Stretching Out in the Body Shop
The designer: SHE is designed by Sheri Bodell, 31. Born in Salt Lake City, Sheri started her career there as a buyer at Nordstrom. Three years later, in 1989, the company promoted her and moved her to Los Angeles.
The local history: “I grew up in Salt Lake City, and there’s not a lot to do for a living there. Let’s face it, working for Nordstrom is glamorous in Utah. So I was learning the ropes as a buyer, learning about the customer and the product and learning how to merchandise.” Six months after arriving in L.A., Sheri was hired away from Nordstrom by manufacturer Jonathan Martin as a merchandiser for its fashion-forward dress line “Arrested.” A year later, she got her chance to design and soon began turning out three different lines and learning how to think (and act) globally about producing clothes.
“I’ve always had very high goals for myself. I always knew that I wanted to design and eventually have my own business. You have to know that you can do it and not give up.” After six years at Jonathan Martin, Sheri went to work for Ira Rosenberg, designing his junior division, “City Triangles.” After a month, he saw Sheri’s potential and they decided to start fresh with SHE.
“He believed in me immediately. This is the first time I’ve been able to start something from scratch and let it reflect me.”
The goods: SHE is known for its ambitious fabric mixes. Using fabrics she finds in France, Italy and Spain, Bodell adds the sophisticated beaded and embroidered embellishments that made the line such a hit in this year’s spring collections shows in Europe. The yarns for SHE knits come from Italy, as do the leather and suede. Although some production is done in China and Hong Kong, most of the line is sewn in L.A.
SHE stretch fabrics and knits hug the body for sexy day-into-evening looks. Silk chiffon, matte jersey, laces and burnouts are fashioned into body-conscious separates that can be mixed in a variety of ways. “I might pair a funky, hairy yarn sweater with an evening gown, for example.”
Retail prices start at $120 for a camisole, $180 for pants, $320 for a jacket and $398 for a fake fur coat.
The customer: “My clothes reflect the modern ‘90s woman. She wants to look sexy and wants to show her body. She also wants to look ageless. Any woman from 25 to 60 can wear my clothes--if she has the figure for it. You don’t have to be an anorexic to wear my clothes; in fact, you have to be shapely.”
The inspiration: “My own lifestyle is my inspiration. [The clothes reflect] how I feel about my life, how I buy my clothing and the L.A. lifestyle.”
The stores: Fred Segal, Melrose and Santa Monica; Nicole, Sunset Plaza, L.A.; Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, nationwide; the Macy’s store at the Beverly Center.
The Last word: “I’m really proud to be a California designer. I think there’s a lot of talent and a lot of good ideas here. California designers are the future.”
Photographed at the Argyle, Los Angeles
