Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss

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ne of the early
signs
that
de-
a seat after dropping her 3-year-old
daughter, Sienna, at day school and
gets done right. I expect our clothing
to hold up and I stand by it. If a bead
falls offor a zipper breaks,we'll fix itl'
signer Shoshanna
commuting via subway from the Up-
Lonstein Gruss had
per East Side.
what it took to
She launched her eponl'rnous line
in 1998 with an aim to be more in-
tween. Lonstein Gruss'sdesigns are
well constructed and incorporate a
clusive of all women's body types. Her
lot of spiral boning, which curves to
collection debuted with sundresses
the bodywhile supporting the cloth"the
dress to move
ing, allowing
make it in fashion
"appearance'"
by one of her
was an
swimsuits on the famously fashion-
Such mishaps are few and far be-
conscious television series Sex and
and has expanded dramatically over
the Cily. Lonstein Gruss had battled
the years to include sportswear and
colleagues and coworkers alike over
swimwear for all body types, as well
with youj' Lonstein Gruss points
out. Her collection is made from
her design of a cherry-print bikini;
as baby wear, inspired by her daugh-
wools, cottons, and silks, and priced
but she enjoyed sweet vindication
ter. It is her trendsetting signature
swimwear, however, that has particu-
moderately when compared with
when Kristin Daviss character, Charlotte, donned the suit and a still shot
larly distinguished Lonstein Gruss
began appearing throughout the blo-
from her competitors. Since the very
gosphere.
"It
was our first season. The fab-
beginning in 2001, her bikinis and
notables as Katherine Heigl, Jessica
Simpson, Lindsay Price, and Kristen
tankinis have offered unique sizing
Bell. and carried in more than 500
ric was a vintage archive print and
to accommodate hard-to-fit women.
everyone fought me on itl'Lonstein
"We
didnt know
Gruss remembers.
The premise is simple: sell tops and
specialty and department stores,
including Bergdorf Goodman, Nei-
that it was going to be on the show. I
happened to tune in and saw Kristin
wearing my design. After that, we began working with [costume designer]
Patricia Field, and our clothing was
other name brands. These days, the
label is worn by such Hollywood
bottoms independently and offer a
man Marcus, Bloomingdale's, Saks
bigger range of sizes.
"Everyone
has issues with swim"l\rhen
wearl' notes Lonstein Gruss.
Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, and Henri
we started selling separates, nobody else was. Even the department
stores didnt want to do it. Now it's
Bendel, as well as shops in Canada,
Japan,and Europe.
Lonstein Grusswas recentlylauded
for her business and fashion acumen
Not only was the Shoshanna label
more prevalent. Our tops run from A
in CrainbNew YorkBusiness.At 32, she
"40
was among the magazine's 2008
embraced by Sex and the City, it also
through DDD, and our bottoms from
Under 40" honorees,a group ofrising
developed a worldwide
petite to extra largel'
stars from various walks of life. Shes
on the show a lotl'
following
among female fashionistas,from teen-
Lonstein Gruss also differs from
genuinely grateful for her successbut
not surprised, as her pathway into
the industry was paved with perse-
agers to SO-somethings,with sales
other designers in the way she op-
now exceeding $15 million annually.
erates her business. For one thing,
Lonstein Gruss's creations emanate
from the fourth floor of a garment-
the company does not participate in
fashion shows, preferring to take a
veranceand pluck.'As long as I didnt
hit the same wall, there was no end in
centric tenancy in midtown Manhattan. The office'sreception area is as
more intimate approach by working
"We
directly vith magazine editors.
sight. That's why I knew this was the
career for me. I still get excited every
bright and airy as a loft, and made
do a breakfast show right here. There
day,and I know how lucky I ami'
colorfi.rl by the racks of sample cloth-
are hundreds of shows out there and
ing lining the walls. The small staff of
to me, at this stage, it's very hard to
WITH AN ENTREPRENEURFATHER
12, all women, is deep into the tasks
take part. I feel that our money is better spent doing things more informal-
and a brother now building a denim
line in Los Angeles, Lonstein Gruss,
ly and low-key.
"I'm
always watching the bottom
dressofher ovm design,accessorized
by Christian Laboutin black heels line. I own the whole company, and
byvirtue of her genes,was destinedto
create her own business.She grew up
and black cuff bracelets from H&M,
I'm responsible for all my staff here
is warm and welcoming as she takes
and for making sure that everything
household, the first in her family to
be born in the United States.Her par-
at hand this warm morning. Lonstein
Gruss,wearing a blaclq short-sleeved
lifestyles
magazine
in New York City in a Reform Jewish
WINTER
2OO8
39
ents were children of the Holocaust:
her mom was born in a displaced
made, and then shopped it around.
After struggling for a year and a half,
persons'camp,and her dad in awork
'My
camp.
father's family was captured by the Russians,and my mom's
her father, who is among her great-
family hid in the forest. Such crazy,
crazy stories they havej' she says.
She attended the Nightingale-Bam-
est supporters; stepped up to help
her financially-and
she was able to
rent space in a group showroom. Her
professional life changed irrevocably
when the Bloomingdalet fashion di-
ford School, an all-girls institution in
Manhattan, where she indulged in her
rector came by to seeanother design-
love ofathletics. As her body changed
Gruss's.The store placed a $30,000or-
from a girl's to a curvaceous woman's,
der and the Shoshanna label sold 48
dressesits first day out.
she found it increasingly difficult to
find clothing that fit and looked good
on her. She and her mother often resorted to creatively adjusting straps
and moving buttons to fix the fit. "No
one was addressing girls like me, and
er's wares and was drawn to Lonstein
Dresses remain Lonstein Gruss's
passion, especially strapless and resort
"Resort
wear dresses.
is where I started.
Itt not a typical seasonto launch a line
in, but I m a beach girl. I love to be bare-
I think it can be very damaging to a
young woman to feel that there isnt
foot-you'd lcrow that if you saw the
bottoms of myfeet!" she says,laughing.
clothing meant for her, that her body
is wrongl'
Shes inspired by fashion icons Carolina
Herrera and Oscar de la Renta, as well
Later, while studying art history and
art design at the Universiff of California
Iives.
at Los Angeles, Lonstein Gruss took a
job at aWestLA dressboutique; upon
borhood to the next and be in a completely other world. And you can see
returning to New York alter graduation,
every kind of person and be moved in
differentwaysi'
she served a stint at alingerie factoryshe learned about pattern design, fabric sourcing and construction there,
and the seed for her future in fashion
was firmlyplanted.
"\A/hen
I came back home. I started
interviewing for banking jobs, but my
gut told me that wouldn't be right for
me. One day I was watching a fashion
as by the city in which she works and
"Here
you can go from one neigh-
LONSTEIN GRUSSHAS BEEN MARried to investment analyst Joshua
Gruss since 2003. They met as children and reconnected as adults at a
mutual friendt party; they were engaged six weeks later and were married ayear and a half afterward. Their
show on E! and thought that some of
the designs coutd be made for girls
like me, but they just werent offered.
honel'rnoon was put on hold after
Grussgot called for active duty during
My heart started beating, and that
was the moment when I knew I could
the Coast Guard reserves aft,er 9lll.
below the poverty line.
"Giving
back is something my parents instilled in me, and I worry about
Community service is a staple for the
couple: Lonstein Gruss is a member
people. There's nothing worse than
cancer, and I ve always felt strongly
of Memorial Sloan-Kettering's Asso-
about helping seniorsj' she remarks,
her eyessuddenly welling with tears.
do thisi'she says.
Learning from her time in retail
that it was possible to do small runs
on a small budget, she made some
samples at the lingerie house, utilized her contacts to get the clothing
WINTER
2OO8
Operation Iraqi Freedom-he joined
ciates Committee, which hepls with
hospital fundraising, and she is a major supporter ofthe Blue Card, a foundation for Holocaust survivors living
lifestyles
magazine
Balancing her personal and professional life has become a new kind of
juggling act for her since she hopped
on the mommy track
"I
worked much harder at the be-
ginning, and I also played much harder. Now I'm making
matzah with my daughter and going with her to ballet on
Tuesday mornings. My company has grown with me or-
is she much wiser about her chosen vocation, but she is
"\Mhat
I know now
also more confident and self-reliant.
and what I knew then-it's like two different people. You
ganically,and my stafflets me be the kind of mother I want
have to learn to play the game.It's not purely about the art;
"I
it's a businessj' she emphasizes. think that if you wake
to bel' saysLonstein Gruss,who would like to have another
"We
support one another and I couldnt be
child someday.
up feeling excited and accomplished and you want to keep
moving forward, that's the tlpe of successI ve achieved.
more proud of theml'
Right now, life couldnt be better. I know people who have
conquered the world, but they're not happy, they're still
The Shoshanna label will celebrate its 10th anniversary
this November, and Lonstein Gruss believes that not only
lifestyles
lookingi'l.M
magazine
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43