Alice + Olivia is a New York City-based contemporary clothing company with designer Stacey Bendet at the helm. The global brand launched at Barneys in 2002 and is now sold in over fifty countries.[1][2]
History
alice + olivia was founded by Stacey Bendet and her classmate from the University of Pennsylvania Rebecca Matchett.
The brand was born from Stacey’s personal quest to create the perfect pair of pants and has since grown into a full lifestyle collection, including ready-to-wear, gowns, shoes, handbags and accessories. The brand is a Hollywood favorite with celebrity fans including Meghan Markle, Michelle Obama, Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Gigi Hadid and Jessica Alba. alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet is available at the brand’s free-standing boutiques located across the Globe, aliceandolivia.com, and is available at over 800 select department and specialty stores worldwide.[3]
Bendet first showed her designs to a crowd of fashion-industry insiders and celebrities in 2002 at the Russian Tea Room. It was "just pants" collection introducing the label's signature low-rise, slim-fitting pants in bright colors and funky patterns. Stacey and her founding partner's desire to make "a trouser sexy" or "the focus of an outfit". alice + olivia pants gained immediate popularity due in part to their mindful design. The pants are all cut slim at the hip to create the illusion of elongated legs and a lean silhouette.[4] The brand has since grown to a full lifestyle brand collection, including ready-to-wear, gowns, shoes, tech accessories and handbags.[5] In Spring 2017, alice + olivia introduced their first line of eyewear. The line was created in collaboration with an eponym, a New York eyewear company.[6]
In December 2022, Stacey Bendet was unanimously elected as the treasurer of the CFDA.[7]
In June 2023, alice + olivia hosted their fifth annual pride celebration in support of the LGBTQ+ community in style of nostalgic summer camp for grown-ups, attended by guests like Katie Holmes and Ariana DeBose.[8]
Fighting for women's rights
In 2017, alice + olivia launched their #aocommuniT: An ongoing collection of t-shirts embossed with messages like "Equal Pay" and "When women support each other great things happen." The team creates them in partnership with organizations like the Global Fund for Women and donates 10% of the proceeds. Their spring 2018 Chelsea Hotel collection, in which she collaborated with eight female artists, was to raise awareness that there is a massive disparity in compensation and representation for female artists.[9]
In February 2022, alice + olivia teamed with London-based artist Lakwena Maciver to advance the messages of empowerment in recognition of International Women's Day 2020 on March 8 and Women's History Month. alice + olivia donate 10 percent of sales to LifeWay Network, a global organization fighting to end human trafficking.[10]
Collaborations and partnerships
In January 2016, alice + olivia introduced capsule collection, themed around the Grateful Dead, featuring clothing, shoes, and handbags.[11]
In April, alice + olivia announced its partnership with Neiman Marcus for runway show at NeueHouse Hollywood in Los Angeles.[12][13]
In November, Stacey Bendet collaborated with the CFDA to pay homage to Jean-Michel Basquiat through a whimsical fashion collection at Alice + Olivia, featuring nods to the late artist's iconic elements and lifestyle. 50 percent of the proceeds from select items donated to the CFDA in support of its initiative to develop new and emerging talent.[14]
In November 2017, alice + olivia collaborated with The Beatles around its limited-edition capsule collection. It marks the first time a womenswear brand has partnered with the band. The collection coincided with the premiere of the documentary, The Beatles: Eight Days a Week: The Touring Years.[15]
In 2018, alice + olivia partnered with Booking.com to present the "Passport Wonderland" spring collection. Guests of the show had the opportunity to visit a 74-foot fashion yacht moored at Chelsea Pier.[16]
In November of the same year, the brand launched a capsule collection in collaboration with the late Keith Haring, featuring the artist's iconic 'Dancing Man' prints of the 80s aesthetic.[17]
In 2020, alice + olivia collaborated with Zero Waste Daniel, a New York-based young designer and non-waste pioneer.[18]
In February 2022, alice + olivia collaborated on a gender-neutral capsule collection with New York-based streetwear brand Overt.[19]
In March 2022, Stacey Bendet and tech entrepreneur Randi Zuckerberg teamed up to make the NFT and the Web3 economy accessible to all women. alice + olivia is offering a limited edition NFT, which gives priority access to an exclusive online course from Zuckerberg, taught on the Creatively website.[20]
In April 2022, Stacey Bendet transformed several prints from alice + olivia's Spring 2022 collection into the line for Tempaper (a brand of removable wallpaper).[21]
In June 2022, In June 2022, alice + olivia celebrated its 20th anniversary with a prom night event designated "alice + olivia Day" by NYC mayoral proclamation, featuring a glamorous recreation of the high school experience attended by A-listers and fashion It Girls.[22]
Locations
Bendet herself designs the alice + olivia boutiques.
The brand has 35 US freestanding boutiques in New York, California, Chicago, Connecticut, Georgetown, Atlanta, Dallas, London and Houston.[23][24] It can also be found at over 800 select department and specialty stores worldwide, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Lane Crawford, Isetan, Hankyu, Harvey Nichols, Harrods, and Galeries Lafayette, as well as prominent web retailers including Net-a-Porter and Shopbop.
The brand also has 13 international free-standing stores. alice + olivia has an exclusive partnership with ImagineX Group in their numerous malls throughout Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Shanghai, and Macau.[25] In 2013, the brand has opened its first freestanding store in Japan, Tokyo.[26] In collaboration with The Chalhoub Group, alice + olivia was introduced to the UAE, and has opened its stores in the Mall of Emirates and The Dubai Mall in Dubai, also operates in Qatar, Laguna Mall and in Kuwait, Avenues Mall.
Celebrity endorsement
Celebrity fans of the brand include Angelina Jolie, Katy Perry, Drew Barrymore, Gwyneth Paltrow, Dakota Fanning, Emily Ratajkowski, Kourtney Kardashian, and Angelababy. Celebrities seen wearing alice + olivia clothing include Katharine McPhee, Heidi Klum, Anne Hathaway, Eva Longoria, Megan Fox, Taylor Momsen, Eyra Chapman and Rachel Riley.[27][28][29]
Incidents
In 2018, alice + olivia filed a lawsuit against the Steve Madden-owned Betsey Johnson label for copyright and trademark infringement. alice + olivia accused Betsey Johnson of using Bendet's signature face, the "StaceFace," on its bags. According to TMZ, the companies reached a confidential settlement in June 2019.[30][31][32]