Leah Shlaer

From the designer & co-founder of Shlaer Swim & Lezard Swim comes her newest journey; a namesake brand of signature bodysuits, swimwear, and lingerie launching for 2017. Each piece is proudly designed and manufactured at top factories in Los Angeles. Born and raised amidst the beauty and wildness of Santa Fe, NM and ever inspired by her current home of Los Angeles, designer Leah Shlaer's designs are a hybrid of influences: a bohemian upbringing in New Mexico filled with the esthetics of painters & artists, punk bands, skaters, vibrant Native American and Spanish culture, and a love of all things beautiful. She also spent years studying Classical & Modern Dance & later Performance Art in NYC.

Creative Director / Founder - Design full collection - Art Direction - Direct Liaison with Branding, PR, Media, Website, and Look books - Sourcing & design direction for custom prints, fabric selections & custom trims - Oversee Production & delivery - Day to day operations - Trade shows

A luxury boutique swimwear and lingerie label designed and produced in downtown Los Angeles. Originally from Santa Fe NM, Leah Shlaer designs are rooted by the wildness & beauty of her birthplace, as well as her love of NYC, Paris, and Los Angeles. She is also influenced by 60s & 70s St Tropez, visual art, and a love of nature and people. The designs mix classic lines with a covetable sensuality, perfect for those who revel in or wish to discover their own unique beauty.

February 2008- October 2010 Yellowman NYC - conceived, designed, and produced first samples of swimwear collection for owner Peter Mui - One-piece from the 8 piece collection landed a full page in Sports Illustrated Swim 2009 Issue - First time designing swimwear - See photo below of design in Sports Illustrated Swim 2008- 2009 Freelance Design & Consultation at Quick Creations Inc. Los Angeles Worked with multiple brands such as Freedom of Troy, Ed Hardy, Christian Audigier, Trumanity, A&G, and various brand development and private label - worked one on one with graphic artists team for design direction - oversaw screen printing and washes for t-shirt and knit (samples & production) - direct liaison with pattern makers & sample room -direct liaison with sewing manger on sample sewing, stitches, construction, and quality control - worked closely with sales team, production manager, and owner to assist with production timeline - created style boards & design projections through vintage shopping, pop culture, internet research - stayed up to date on all trends, fashion shows, forecasting, and fashion icon & history research Freelance Consultant 2009- 2011 for: Smash Label (freelance designs) Katherine Story (production & branding consultation) Tooba Handbags (design & inspiration consultation) Romeo & Juliet Couture (design inspiration & consultation) Private Label Manufacturer ( consultation on branding & design direction) - reported & worked directly with company owners on all projects - consultation on branding, prints, design inspiration, and trend analysis - created design inspiration sheets, brand development, advised on print development - stayed up to date on all trends, fashion shows, forecasting, and fashion icon & history research

Worked under Creative Director Philip Sitbon to create launch of women's 40 piece collection - Oversaw all creative design/direction & merchandizing for line including t-shirts, tops, hoodies, woven shirt, pants, shorts, and knit casual dresses - Acted as direct liaison overseeing assistants, pattern makers, sampling, dye-house, embroidery, graphic art direction, label design, hangtag, and fabric selection - Prepared weekly update reports, tracked all samples from start to finish, & conferred in daily meeting with Creative Director Philip Sitbon - Women's line was picked up on the spot by Nieman Marcus & Saks 5th Ave

Worked directly with owner starting as Intern and within one year Head Designer - Oversaw domestic knits collection from start to finish out of downtown Los Angeles - Entirely self taught - Advised & liaisoned with NYC offices for overseas designs - Created 60+ piece collections 4 times a year - Attended all shows including Coterie, Intermezzo, & Project in NY, Las Vegas, & LA Market - Created story boards, drawings, and inspiration boards for each collection - Tracked all samples from start to finish - Worked directly with graphic designers, pattern-makers, dye-houses, screen printers, & sewers - Chose all fabrics, trims, colors, and assisted with merchandizing - Revamped branding, label, hangtag, and overall design direction - Collection carried by Fred Segal, Madison LA, & Saks Fifth Ave among others - Responsible for introducing leggings in 2004; two season later was labels #1 best seller