“I demand peak cozy at all time,” explains Amy Schumer. “I feel entitled to coziness and that is what this line is 1,000 percent about.” Schumer is chatting with me at the launch event for her clothing collection Le Cloud, located in a spacious New York flat that Joanna Gaines would very much approve of with its mixed prints, ping pong table as decor, and what looked an awful lot like subway tile in the bathroom. Schumer and stylist Leesa Evans are sitting on a pristine white couch with white pillows and white throws as they discuss the launch of their new joint venture, a 23-piece collection ranging sizes 0 to 20, with expansion to size 40 in phase two, launching exclusively at Saks OFF 5th online and in its NYC stores today.
Schumer and Evans met on the set of Trainwreck, where the actress demanded to wear sweatpants every day, much to Evans dismay. Out of necessity, or possibly a love for hygge, the two decided to create a line of clothing that is comfortable enough that wearers could lounge at home, run to the bodega, or even take important meetings wearing the sweats, skirts, jumpsuits, and sweaters. On top of providing casual versatility, thirty percent of the net proceeds from the collection’s sales will be donated to Community Partners, a not-for-profit organization in support of the STYLEFUND project, Schumer and Evan’s charity that aims to empower women from all economic backgrounds and uses clothing to increase confidence.
Shumer and Evans took a second from the launch party, where guests included Emily Ratajkowski, RBG’s new boyfriends Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux, and fellow comics Vanessa Bayer and Rachel Dratch, to chat with ELLE.com about the new line, plans for a possible maternity or pet line, and how clothes that may make you look “fuckable” aren’t always the most comfortable.
You’ve talked a little about style and how it relates to comedians, like in your “Leather Special,” how do you feel those two are related?
Schumer: I think they’re really connected especially by where you are in your evolution as a performer. If you look at my specials it’s like these sort of short little Stepford wife mini dresses which were good at the time but not with these changing times. I’m so grateful to this younger generation for pointing out how little equality there is and how women, to get attention and be treated well, we’ve had to also try to look super fuckable.
For me, I was trying to get people to stop flipping the channel, “Oh, it’s a girl in a short dress,” then I hoped they would listen to what I was saying. The Leather Special was me kind of owning it and relying on my voice because I’ve earned the right and I have people’s attention. I’m selling out arenas and no female comic has ever done that. With my next special you will see, the fashion is more laid back, relaxed, lighter makeup, so fashion is just part of this evolution that’s getting closer to who I really am.
You also see it now too on the red carpet with Blake Lively wearing suits for her press tour or Emma Stone dressing a bit more masculine which in turn looks so powerful and sexy. It’s a statement. It’s not just about trying to be fuckable.
The line is cozy, how do you both achieve peak cozy?
Schumer: Well, that’s the thing. I demand peak cozy at all times. I feel entitled to coziness and that is what this line is 1,000 percent about.
Evans: For real. Amy was like, “I’m wearing sweatpants and if you don’t want me to wear sweatpants then you gotta find something. You gotta make something.” I was up for the challenge. That’s what was so great about the whole experience, truthfully, is I realized in what Amy wanted what I was actually missing in my own life. I needed comfort when I was hanging out at home, running to the store, or going to meet a client.
Schumer: Any combination of these clothes you can wear out to a bar, a meeting, fly across the country, get snapped by paparazzi at the airport, or meet your boyfriend’s family for the first time and you’re going to look your best.
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Do you have plans to expand the line into maternity?
Schumer: I’m gonna need some post partum.
Evans: Yes. I realize it’s been fun to see what people are asking for and it feels like the sky’s the limit really.
Schumer: We want to make pet wear. LePet. We’re real assholes. I have a toy poodle so like we have to, we’re real pieces of shit.
Why was donating thirty percent of the proceeds of LeCloud to your charity STYLEFUND so important to you both?
Schumer: That’s how we started together even before we had LeCloud, it was STYLEFUND. STYLEFUND was about trying to pass those tools that Leesa gave me in understanding how to dress for yourself onto other women. It shouldn’t just be for somebody in the public eye. For me to get out of the house and go on stage at a little comedy club was stressful getting dressed. It got us thinking about these women who are just getting out of being incarcerated or the military or maternity leave and going back to work and we wanted to support the community.
Evans: I think I also felt like Amy really fundamentally understood that when you have clothing that supports you and your confidence and your well being, you can accomplish anything and she was like, “Wait a minute. We’ve gotta tell everybody about this.”
Shop the line online at saksoff5th.com/LeCloud or in Saks OFF 5TH’s NYC location.
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