V
eronica Miele Beard and Veronica Swanson Beard are the founders and co-CEOs of Veronica Beard. They are also sisters-in-law who are married to brothers and they have become the it girls in fashion today. 10 years after launching their iconic brand with their signature Dickey Jacket, a twist on the classic blazer, and one of their best selling pieces, the brand continues to be coveted and has been worn by Michelle Obama,Gwyneth Paltrow and Meghan Markle. They are mothers (8children between them) entrepreneurs, sisters and friends with the motto Look good, feel good, and do what you love. With 9 stores and two opening this summer in Nantucket and Greenwich, CT. the Veronicas share how they balance their family life and fashion empire.
HOW DID VERONICA BEARD COME TO BE?
VSB:
After leaving our careers in finance and fashion to raise our families we found ourselves at family gatherings talking about our new favorite designers, must-have piece and styling tricks. We both quickly realized there was a void in the market for clothing that you could live in. We set out to change that and create the perfect uniform for women: elevated, sexy and chic.
WHAT WAS THE INITIAL INSPIRATION FOR THE VERONICA BEARD LINE?
VMB:
There are a lot of inspirations, but I was just describing the scene in “Top Gun” when Kelly McGillis walks down the isle in the pencil skirt and bomber jacket. She turns around, wind in her hair and all the guys gasp! The inspiration of the VB woman is a badass powerful woman who is gorgeous and confident all at the same time!
WHERE DID THE IDEA FOR THE DICKEY JACKET COME FROM?
VSB:
We knew there were other women out there like us, who wanted a chic answer to everyday dressing and layering without the bulk. When we launched in 2010, we focused on perfecting the jacket, then we started creating the pieces that we were on the hunt for—a chic top, a cool pair of jeans, and it just grew organically from there.
WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THE GROWTH OF THE COMPANY TO?
VSB:
We are our customer and we know what she wants, needs and loves. We have expanded slowly into other categories over the years, which has helped us grow our brand awareness organically. We launched extended sizing last year and we introduced our first line of swimwear and coverups in December.
HAS YOUR BUSINESS MODEL CHANGED SINCE THE PANDEMIC?
VMB:
We were traveling on a regular basis to meet our customers and partners around the globe, but after the pandemic hit, we shifted to a more virtual model. We still want to meet our customer in her hometown, but we’re doing it through Zoom and on our social channels, engaging with her virtually while still finding out what she likes from us and what she wants to see from us in the future.
HOW DO YOU EACH BALANCE WORK/LIFE/FAMILY?
VMB:
I thrive in chaos and love a challenge. Our business is also a family business so the lines are always crossing. It’s so great that there are 2 of us so we can cover for each other and respect our home/work lives.
VSB:
It’s great that our children see how hard we work and how passionate we are about our business. We also value our time with them because nowadays, work happens everywhere and it’s important to find a balance between the two by separating family time from work hours.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST LESSONS YOU HAVE LEARNED IN GROWING THE COMPANY? AND WHAT WERE YOUR BIGGEST SETBACKS?
VMB:
Truly understanding our customer and building one by one. Never build the stadium before you have the fans!
VSB:
To have more patience and to focus on what we’re doing, not on what others are doing. Your biggest failures can become your greatest successes. You need to be patient with yourself and recognize setbacks as part of the growth process and not as failures.
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A LIFESTYLE BRAND?
VMB:
Our goal is to provide feminine and effortless clothing that she can live in and that resonates with her lifestyle. We put a great deal of time into creating a curated selection of products that our customers will fall in love with, including occasion dressing, jeans, shoes, swimwear, coverups and third-party product.
WHEN DESIGNING DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC FICTITIOUS PERSON OR IMAGE IN MIND? WHO IS SHE?
VMB:
I love inspiring icons of the past and we refer to them all the time when designing or styling.
VSB:
We believe our greatest advantage is that we are women designing for women everywhere! We love designing pieces that she lives her life in, making it easy for her to get dressed regardless of the occasion, her age, stage in life or profession.
