5 Minutes with Stacey Bendet

Alice + Olivia started with a single pair of jeans. How did it grow from that into a global brand?

When I started Alice + Olivia, you had designer brands and then you had fast fashion. It was the very early days of there being anything in the middle. Brands in that space focused primarily on items – there were denim brands like Seven for All Mankind and True Religion, or Theory that was doing suiting and stretch pants. We came in as Theory's quirky little sister, making the novelty pants. And as we evolved, we grew from this itemised pant business into a full collection. Ultimately, we became what I call a women's lifestyle brand. Category by category, we expanded to being a clothing brand designed by women for women, allowing them to express themselves through fashion.

 Has the Alice + Olivia woman stayed the same since the beginning?

She's become much more sophisticated. When I launched, I was in my early 20s, so we had a really young customer. Over time, the customer has evolved with us. She’s really grown up with us. I went from making mini-skirts, crazy low-rise trousers and little birdie dresses to making clothes that were more elegant, sophisticated, complicated.

What I love most is that we still dress that young girl – for her sweet 16 or her prom dress – while also dressing three generations of women. We make things that my mum wears, that I wear and that my daughter wears. My goal is always to design and create clothes that allow different women to wear the same item in different ways, that allow them to express who they are and who they want to be each day.

We're living in an age where Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's style goes viral, and The Row is worshipped as gospel. Do you feel pressure to change your maximalist style accordingly?

I think we have both. Our Classics Collection is some of the most beautiful contemporary suiting and shirting out here. Other aspects tend to be more maximalist, fun and self-expressive. You can walk in our store, and you can walk out looking like Carolyn Bessette or looking like a rock star. So, we have a range of items that allow women to dress and express themselves in different ways.

AI was a big theme of the 2026 fall line and is clearly something that you’ve embraced. How do you feel about its role, overall, in the creative industries?

It can be controversial in design because people worry that it’s eliminating creativity. In my office, I’ve taken the opposite approach. I think it’s giving us a creative renaissance. You can use AI to create the most detailed renderings of things you want to make in real life. You can use it to push your vision in so many different directions and ways, while saving so much time.

I would say that fashion manufacturing will be transformed by our ability to bring it back to the United States using robotic technology. Is that eliminating jobs because people won’t be needed for sewing anymore? Yes, it is. But it’s also creating jobs in an industry we haven't had here in a decade.

Dupe culture is everywhere right now, and you’ve previously spoken out against it after a run-in with Steve Madden. Do you think the industry has got too comfortable with dupes?

What he [Madden] does to small brands is horrific. Picasso once said, “Good artists copy, great artists steal”. Slip dresses, for example, have been around for generations. But there's a difference between being inspired by something and completely ripping something off to the point that you put a small designer out of business.

Is there an up-and-coming designer that you’re really excited about right now?

I’m obsessed with Christina Coniglio right now. It’s a new resort and beachwear brand and very much Palm Beach culture. She grew up there and does these wraps and pareos. It’s very Slim Aarons, 1960s vibes, and I love it.

What’s the piece in your wardrobe you find yourself reaching for most right now?

I’m really into lingerie slip dresses – anything glamorous or lace. Going into fall, I’m leaning into maximalism, mixing leopard into things. I love all our embroidered and embellished jeans too.

What’s next for Alice + Olivia?

We have our rock and roll collab coming out called the Legends capsule (launched at the end of July). It’s a bunch of fun, different band tees. We also have a collection launching at the end of the year with Coca-Cola. I love when we get to collaborate with another iconic, heritage brand.

How would you describe your personal style in three words?

Bold, colourful and elegant…I hope! I like to be a fairy princess one day and a rock goddess the next. That’s more how I’d describe my style. I dress for my mood.

What’s the worst sartorial sin a person can commit?

I had a pigtail bun era back in the day that I’d love to forget forever.

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Who is your favourite celeb to dress?

My favourite women to dress are the Hiltons because it’s generations of women who I love seeing in my clothes and they’re my oldest friends. I’m also obsessed with Lauren Sanchez. I think she’s so bold and sexy and such an icon today. I’m so proud whenever she’s in my clothes.

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I’m surprised to hear you say Lauren Sanchez – she often gets an adverse reaction from the fashion industry.

I think Lauren is truly one of those women who loves other women. She likes to be bold and support designers. I also think she’s just gotten more and more beautiful with age and I have a huge appreciation for that. Her style has gotten better and better as she’s found herself in the last few years. She’s really fun to dress.

What’s your top beauty tip or secret?

I would have to give you a very long list of my skincare regimen, but I love bio stimulants, stem cells and polynucleotides. I will literally microneedle anything you give me into my face. I’m obsessed with this Korean skincare brand called Incellderm. It’s a seven-step process and it’s amazing for your skin.

I also love doing Softwave with Dr Dan Belkin. We developed a little micro-needling concoction together called “the Stace-tox”, which is a mix of Botox, tranexamic acid and polynucleotides. It gives you the most amazing glow.

How do you switch off after a long week?

I’m a longtime practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga. I do it for an hour every day. That’s been a big part of my life for over 20 years.

Finish this sentence. Luxury to me is…

Self-expression!