At the Table With: Jessie Randall
Ft. Ice cream sandwiches and flowers from the garden
At The Table With is a monthly interview series that explores the ideas of creativity and personal taste through the eyes of my friends (or people I would like to be friends with). This month’s guest is the founder and creative director of Loeffler Randall and writer behind
, Jessie Randall!
It was maybe 10 years ago now that I bought my first pair of shoes from Loeffler Randall. They were a low-heeled, leopard print, pony hair mule that I wore constantly—so often that someone in the office would notice when I didn’t wear them. I remember there being a big Loeffler Randall sale and all of us frantically placing orders for various pom-pommed heels and strappy rainbow platforms, so excited to get 30% off something that felt like a reflection of each of our personalities. I’m a big fan of a shoe that can do a lot of heavy lifting style-wise—if I can get away with wearing a fun pair with jeans and a white t-shirt in even the dressiest of scenarios, I happily will.
I don’t think I knew who was behind it all at the time, but since then Loeffler Randall has exploded thanks to the brand’s founder and creative director, Jessie Randall. Peeks into Jessie’s life reveal scenes for which the Loeffler customer is shopping—long-awaited beach vacations, best friends’ weddings, dinner parties in the garden… Once the brand expanded into bags, hair accessories, and ready-to-wear clothing, it became a one-stop shop for all of it. Now, anytime I have an event to dress up for or a trip on the books, Loeffler Randall is the first place I go to have a look.
Jessie is the kind of person whose personal aesthetic transcends any one season or locale—there’s a clear through line in what she wears, what she designs, and how she lives. Any time we get a look into the design of her home or office I am struck by how consistent the decor is with her wardrobe: the ruffled curtain hiding her filing cabinets or the light fixture in her Bridgehampton kitchen could easily hang in a closet next to the floaty blouses and poplin dresses she wears in similar patterns. When I think of what it means to have truly learned one’s personal style, Jessie comes to mind instantly, and reading her Substack Jessie Loves just confirms that she knows her own style inside and out. I was so excited for the opportunity to chat with Jessie about all of it.
Ali LaBelle: First things first, tell us a little about yourself.
Jessie Randall: I’m originally from Worcester, Massachusetts. I moved up to NYC two days after graduating college for a job in advertising and have been working every day since! My husband Brian and I started our company in 2004 and launched our first collection at Bergdorf Goodman in the fall of 2005—we’re coming up on our 20th anniversary. It’s crazy how time flies—it’s been two decades of us growing our company. We have a lovely office and showroom in SoHo and will have four stores by year-end. I’m currently working on designing Spring 2026, writing my Substack Jessie Loves, and getting inspired for future seasons, and I’m about to watch my twins graduate from high school and head off to college.
AL: You have such a clear point of view when it comes to style—Loeffler Randall feels so aligned with what you wear and how you decorate your home. How did you come to understand your taste?
JR: I feel like I’ve always been the same person since I was in kindergarten. I have this photo of me wearing my brother’s hand-me-down camp sweatshirt with a pretty floral barrette in my hair. That mix of feminine with some tomboy elements—the mix of dressy and casual—has been my style from day one. I’ve always loved quilting, ruffles, jellies, ditsy prints, and gingham, and I still do. Each of the women who work on my design team has a picture of her childhood self up by her desk—I like remembering the little “us” as we design. I think often taste and style are just about coming back to parts of yourself that were always there.
AL: Some people struggle to translate their style from their closet to their home (or vice versa). What advice would you give to someone who may know how to put on a really cool outfit or how to set a stunning table, but can’t seem to make it work in the other direction?
JR: I think everyone struggles with this. I find it’s easier with an outfit because it’s very specific and you can change it all the time; you can put together your day look and then a dressier look for an event. But when it comes to the interior design of your home, it feels like more of a commitment, and that is trickier. My best piece of advice for a home project is that it doesn’t have to be permanent. If you hate the wallpaper, you can update it in a little while. I always get so hung up on wallpaper feeling like it’s a forever decision, but it’s actually not.
In my wardrobe, as with my home space, I try to choose pieces that feel like an expression of me and feel personal to who I am, and that also just make me happy. I want to feel a certain way when I get dressed and when I walk into a room. Sometimes with interiors I want to feel calm; other times, I want to have a bit more fun. These are the things I’m thinking about while I choose design items.
AL: Where do you look for inspiration? What are some things that you’re finding especially exciting right now?
JR: I’m always looking for inspiration from anywhere: dollhouse furniture, a tablecloth at a restaurant, a knitting project I’m working on, the colors in a photograph, a vintage detail, et cetera, et cetera. Travel especially inspires me. I was just in London, and a few things I got excited about while I was there were furniture pieces that were only upholstered in parts (or upholstery that is not the same fabric on every surface), stripes, draperies, tulips, french bistro chairs... So many things all at once.
AL: How has your role changed at Loeffler Randall over time? What do you wish you knew from the very beginning?
JR: It’s changed and it hasn’t changed. I’m still involved in nearly every single design decision down to the thread color on every product we make, but I have more help now and some people who mean a lot to me, who I trust, and who have been by my side for a long time. In the beginning and for many years it was just me. Looking back, I really, really wish I had figured out how to bring other people into my design process sooner, especially so I could have had a maternity leave with my twins, which wasn’t really possible.
As social media has become more prevalent, I’ve become more involved in the marketing of our brand. On top of overseeing all our design, I also have another, almost full time job promoting our products, being the face of our brand, and writing my Substack. I really, really love the creative bits of this part of the job, and even though I am a bit shy, I also love meeting people. And I like the social aspects of my job, too (most of the time).
AL: What makes you feel most connected to your creativity?
JR: I have this quote in my phone: “My definition of a creative life is a life where your decisions are routinely based on curiosity instead of fear.” When I can get to a place where I’m in a groove and I’m not scared, that’s when I do the best work and I am happiest. It’s hard because this is a family business—I work with my husband. All our eggs are in this basket, and a LOT of people depend on me for their livelihood. It’s a ton of pressure and I take it very seriously. I also grew up with not a lot so I do tend to panic about financial stuff quite often. I’m getting better at realizing that stressing out about that kind of stuff isn’t really helpful for me or for my company. I have to compartmentalize a lot to do my job well. Running a family fashion business is not for the faint of heart! I need to spend time getting inspired, traveling, and doing creative things, like knitting, that might not seem like they directly correlate to my job but actually do. What’s that other quote? “Creative people need time to sit around and just do nothing.”
AL: Let’s do a little visualization exercise! Imagine your dream dinner party. You can invite anyone (living or not, famous or not), serve anything, and host it anywhere. Where’s the party?
JR: In my backyard in Bridgehampton.
AL: What are we having?
JR: Something I don’t have to make myself—cooking for big groups of people stresses me out! Probably some fresh salads, really good bread, something grilled, a light summer cocktail, and ice cream sandwiches for dessert.
AL: What’s on the table? How are you decorating?
JR: This is the part I love the best—the decorating part. I would have really beautiful tablecloths from Maison de Vacances and the table would be set with all the various plates and ceramics I’ve collected over the years. It would be dotted with lots of little floral arrangements using flowers from my cutting garden. There would be some personal element like embroidery on the napkins instead of place cards. We would also have some small craft activity to work on after dinner.
AL: Who’s invited?
JR: All my girlfriends. I’m totally ready for my Golden Girls era. I just love being around my girlfriends.
AL: What’s the dress code? What are you wearing?
JR: I like to dress up. I would love to wear a really special red dress, something really wow.
AL: What music is playing?
JR: I have a mix of all the songs I heard playing when I was in Saint Barths. It’s slightly cheesy but filled with just the best songs—the ones that just make you nostalgic and happy and want to dance.
AL: Quick fire round. What’s your favorite scent or smell?
JR: The smell of my kids when they were babies.
AL: Favorite artist?
JR: There are so many I love and admire—I don’t know how I could pick just one. I guess I’ll choose my great grandfather Randall who was actually a pretty terrible oil painter. He was a dentist, and he built the little cottage my family has in Orleans, Massachusetts (Cape Cod) in the early 1900s. The whole place has his paintings on the walls—which, again, are kind of bad paintings, but I love them. They remind me of Cape Cod, the beach, and working very hard on a creative pursuit, regardless of the outcome.
AL: Last thing you read?
JR: Knife by Salman Rushdie.
AL: Comfort food?
JR: Mint chip ice cream.
AL: Something you bought recently?
JR: A big splurge was wallpaper from Les Indiennes for my latest interior design project by the beach.
Thank you for letting me pick your garden of a brain, Jessie! For more, subscribe to
, follow Jessie on Instagram, and peruse the aisles of Loeffler Randall. I hear they’re opening up a new store in the West Village later this month, so if you’re in NYC, mark your calendars.x
Ali
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We want to hear the playlist!! 🙏
Love this!! Such a fan of Jessie 💛