Meet the Sister-in-Law Duo Behind Veronica Beard
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
Veronica Miele Beard and Veronica Swanson Beard are sisters by marriage and partners by choice.
Garnering the catchy nickname “The Veronicas,” the pair founded the Veronica Beard brand in 2010, which will soon open its sixth store this spring at Palisades Village on April 5.
“As sisters-in-law, the business is family and the home is family—and we couldn’t ask for anything more,” the Veronicas explained to the Palisadian-Post ahead of the store opening. “We feel so lucky that we have each other because we would not be where we are today if there weren’t two of us. Our two perspectives are what make this brand so unique and genuine and while we don’t always agree on every minute decision or design detail, we are always aligned on the big picture and having each other makes our successes that much more rewarding.”
Veronica Swanson Beard described her style as cool, classic and chic, while Veronica Miele Beard said hers is more eclectic and edgy, with a touch of rock ‘n’ roll.
The two were inspired to launch the brand after leaving careers in finance and fashion to raise their families—Veronica Swanson Beard has three children and Veronica Miele Beard has five.
“We found ourselves at family gatherings talking about our new favorite designers, must-have piece and styling tricks,” the Veronicas explained. “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. When we launched in 2010, we focused on perfecting the jacket and from there, 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.”
Insert the Dickey Jacket—the piece that started it all. Even today, the various styles of the jacket account for 30 percent of the brand’s ready-to-wear sales.
The Veronicas are now focused on expanding their jeans business, launched in 2017, as well as their shoe business.
“We’re focused on retail expansion as part of our growth strategy and after opening on Melrose a year ago, Palisades Village feels like a natural next step for us,” the two explained. “We have a strong customer base here and we’re excited to continue offering her a layered shopping experience where she can immerse herself in the world of Veronica Beard.”
Palisades Village will be Veronica Beard’s second Los Angeles store, following a location on Melrose.
“We have a strong customer base here and because this is our second LA store,” the Veronicas explained. “We’re excited to create a space that’s different from our Melrose location and more in line with the beachy vibe of the area. It’s such a different feel.”
The two shared plans to open a third California store in a few months, as well as additional stores later in the year. Other locations include New York and Texas.
“It’s an exciting period of growth for the brand,” they shared.
And, for the first time ever, Veronica Beard is offering extended sizes.
“We just launched extended sizing for spring 2019, so we now carry sizes 00 through 24,” the Veronicas said. “This is a project we’ve been working on for a long time because it’s important for us to be able to offer the brand to more women who want to wear it.”
The full range of sizes will be available at the Palisades Village store—marking the first store in the development to offer inclusive sizing.
Other things coming up include more collaborations for May and June, including a second activewear collection with Bandier and a summer collaboration with Kassatex, which will be available online and in all Veronica Beard stores.
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