MM.LaFleur Offers Women Stylish Workwear In A Hectic World

Sarah LaFleur says her mission is to rid the world of “frump pantsuits” and replace them with “beautiful, elegant work-appropriate dresses.”

LaFleur is a veteran of the private equity world. She once worked in Paris and New York managing a luxury brand portfolio. She has also worked in South Africa studying how business and agriculture work together in the world.

Five years ago, she founded New York-based MM.LaFleur, a start-up that caters to professional women who don’t have time to shop but want to dress with style.

As founder and CEO of the company, LaFleur wanted to create something special for professional women to feel empowered yet stylish. When she was working in private equity, she was still facing a wardrobe of basic bland colors and styles for her work attire; she knew she could create clothing that was functional and fashionable.

“When we launched MM.LaFleur in 2013, we made it our goal to help professional women harness the power of self-presentation—and to rethink the shopping process altogether,” LaFleur said. “Not only do we design our collection in house (led by our brilliant creative director and co-founder Miyako Nakamura), but we integrate personal styling into the shopping experience. This allows us to offer luxury clothing that is practically and thoughtfully designed at a direct-to-consumer price point.”

Her customers are lawyers, congresswomen, financial professionals and top executives who aren’t set to a 9 to 5 schedule. “If there’s one thing that defines the MM.LaFleur customer,” she says, “it’s that her most precious commodity is time. That’s where our personal stylists come in.”

In 2014, wealth management advisor Danie McHugh of Summit Trail Advisors discovered MM.LaFleur and has been a supporter and customer. She appreciates that she can order online and get one of the firm’s “Bento Boxes” of clothing and accessories shipped to her directly. McHugh says her favorite piece is the Toi dress (seen in the picture is the Nisa dress).

“Our value to the customer really is threefold,” LaFleur says. “Luxury workwear that is both practical and elegant, complimentary personal-styling (available online and off), and content that resonates with the multidimensional woman of purpose. All three pillars allow us to uniquely address the needs of professional women in a nuanced way.”

Customers can book an hour-long appointment in select cities with a stylist who will put together looks from the collection. They can take home what they like, then update their wardrobes by ordering online, keeping only what they like, and returning what they don’t. Stylists are always available to answer questions or advice on styling and fit through the e-commerce site.

Nakamura, the company’s co-founder and creative director, was previously the head designer at Zac Posen before coming to MM.LaFleur. LaFleur says, “Her expertise has made all the difference in our designs. She engineers clothes that complement a woman’s shape so beautifully. Before I met her, I had never seen any workwear brand accomplish that. One of the hallmarks of her designs is that she designs in 3-D, using inventive draping techniques to celebrate women’s best features.”