An Interview with Liz Lange

Written By Michelle Emmick

Photograph @nickmelephotography

Picture this:

Stepping off the plane, a gentle breeze, the sun is shining, you are wearing a luxurious caftan. You take a deep breath and drop your shoulders. Ahh… Welcome to Palm Beach.

Born and raised on New York’s Upper Eastside, Liz Lange has found herself enjoying a more relaxed lifestyle in Florida. While she still enjoys the days of traveling to her favorite cities of Tokyo and London, spending summers at her infamous Grey Gardens Estate in East Hampton, or trips to Capri, it’s her home in the sunshine state that keeps this industry innovator frequently planted while she builds her latest venture. 

Liz Lange is the woman who single-handedly revolutionized maternity style.

She shares that her first love has always been fashion. A graduate of Brown University, where her daughter currently attends, Liz started her career working in editorial for Vogue. It was there that she met a struggling designer that gave her the opportunity to apprentice and where she got a crash course in fashion.

And while she may have been there to learn the business, it was her keen eye that quickly recognized an untapped market. “I had friends who were getting pregnant and women who were pregnant coming in for fittings. Two things stood out to me: 1) women were spending a lot of money on non-maternity clothes or maternity clothes they didn’t like, and 2) pregnant women looked much better in clothes that were sleek and fitted.” 

Believing that women could and should feel sexy and attractive throughout pregnancy, Liz shared her idea with the designer.

“He wasn’t interested, so I took it and ran with it. I was the classic entrepreneur story. I became obsessed with the idea, executed the plan, and it took off beyond wild expectations.”

Liz sold the company 10 years later as the largest maternity brand in the United States with flagships stores in Beverly Hills, Long Island, and NYC’s Madison Avenue. 

While Liz has been a speaker at countless business schools and surrounded by thought leaders from all over the world, she shares that it’s the business of doing business.

“You learn so much from just doing.” 

Only two years into building her brand, Liz was approached by Nike to design a collection, Liz Lange for Swoosh Maternity Athletic Apparel, followed by an 18-year partnership with Target as their exclusive in-store and online maternity clothing, Liz Lange for Target. 

Liz sold Liz Lange Maternity in 2007 to a private equity firm but remained the face of the brand’s uber-successful licensing deal with Target until 2018, and she was ready for a new project. In 2020, the self-described fashion lover jumped into a new venture, taking her good taste with her.

“I had been a fan of the brand Figue (the French spelling of fig). I was living in Palm Beach, wearing their beautiful and easy caftans, and heard the founder was winding down. I thought, ‘that’s my next opportunity!’”

Liz describes the clothing as glamorous and comfortable. 

Whether it’s maternity, athleisurewear, or a bright, beautiful caftan, Liz wears it well. Her lifestyle has created a place of balance when it comes to health and beauty. She says her days of working 24 hours are behind her. She keeps herself healthy by starting each day with a two-hour walk.

“I’m an early riser. I try and get in six miles a day. I turn on a great podcast and go.” Liz says she’s not afraid to indulge in the foods she loves and doesn’t obsess over every detail.

“I start and end my day, splashing water on my face. I love to keep my skin looking great. I don’t drink alcohol, and while I don’t hide from the sun, I don’t seek it out either. One of the things I learned from my mother’s, which is my happy place, is soaking in a hot bathtub. I really believe beauty is a calmness and being comfortable in your own skin.”

It looks like the sunshine state has provided her just that for both herself and her customers.  

Some of Liz’s Favorite Products & Brands

• Recherche PV50 
• Augustinus Bader
• Armani Neo Nude Foundation
• Thrive Cosmetic Eyeliner
• Clinique Lash Power 
• Cetaphil & Neutrogena Makeup Removing Wipes

You can find Liz at:

• @figuelove
• @lizlangeofficial

Check out the beautiful and comfortable clothes at www.figue.com