Sally LaPointe has dressed two very different, very influential women in the past month: Michelle Obama and Kendall Jenner. For the First Lady, it was a sharp, sensible blush jacket and pants; for Jenner, it was a slew of the designer’s luxe fur pieces, from a snug rabbit-trim turtleneck to a grand mink coat. The fact that LaPointe has become a resource for political icons and social media stars alike speaks to her talent for timeless, yet memorable clothes.
In the past few seasons, LaPointe has refined her signatures and developed new strengths. Her casual sweaters with fur accents are still flying off the racks—they’re probably even harder to find now that Kendall’s been papped in one—so Pre-Fall found her mixing fur with other notice-me materials. “Our customer really responds to luxurious fabrics done in unexpected ways,” LaPointe explained. See the dazzling kelly green sequined dress, which felt “just a little bit off” styled with a fox-fur stole. The malachite color was strange enough to stop almost any woman in her tracks; LaPointe knows that sometimes it’s a hint of weirdness that’s missing in our wardrobes. At the same time, LaPointe has garnered lots of loyal shoppers with her take on sumptuous minimalism, so there were crisp midi skirts, jumpsuits, and cashmere sweaters here—they just had a little something extra, like sheer chiffon sleeves, beachy stripes, or tortoiseshell pailettes. “I was really turning everything up this time,” she said. “As a young designer, I don’t think it’s worth it to just make another pretty dress. You need to have a reason to buy these clothes.”
