#172 From Famous Family to Fashion Pioneer (Liz Lange)
September 9 2022
Liz Lange was fresh out of college when she landed her dream job as an assistant at Vogue. With a degree in comparative literature from Brown, Lange never expected her career path to lead her into fashion design. Nevertheless, after watching her pregnant friends struggling to fit into regular clothes, she couldn’t let the need for fashionable maternity wear go by. In 1997 she reinvented herself as a designer, launching Liz Lange Maternity. Ten years later, the brand became the biggest-selling maternity line in the US. Now the Creative director and CEO of the Figuefashion brand, Lange is also the co-host of the Just-Enough Family podcast, a series in which she chronicles the rise and fall of her once-untouchable Stienberg family in 1970s New York City high society. In this conversation with Covey Club founder Lesley Jane Seymour, Lange discusses what it was like to work with Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, how she navigated her many career reinventions, and what advice she would give to aspiring entrepreneurs
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Bio:
Liz Lange is a retail and fashion pioneer. In 1997, out of a one-room office, she created Liz Lange Maternity, changing forever the face of maternity fashions. A decade later in 2007, after dressing every major pregnant celebrity, forging license deals with Nike and Target, and opening three flagship Liz Lange boutiques, Lange sold her business. She is the author of “Liz Lange’s Maternity Style: How to Look Fabulous During the Most Fashion-Challenged Time” (Random House, 2003). Lange is actively involved in many charities and is spokesperson for cervical cancer awareness. She lives in Manhattan with her 12-year old son, Gus and her 10-year old daughter, Alice.
Key Links:
Instagram
The Just-Enough Family on Spotify
The Just-Enough Family on Apple
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Time Stamps
02:30 – Vogue, working in fashion and pioneering maternity wear
09:45 – Acquiring FIG, a French fashion line of travel wear
11:10 – Developing her “memoir” as the Just-Enough Podcast
15:00 – Exploring the history of her famous family
20:00 – Navigating indecision in career reinvention
25:00 – Liz’s advice for pursing an idea even when you don’t feel supported
32:46 – Where to find Liz online
Social & Website