctly English sensibilities. There are hand-plastered walls, custom striped curtains and handcrafted Zellige tiles, alongside artwork by interiors studio Faeger London, furnishings by Howe London and Alfred Newall. Randall even made a little needlepoint shop sign herself, finished with ruffled fabric trim from Howe, inviting visitors to “please pop in” and “ta-ta for now” upon departure.
“I’m an Anglophile at heart and I love so many UK-based designers and artisans. I have Alfred’s furniture in my home and office, and Howe London fabrics and wallpaper in our place out on Long Island. So these beautiful items are a part of my everyday life.”
With a new brand president taking on more of the business and her daughter starting a womenswear course at Central Saint Martins this autumn, Randall will have plenty of reasons to spend more time on our side of the pond. Which, by the sounds of it, suits her rather splendidly.
“Creativity begets more creativity in my process and I am loving it. Being in London more often will certainly enhance my creativity and inspiration.”
Loeffler Randall
44 Chiltern Street, W1U 7QP
Hours
Mon to Sat 11am–7pm
Sun midday–5pm
