M.M. LaFleur relaunches program loaning clothes to women running for office
M.M. LaFleur wants to help female candidates dress for success on the campaign trail.
The direct-to-consumer womenswear brand — founded on the belief that when women succeed, the world becomes a better place – announced the relaunch of its “Ready to Run” clothing loan program to support women running for public office. More than 1,000 women applied to the program when M.M.LaFleur debuted it in 2020, and the company successfully lent clothes to over 275 women who ran for various positions — from City Council to Congress. Of the participants, 183 of the 275 candidates got their names on the ballots on November 3rd.
While clothing alone won't move the needle, M.M.LaFleur believes that access to high-quality professional clothing shouldn't be a barrier to better representation of women in public office and is committed to making polished yet comfortable clothing more accessible. This year, in addition to the clothing loan program, M.M.LaFleur is adding “Style Strategists,” to provide more personalized, styling support.
When candidates submit their campaign trail schedule, they'll be matched with a M.M. LaFleur in-house stylist to help plan outfits for their engagements and events. The brand has curated a “Ready to Run” selection of popular, campaign-trail-appropriate items.
Female candidates apply on the brand's website. Once their credentials have been approved, they'll receive three clothing items. After the election, they are encouraged to donate the clothing items to Bottomless Closet, a nonprofit that empowers New York City women in need to enter the workforce and achieve success.
“When we first launched 'Ready to Run,' I was shocked to hear from candidates just how hard it is to get ready for the campaign trail," said Sarah LaFleur, CEO and founder of M.M.LaFleur. "We had a woman who was a firefighter and a mom of four share with us, 'I can't even begin to tell you how stressful the 'how to dress' piece of running for office has been.' Our goal is to take the guesswork out of getting dressed when running for office so that candidates can focus on what actually matters: getting their message across."
Founded in 2013 by LaFleur, a former management consultant, and Miyako Nakamura, the former head designer of Zac Posen, M.M.LaFleur is a New York-based fashion brand known for clothing that transitions seamlessly from work to life. In addition to its e-commerce site, the company operates a handful of brick-and-mortar showrooms, including three in New York City.
M.M. LaFleur donates 10% of its profits every year to organizations focused on gender equality, such as Bottomless Closet, The Girl Scouts and The International Rescue Committee.