The 8 Ball: Alejandra Echeverria of Frances de Lourdes
In conversation with Alejandra Echeverria, Founder of Frances de Lourdes, a line of laid back elegance built on the foundation of a classic tee and tank. Think luxe cashmere silk and cotton cashmere basics. Frances de Lourdes is available exclusively at our Newton Highlands shop. Please contact us for more information.
The perfect tee according to you?
Ours! Super soft with an easy fit and made in fabrics and cuts that elevate it to a more elegant and sensual version of something familiar. I always come back to our Johnny tee.
Let’s talk more about fabric when it comes to the perfect tee. How will fit and feel differentiate between a tee like the Sadie (an organic cotton rib) and the Johnny (a blend of cotton and cashmere)? Just using these two styles as examples as we have them at the shop.
The fabrics we use are really important to the collection, the way they feel against our skin, the way they move as we go through the day. When I created our first tees I wanted something that felt special and elevated compared to what was out there. The comfort of my favorite vintage tees but in a way that looked more put-together and luxurious, the fabric and fit is how we achieved this.
Our cashmere/silk and cotton/cashmere fabrics are lighter-weight, very soft and sensual. We use these in both our more oversized Johnny tee and a fitted style like our long sleeve Romy tee. Our organic cotton is also very soft but is more substantial, great for styles like the Sadie tee where we want something more structured. They both create an elevated look but just have a different feel on the body.
Why is ‘the tee’ so important to a wardrobe? It’s an essential and a foundation piece in my opinion.
Absolutely. It’s so easy, versatile and ultimately comfortable. I think comfort is why most of us keep reaching for tees when getting dressed.
Frances de Lourdes is for women-in-the-know. When you first started designing, did you look at certain women for inspiration? I’m personally thinking about photos of Jane Birkin in the 70’s wearing a white tee and jeans or a white tank and jeans.
I definitely think first and foremost about pieces I’m personally wanting or how the women around me are dressing and putting things together. But there are a handful of women I always look to for inspiration, for the mood of the collection and the way they've styled and carried themselves - Charlotte Rampling, Jane Birkin, Lauren Hutton, and a few others. It’s very exciting that a few of them have become customers of ours now! Image below: Jane Birkin.
What are you wearing when you feel your best?
Soft fabrics that I can move around in easily. Pieces that feel special and have a laid-back elegance. I like to be able to go about my day without my clothes getting in the way of what I need to do.
How Frances de Lourdes got its name?
The name Frances de Lourdes is a combination of my mother’s and father’s middle names.
Can you tell us a little about your fashion background and how you’ve ended up where you are now?
I was interested in designing clothes from a young age and started working in whatever capacity I could - at a clothing shop, interning for young and established designers. I went to Parsons for university and immediately began working as a designer here in NY.
After leaving my last full time job I started making clothes for myself, partly as an exercise in thinking about what I really wanted to wear after designing into other brands for so long. One of the pieces I made was the Johnny tee.
I was happy to discover others wanted it also and decided to launch a small collection of tees and tanks. From there we’ve slowly grown the collection to include other pieces but it always comes back to our tees and pieces that provide a similar ease, comfort and versatility.
How you would style a tee or tank casually and how you would style a tee/tank dressed up?
Part of the beauty of our collection is you can wear the same tee and pant combination both casually and dressed up, they are meant to work easily for both.
For a more casual look I might layer one of our button-downs over top or wear the tee with jeans.To dress it up I would tuck in the top, change into a heel and add a nice piece of jewelry. I love to wear our tees with trousers. Maybe add a blazer or cardigan depending on where I’m going.
Frances de Lourdes is available exclusively at our Newton Highlands shop.
