( ENSPIRE She Did That ) Body by LaRen Has Gained Mass Recognition for Offering Unique Clothing For All Body Types
ENSPIRE Contributor: Elizabeth Duchan
Erie LaRen is fulfilling her lifelong dreams through empowering others. The Brooklyn native developed an immense interest in fashion from the age of 13, when she began designing her own clothing with the guidance of her seamstress aunt. After years of being an ultrasound tech, LaRen chose to overcome her personal fears and thereafter rerouted her life with her clothing brand, Body by LaRen, which focuses on providing high fashion to women of all body types.
LaRen’s business initiative stems from her own difficulty in finding clothes that fit her unique shape. Noting particularly the void in tailored, individualized pieces in the garment industry, LaRen dedicated her brand to providing clothes that fit the specific needs of her customers. Ranging from gowns and tops to bikinis and shapewear, the custom pieces are meant to compliment women with curvy, yet not necessarily plus-sized, bodies. With vivid colors and prints, the clothes are designed to hug their wearers in all of the right places and, in doing so, inspire confidence and body positivity.
Although founded less than two years, Body by LaRen has gained mass recognition and reached a prestigious audience. LaRen has styled a wide range of artists and influencers, including Hennessy Carolina, the younger sister of Cardi B, R&B singer Jhonni Blaze, and famous YouTuber GlamazonTay. LaRen was also the recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award under City Council Member Farah Louis, and her clothing has made appearances on The Wendy Williams Show and Married to Medicine.
As a black business owner who worked her way up from the bottom, LaRen offers her pearls of wisdom to fellow minorities looking to build their own companies. Her website pushstartthefirm.com features advice to help entrepreneurs jump-start their brands, with books such as “Frantic and Frustrated Workbook” detailing LaRen’s successes and mistakes in the industry. Her low-cost resources, consultation services, and frequent food and toy drives all feed into LaRen’s long term vision of helping people navigate their own journeys through her support.
With the slew of obstacles that comes with being a business owner during the pandemic, LaRen has pushed back her newest clothing collection and is reinventing herself through virtual styling. Throughout the quarantine period, she has also allocated her resources to producing and donating masks to essential workers. Adapting to the ever-changing times, LaRen looks forward to the growth of her business in the coming years and the invaluable experiences that will undoubtedly come with it.
