Jessie Randall

By Jen Smith
June 14, 2010

“Being a mom is the most important thing in the world to me,” says Jessie Randall, the creative force behind Loeffler Randall, a fashion line with a devoted Uptown/Downtown following since its launch in 2004. The laid-back mother of twin boys (who turn three this month) with husband and business partner Brian Murphy somehow manages to effortlessly combine mothering with designing while still managing to carve out time to blog about her creative process and…to hand-stitch quilts. TIS sat down with Jessie recently after the launch of her company’s e-commerce site. She talked about growing up in a family of crafters and what she's already coveting from the Loeffler Randall fall line.

The Inside Source: It is amazing how much you accomplish! Can you give us a glimpse into your creative life?

Jessie Randall: With my life these days being as busy as it is, I am most inspired by the things I get to do that are creative and fun but have no pressure associated with them. Things like designing t-shirts for favors for the boys’ birthday or thinking about taking an embroidery class at Purl. So much of my life now is about being a mom….I am inspired by things I never was before—like the color palette of one of the boys’ children’s books.

TIS: We read somewhere that your grandmother was a big influence.

JR: My grandmother was very chic. She had a definite personal style—very simple, very wearable but it made an impression. The other day I was just thinking about her in the spring wearing a bright cashmere sweater and her tiny feet in a pair of Keds—with her perfectly white hair. She was glamorous to me because she did all the things my mom didn’t want me to do like watch soap operas (she was in love with Patch from General Hospital), paint her toe nails, and gossip. She was fun!

TIS: So is your grandmother the one who got you into crafting?

JR: She was a great knitter. She did try to teach me to knit, which was a challenge because I am left handed, and it was hard for all the right “handers” in my family to teach me. (I eventually learned.) One of my favorite stories about her is that she once knit three sleeves on a sweater while distractedly watching the McCarthy hearings on TV!

My mom is also an amazing crafter….she can sew and knit so beautifully. My dad is very creative too, and I think that shaped my outlook. He made us kids all sorts of things like a teepee and a soapbox racing cart and these beautiful Easter eggs. He’s the one who taught me how to improvise. He once assembled a sofa for me with a fork because we couldn’t find a screwdriver! Come to think of it, I come from a long line of makers—people who were passionate about making beautiful things in a creative way. My grandfather Torgersen had a little company called Torgy Toys where he would make hand carved wooden toys.

TIS: What a lovely heritage, Jessie. We hear that you grew up in Worcester, MA?

JR: Worcester is not a fashion hub by any means! I always dreamed of growing up somewhere else like California. In the end, it was a wonderful place to grow up because some of my closest friends in the world are my friends from kindergarten. We had such a creative, talented group—we’ve got a pastry chef, a Broadway choreographer, an architect, an artist, a designer (ha!)—all in our group of girls from Flagg Street School. The other thing that Worcester gave me was a lot of drive and ambition because I knew early on that I wanted to get out of that town (as much as I love to visit it now).

TIS: The start of your company began with a shoe. When did your obsession begin? Was there a pivotal moment?

JR: Yes. My favorite time of the year was when my mom would take me to the shoe store in town to buy party shoes—the fancy shoes I would wear to all the birthday parties and holidays that year. I remember the smell of that store, the leather smell, and I just loved it. That was the beginning of my love of shoes, and they have always been my favorite thing!

TIS: We love that you design what you wear/wear what you design. Are there some shoes you are coveting at the moment?

JR: I am waiting patiently for our Pre-Fall Parker bootie. It is half open and strappy and half closed. I can’t wait to get it in a few weeks!

Spaghetti Bodice Dress $450; Parker Strappy Sandal Bootie $675

TIS: On a recent posting on the Loeffler Randall blog, you mention www.the selby.com as a "permanent bookmark." We hear one of your latest works in progress is your Park Slope home….

JR: Our house is definitely evolving—we have toddlers! Everything has to be baby proofed at the moment so that’s not the most exciting! I’ve tried to work within that limitation by choosing beautiful foil wallpaper for select walls in the house or recovering some vintage chairs I bought on eBay in great fabric—little things to give the house some charm before I can decorate the house the way I want to! I love Liam and Casper’s room because it’s like a little diorama that I can play with by putting in various scenes for holidays or the different seasons. We have a very hectic life and so I want the house to be very soothing. My husband is a bit OCD (!) and can’t have any clutter. It’s actually nice that way—it makes for a spare, clean space. For my bedroom, I wanted it to feel like a hotel suite…. simple and comforting. My bedroom and the boys’ bedroom and bathroom are my favorite rooms in the house. The other rooms need more attention, but we’ll get there!

TIS: We see you chose Liberty quilting squares as one of the things you would buy on eBay. Is hand work relaxing to you?

JR: Having two babies at once and also having the company was a lot to adjust to. I finally started getting back to doing some crafting recently, and one of my friends remarked that it was such a good sign—that I was finally taking some time for myself. Working creatively in a no-pressure space is what I love to do. I just wish I had more time to put towards it. My dream would be to have my own craft blog some day.

TIS: You and your husband Brian must have your hands full growing a business while raising very active twin boys. What do you do to "get away from it all?"

JR: I’m not sure we ever do get away from it all, but we should! We need to work on that!!

Here are some of Loeffler's favorite eBay finds:

Roll over items for details

Set of 8 Danish Modern Dining Chairs Mid Century Leather

I recently bought a set of mid-century dining chairs similar to these on eBay in blonde wood then had them reupholstered in beautiful Romo fabric.

(buy it now price, $1,750)

NEW Liberty Tana Lawn-16 Different 6” Squares-Blue

I love making quilts and have always adored Liberty of London fabric. These squares are great—some of the best patterns. I would make a quilt for my boys with them.

(starting bid, $6.26)

NEW Foil Celtic Knot Cream Mustard Silver Wallpaper Vintage

I love vintage wallpaper, especially wallpaper with a little sparkle to it. I have foil paper in my house and vintage foil paper in our Loeffler Randall offices and showroom. It is unique and special.

(buy it now price, $49.99)

NEW Vintage Barbie Orange T-Strap Shoes Marked Japan

I love to look at vintage doll shoes on eBay. Doll shoes have such great proportions because of the pitch of a doll’s foot. They are amazing for inspiration.

(buy it now price, $11.99)

Royal Copenhagen-White Full Lace-7” Bread Plate

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes: Dubuse Heyward (buy it now price, $31.26) This is my favorite book from childhood about a mother bunny who against all odds gets asked to be one of the Easter Bunnies. It is a wonderful story featuring a magic pair of golden shoes.

(buy it now price, $49.95)

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes: Dubuse Heyward

This is my favorite book from childhood about a mother bunny who against all odds gets asked to be one of the Easter Bunnies. It is a wonderful story featuring a magic pair of golden shoes.

(buy it now price, $31.26)

IL Bisonte Natural Leather Satchel Shoulder Bag Purse

Il Bisonte is one of my favorite brands. They use beautiful vachetta leather that gets better and better with age. I have been looking for a great satchel handbag. This one is perfect!

(sold for price, $500)