Welcome to the Good Life
Lacey Horning, like the majority of sane people, realizes the ridiculousness of the $75 T-shirt -- despite the fact that she designs them.
“I get it,” says Horning, 26, whose Merritt Charles line of contemporary women’s sportswear hits stores this week. “But you have to look at the materials. And you have to ask yourself if this is something that you’re going to wear for a season or keep forever.”
With basic tank tops made from imported silk, cashmere blended sweatshirts and a slight disdain for jersey, Horning is banking on the latter.
Merritt sweater, $135. merrittcharles.com
Such fabrics may seem over-the-top for everyday, oft abused errand gear that can be grabbed during a toilet paper run at Target. But Horning is out to change the face of closet staples, one thin gold button and spool of French-milled terry cloth at a time. And as a member of one of Orange County’s most well known real estate empires (brother Chad, CEO of commercial real estate investment house Chase Merritt, has overseen a property portfolio worth $650 million since 2005; father Chuck holds a majority stake in Colorado’s Telluride Ski and Golf resort), the girl knows her luxury.
The brand, modeled after Horning’s well-heeled Newport Beach upbringing, includes a drapey, racer-back tank top dubbed “Summerly” (after Horning’s older sister) and “Merritt,” an oversized rugby sweater with extra long sleeves to emulate those of a boyfriend’s. The pieces are crafted with versatility in mind; designed to flit from the beach to cobb salad at the club to mid-day shoe shopping to waltzing past the velvet rope with nary a change of earrings.
The easy, breezy Merritt Charles aesthetic can perhaps best be seen in a video posted on the brand’s Facebook page which features Horning and her posse sipping champagne and sunbathing at Bing Crosby’s onetime estate in Palm Desert (a property now owned by her father).
But beyond the sunshine and flute clinks lies a determined businesswoman in the making. After graduating from the University of San Diego in 2006, Horning took two classes at Otis College of Design before landing an internship with West Hollywood-based handbag designer Marc Marmel.
Summerly tank top, $87. merrittcharles.com
“I didn’t even know what a sample was,” Horning says of her apparel industry skill set (or lack thereof) upon arriving at Marmel’s shop. “I only knew real estate.”
After a year learning about samples, purchase orders and the art of peddling high-end products to a niche market, Horning was ready for a change of pace. While scoping out opportunities at other SoCal-based apparel brands including Ella Moss, the sun kissed blonde decided that she wanted to be the one signing the checks. So she called the California Market Center, the downtown L.A. home to hundreds of wholesale apparel showrooms, and asked the operator how to start a clothing line.
“The woman thought I was crazy,” Horning says. “Everyone thought I was crazy. Every single person told me not to do this. That I didn’t have enough experience and that I would fail.”
Six months after its start, Merritt Charles is being carried in eleven stores across the globe (including Fred Segal Santa Monica). And according to Horning, a Barney’s bigwig recently requested samples. This time, she knew what the word meant.
While Horning hopes to grow her line -- which ranges from $75 for a pocket tee to $295 for a cotton cashmere sweater – into an empire of upmarket, wearable basics for man, woman and child, she also has plans of launching a non-profit foundation to assist other budding business owners in financing the finer points that come with hanging a shingle.
“Even if I can help someone launch their Twitter page or introduce them to the right people, every little thing counts when you’re starting out.”