Alice and Olivia

alice + olivia is a contemporary womens clothing line which was founded by designer Stacey Bendet and her partner Andrew Rosen, founder of theory. The collection is sold in over 600 stores around the world such as barneys, bergdorf goodman, neiman marcus, scoop, and harrods. alice + olivia has 5 free standing stores located in new york city, los angeles, greenwich, ct, and southampton, ny.

The collection launched in january 2002 at barneys new york and was named after bendet's mother (olivia) and her pet goldfish (alice).

The collection is worn by many celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Angelina Jolie, Diane Kruger, and Mena Suvari.

Stacey Bendet, a New York native, always loved pants - from the skinny and slim to the belled and bell bottomed. While studying at the University of Pennsylvania, she garnered herself quite a collection of denim. To quote Stacey, “stacks and stacks of it.” But denim became the ubiquitous blue and Stacey was in constant search for that perfect pair of pants. Pants that were perpetually flattering, perfectly form-fitting, long enough to wear with the highest of heels, and signature in a striped style. So, after years of vintage shopping, tweaking, tailoring, snipping and sewing, she set out to make her own pants. Something unique. Something different. Something Stacey. And with that, alice + olivia was born.

alice + olivia launched in 2002 at Barneys NY and was an instant success -- everyone wanted Stacey’s perfect pants. By incorporating interesting fabrics, an ultra-flattering fit and a stylish retro vibe, alice + olivia quickly gave today’s retro sophisticate something to embrace other than denim as a daily staple. “Stacey Pants,” as her friends still call them, became an overnight phenomenon. Shortly after alice + olivia’s launch, Andrew Rosen, the founder of multi-million dollar brand Theory, teamed up with Stacey to become her business partner in the company. From that moment on, the phenomenon continued to grow.

In 2003, Stacey successfully introduced the alice + olivia cashmere sweater collection as the perfect compliment to her pants, and the following year, she launched a line of well-received swimwear. In the fall of 2004, Stacey made the leap into menswear when she developed anthony + mo, a brilliantly colored men’s cashmere sweater collection, which she named after her two best college pals. The super soft sweaters, which launched at Barneys and Scoop NYC are the perfect boy sweaters - the ones you want to buy for your boyfriend and steal from his closet.

In 2005, alice + olivia expanded into seasonal collections featuring those must-have pants, as well as signature tops, sweaters, dresses, jackets, shorts, denim and more. Stacey secured her place on the fashion map as the leading go-to brand for today’s retro sophisticate when alice + olivia brought in over $10 million in sales and reached over 450 stores worldwide, ranging from elite domestic accounts Barneys, Scoop, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, to leading international accounts, including Harrods in London and Lane Crawford in Hong Kong. During the same year, Stacey signed on to redesign the cult 80’s CB Sports brand for its resurgence in the fall of 2006 and she was presented with the first ever “Life in D” award from Ford, which “recognizes women who combine talent with that little something extra that allows them to break free from convention to enjoy life with style and attitude.”

2005 also marked the year that alice + olivia launched its first-ever boutique, which opened in East Hampton to rave reviews. In April 2006, the first alice + olivia Los Angeles boutique opened on trendy Robertson Boulevard, followed by a flagship store in New York’s Bryant Park in October 2006. Boutiques in Nolita and Southampton shortly followed in June 2006, and growth has only continued. alice + olivia recently opened a location in Greenwich, and is eagerly planning two more in the Los Angeles area. Each store offers alice + olivia signature pieces, as well as items exclusive to the stores, including a few of Stacey’s favorite complimentary brands - from Dylan’s Candy Bar and Malini Murjani handbags to Plum Bunny scented bangles and Moby’s teany teas and gifts and oh-so-much more. Today alice + olivia is sold in more than 500 stores nationwide, generating millions of dollars in sales. It is alice + olivia's 5th anniversary this year and the growth for 2007 is estimated at an 80-100% increase over last year, totaling 25 million. The company anticipates further growth with sales reaching over $45 million in 2008.

Stacey is continuing to keep busy. This year she designed an alice + olivia yoga line of comfortable tops and pants, drawing inspiration from her own love of the sport, and she is preparing to launch alice + olivia shoes for Payless in spring 2008. The collection consists of mod and colorful (and wonderfully inexpensive) platforms and flats that reflect the line’s funky attitude. She also will be debuting a kids’ line of beaded and sequined frocks that alice + olivia fans have come to know and love.

While she’s busy at work designing all those spectacular pieces, Stacey still finds the time to lend a helping hand. She avidly works on charity fundraising for the Young Lions at the New York Public Library, the New York Museums, the Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Charitable Trust, and Wyclef Jean’s Yele Haiti Organization, in which she styled the video for director Jeremy Blake. Stacey’s latest venture, the alice + olivia/Enso Scholarship Fund was created with longtime friend and fellow University of Pennsylvania alumni Josh Fink. This program will send one deserving student from an underdeveloped country to The University of Pennsylvania. A devoted Ashtanga yoga student who practices with legendary guru Eddie Stern daily at 6 AM, Stacey loves flea markets, traveling and chewing bubble gum.

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