Andrea Lieberman makes clothes for real life. Like many of her female designer peers, she simply follows her instincts and considers her own needs: She’s a working mom in Los Angeles, so she favors ease and practicality over trends or superfluous extras. Her utility trousers, techy knits, and sharp blazers are the kinds of not-basic basics you can wear anytime, anywhere, a quality that’s becoming ever more important to the modern shopper. Lieberman likely didn’t anticipate that 2020’s buzzwords would be value and longevity, but she’s built A.L.C. into a brand that delivers both.
Her pre-fall 2020 collection took A.L.C. in a more minimal direction. Save for a puffed sleeve here and there, it was almost entirely free of frills and volume. What stood out were the crumpled satin blazers, linen shirtdresses, and lean, monochrome evening looks. This writer was surprised to hear that A.L.C. has become popular with brides for their rehearsal dinner and after-party looks; they rely on the brand for dresses and jumpsuits that are sleek but not too fancy, a combination you rarely find in bridal shops. Lieberman might consider offering the flowing emerald silk gown in ivory, too, for the bride who actually wants to wear A.L.C. down the aisle.
