Jolie and Elizabeth, born over a pitcher of sweet tea and a messy shrimp po boy, is the creation of two young New Orleans fashion designers, Jolie Bensen and Sarah Elizabeth Dewey. Jolie was born and raised in New Orleans. After graduating from LSU, she quickly immersed herself in the fashion worlds of NY and LA, spending time at Betsey Johnson, BCBG Max Azria and Alice + Olivia, but soon realized that New Orleans was where she truly wanted to be. Sarah Elizabeth was born in New Orleans, but grew up in Dallas. After working in the Dallas fashion markets, she traded in her cowboy boots for shrimp boots and headed down to LSU for a degree in Fashion Merchandising and Business. The two met in the Big Apple while, as fate would have it, Sarah interned for Jolie at BCBG. In due time, the two realized that the street they were searching for was not Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive, but Desire.

Staying true to timeless southern style, the dresses of Jolie and Elizabeth surpass forced trends that overlook the purpose of a dress: to adorn or decorate; to render pleasing or attractive. Trends come and go, but a true Southern girl knows good style and good attitude go hand in hand. And there’s nothing more charmingly irresistible than that.

Jolie and Elizabeth is a contemporary women’s apparel company designed and manufactured in New Orleans, Louisiana. One of the only completely vertically integrated clothing companies in the South, their retailers span from Georgia to California, after only 1 year. Every garment is manufactured in New Orleans, complimented with a “Made in Louisiana” tag. An additional impact to the area’s economy, the two founders, Jolie and Sarah Elizabeth frequently speak at area high schools and universities and incorporate ongoing guest design competitions to contribute to the decreasing number of apparel design graduate opportunities.

The two have been awarded New Orleans Magazine’s Top 30 under 30 People to Watch for 2010, named to the White House’s Empact 100 Top 100 Entrepreneurs in America 2012, spotlighted by Inc.com and their designs have been featured in films such as Twilight, and magazines including Southern Living.