Suzanne Lay grew up and put childish things aside. Then she picked them up again.
By Katie Pelech
Photograph by Mark Gilliland
Imagine if we all crafted careers from the hobbies of our 8-year-old selves. Sure, there’d be no shortage of dump-truck drivers and paleontologists, but the accounting industry would take a hit. Alas, few of us are fortunate enough to live out our childhood passions as adults.
Suzanne Lay worked in technical design for May Department Stores, in the Lord & Taylor division, for five years—a clear outgrowth of her little-girl love of lush fabrics and swirling skirts, but hardly her fantasy job. However, when the 2005 merger between May and Federated Department Stores threatened to force a move from her home city, she seized the opportunity to pursue her fashion interests in their purest form. Dream deferred no longer, she hunkered down in a room full of fabric and, equipped with a sewing machine and a radio, became a fashion designer.
ESSL, Lay’s clothing line, debuted in the summer of 2006. “ESSL is sexy, fun and flirty,” she explains. “I like to display a woman’s body, but I don’t want to expose it.” With their flowing layers and forgiving lines, ESSL designs have become a hit with models on both coasts seeking party attire sure to photograph well and flatter fromevery angle.
“Some of these girls do the Maxim and FHM parties. They’re party dresses, dresses you want to be seen in and have fun in. They’re ‘I want to be pretty’ dresses,” says Lay.
However, it’s unlikely that any of Lay’s customers are having half as much fun as she is, even though she often stays up working until the wee hours of the morning, only to rise at dawn with her husband and 3-year-old daughter.
“I love every second of it,” Lay says. “I just wish I had more time. I wish that 24-hour days were 48-hour days so that I could work all I wanted and take care of my family—but somehow I’m good.” She grins at her own audacious claim. “Even last-minute projects, even if I’m completely stressed out, I’m still loving every second.”
ESSL | esslinstl.com
