In a generation of girl bosses, it’s hard to have a conversation surrounding fashion’s leading ladies without bringing up designer Heather Sanders. The Sorella style maven founded her business with Brittney Turner in 2012, and has found herself dressing some of Hollywood’s hottest stars. Her elite clientele includes (but is not limited to) Ariana Grande, Kylie Jenner, Amber Rose, La La Anthony, and many more — and equally impressive as that? The story of how she got there. HollywoodLife sat down with Heather to hear about the evolution of her fashion brand,the importance of body positivity, and how her famous pals have supported her from day one.
For Heather, she’s known what she wanted her brand to embody from day one. So — what defines a Sorella girl? “She’s a hustler, somebody that works hard, fearless, a trend setter, and a go-getter,” Heather tells us. “I started Sorella because I was on tour with my boyfriend at the time and I’m like, ‘I can not follow you guys around. I have to do something for myself. This is not cool.’ We were brainstorming how or what I should do. And I’m like, ‘I could sell clothes.’ One day it just happened and I just started. I went downtown, figured out where to buy clothes from, and then it just went up from there,” she explains.
While Heather’s line includes some incredibly fierce looks, she also values comfort and a down-to-earth appeal. As a mom, she knows the importance of dressing for a multitude of clientele. “[As a mom] I would probably wear a vintage tee and a pair of cool sweats with a pair of cute, comfortable sneakers, or biker shorts and a vintage tee with some sneakers,” she dishes. “It’s hard as a mom to carry your babies, carry diaper bags, all that stuff so I like to be comfortable and just chill.”
That being said, the fact that the fashion industry is in a shift towards more body positive clothing and inclusivity is not lost on Heather. “It’s important to me,” Heather says. “you want to make everybody feel comfortable and make sure everybody that can come into your store and fit something. We’re actually starting plus size for Sorella. We go up to extra large right now, but there are so many girls that are like, ‘Heather, we need plus sized clothes from you.’ So that’s what I’m working on right now. It should be ready by Christmas. It just is important to make every girl feel comfortable and confident,” she says.
Outside of her clothing line, Heather has also made headlines for her famed friendship with makeup mogul Kylie, a fellow entrepreneur herself! The two ladies are sure to swap creative ideas from time to time. “I didn’t know her when I started Sorella, but we always talk about just different ideas that I should do for Sorella, or what she should do for Kylie Cosmetics and we just bounce off of each other. It’s good to have a boss friend to do that with,” she tells us. So — would the two ever link up for a joint venture? “Maybe one day we can collab on a few pieces together!” she says.
Other notable clientele include Megan Thee Stallion, Jennifer Hudson, Khloe Kardashian, Teyana Taylor, and Draya Michele — no big, right? deal She may roll with some incredibly famous pals, but even Heather is still surprised at times when an A-lister hits the ‘order’ button. “I look at every single order. I know Ariana Grande ordered from us before and I wrote her on Instagram, I’m like, “Did you just order from Sorella? I see your order. Why did you order? I would have gave you everything for free!” But I look at every single order, I’m super involved. I creative direct all of the photo shoots. I help style. But my biggest thing in my company is probably just picking the photos and what goes on the website, and how the website looks. That’s kind of my thing,” the involved business owner admits.
So — who would be a dream for Heather to dress next? “Kim K, Rihanna, or Beyonce, for sure are top three,” she tells HL. Riri already follows Sorella on Instagram, so the prospect isn’t a far-fetched one. “Rihanna in Sorella would just be a dream,” she says.
Now, on the heels of the teen ambassador #GirlsTour initiative behind the brand, Sorella has released the ‘Drop 4’ collection! The new summer capsule mixes “subtle colors with a pop of neon,” and “features a variety of bodysuits and shape fitting dresses.” Shop on, ladies!