LoveShackFancy
From an idea to a global lifestyle universe, LoveShackFancy has always been rooted in feeling. Founded by Rebecca Hessel Cohen, the brand has grown into a world defined by femininity, nostalgia, and the belief that everyday moments deserve to be celebrated. In this conversation, Rebecca reflects on the instinct that sparked LoveShackFancy, the visual language that continues to shape the brand, and the role of community, travel, and storytelling in bringing her romantic vision to life. As Galentine’s season invites moments of gathering and joy, we explore how LoveShackFancy turns emotions into fabric, beauty, and experience and how a place, memory, and imagination remain at the heart of everything she creates.
I never set out to “launch” a brand, only to solve a problem in my own life. At the time, I was working as a Fashion and Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan, and planning my wedding in 2013. I needed bridesmaid dresses and couldn’t find anything that I truly loved or captured the feeling I was going for. So, together with my mom, we designed and made a hand–dyed halter dress. Without even realizing it, that one dress (now known as The Love Dress) sparked a love affair with all things dreamy, nostalgic, and vintage–inspired. It eventually grew into LoveShackFancy, which today is a global lifestyle brand spanning fashion, beauty, home, and so much more. I’m still deeply involved in shaping that world, from opening stores, dreaming up collaborations, and creating special moments for our community. We’re always thinking about what’s next,
“but everything we do is still grounded in the same magic and love that started it all.”
Do you remember the very first dress or object that made you think, “This feeling should be a brand”?
Of course! It was the hand–dyed halter dress I designed with my mom for my bridesmaids for my wedding in 2013. At the time, I had no idea it was the beginning of something much bigger. But then something unexpected happened, after my wedding, everyone wanted that dress. Friends, friends of friends, people I barely knew started asking where they could buy it. That’s when I realized the dress and the feeling of it resonated beyond just my own wedding. And yes, it absolutely still lives in my mind.
“That dress reminds me that sometimes the most meaningful ideas don’t start as business plans, they start as a feeling, an instinct.”
Your aesthetic blends nostalgia, maximalism, and femininity. Where does that instinct for beauty come from, and when do you know a piece holds the right kind of magic?
My instinct for beauty really comes from how I grew up. I was surrounded by vintage pieces, lace, florals, and little details that felt romantic and special. Those things always felt inherently right to me, they weren’t trends, they were part of my environment and my memories. Beauty, for me, has always been tied to emotion and nostalgia more than anything else. I’ve never really designed by chasing trends. I’ve always followed my gut and my instinct. When something gives me that little emotional pull, when it feels timeless, feminine, and a bit magical, that’s when I know it’s right and I trust that instinct.
So much of LoveShackFancy captures fleeting feelings. How do you translate emotion into fabric, fragrance, or form?
Over the years, LoveShackFancy has evolved beyond a brand name into something more: a feeling, a way of being. We often find ourselves, and our community, saying, “That’s so LoveShack,” or “She’s such a LoveShack girl.” It’s a mindset and has become a kind of shorthand for a certain spirit, romantic, playful, and effortlessly whimsical.
Behind all the tulle and florals, there’s a very intentional design language. What details do you find yourself returning to again and again?
“Our brand is defined by a distinct visual language, pink, florals, bows, and unapologetic femininity.”
LoveShackFancy has created everything from fashion to home to beauty. How do you decide which category or medium will bring an idea to life?
It’s always a mix of instinct and listening to our community, the market, and my daughters who are some of my best trend forecasters. At LoveShackFancy, a new category has to feel like a natural extension of the universe, not just an opportunity. If we can translate the same romance and optimism into a room, a fragrance, or a swimsuit in an authentic way, then it makes sense. It always comes back to the feeling: does it feel true to the world we’ve built?
Galentine’s season is all about the women who make life feel full and joyful. How does friendship and community influence your work, and what role do you think beauty and celebration play in female connection?
My friends, family, and my community are truly everything to me. From my closest girlfriends, we have a very tight crew, to my daughters, to my LoveShack family and our online community, that sense of connection is what fuels me both creatively and personally. So much of what I design or dream up comes from real moments with the women in my life, getting dressed together, celebrating birthdays, or sending little notes. With LoveShackFancy, I’ve always wanted to create more than clothing or beauty products.
“I wanted to build a community where women and girls feel uplifted and truly seen.”
Friendship is such a huge influence because it’s where joy, confidence, and support naturally live. When women celebrate each other, there’s this incredible energy that happens, and I think beauty and celebration are part of that language. For me, femininity has always been about connection and expression, and Galentine’s is such a beautiful reminder that the relationships we have with our friends can be just as magical and important as any other love story.
Many people describe LoveShackFancy as a place where “everyday becomes an occasion.” What everyday moments inspire you the most right now?
“Everyday is an occasion! This is truly the heart of LoveShackFancy.”
There is a reason to celebrate everyday and some of the reasons or many of the moments inspiring me right now are actually the simplest ones: dressing up for dinner with friends, lighting a candle at the end of a long day, sitting in front of my fire, an inspiring meeting with my team, drinks with my mom. Not to mention our store openings, fashion show, fragrance launch, and more, where our community is what brings the magic to life.
What draws you to a creative partnership, and what makes a collaboration feel like the right fit for the LoveShackFancy world?
I’m a storyteller at heart, specifically, a visual storyteller. Everything we create is as much about storytelling and aesthetics as it is about function. Each partnership has to feel authentic and right for our audience.
“Collaborations are also a really meaningful way for us to explore how an idea can come to life.”
They often allow us to reach new audiences or offer something we couldn’t do entirely on our own. In many ways, they’re a creative conversation. They help us introduce LoveShackFancy to a broader community while still staying completely grounded in who we are. When we explore partnerships and collaborations, we’re always thinking about how a brand can enhance the world of LoveShackFancy—visually, emotionally, and functionally. We look for partners who bring something unique to the table that feels aligned with our values and meets our customer where she is. We pay close attention to what’s trending, what our community is asking for, and how a partner can add a new dimension to our story. I also listen to my daughters, they’re constantly showing me what they’re obsessed with, what’s going viral, what feels exciting. Collaborations like Kendra Scott or Stanley 1913 really started from those conversations at home.
You’ve helped define a cultural era of bows, florals, softness, and whimsy. How do you stay grounded creatively while shaping such a recognizable aesthetic?
Our brand is defined by a very distinct visual language (pink, florals, bows, lace, and an unapologetic femininity) and those elements really act as creative anchors for me. With LoveShackFancy, what keeps me grounded is remembering that the goal isn’t to chase what’s next just for the sake of novelty, it’s to evolve while staying true to who we are. I’m constantly inspired by our community and by real life: my daughters, my mom, my friends, vintage, travel, and all those little everyday moments that shape how I see the world.
“Those influences help the brand stay fresh without losing its soul.”
For me, it’s about honoring the recognizable codes while still leaving room to reinterpret them. The magic should feel familiar, comforting, and nostalgic, but never frozen in time. That balance is what allows the aesthetic to grow while still feeling unmistakably LoveShack.
When you imagine a LoveShackFancy-inspired Galentine’s celebration, what does it look and feel like?
I picture long tables overflowing with florals—roses, peonies, all the pinks and creams—candlelight everywhere, handwritten place cards, tiny bows tied around napkins or glass stems, and so many balloons. Everyone’s in pink. It feels like you just walked into your best friend’s dream dinner party, beautiful but totally relaxed. There are cakes on cakes, champagne coupes, and a playlist full of every 80s song and everyone is singing at the top of their lungs. Taking photos you’ll keep forever, and dancing… dancing all night. A LoveShackFancy Galentine’s is really about creating a space where women feel celebrated, seen, and completely themselves, feminine, playful, a little nostalgic, and full of love. The kind of night that turns into a memory the moment it starts. Not perfect… but somehow perfectly perfect.
How does travel influence your creative world and is there a destination that feels especially “LoveShackFancy” to you?
Travel is absolutely one of my biggest sources of inspiration.
“For me, France will always feel especially LoveShack.”
From Paris to the South of France (Saint–Tropez, Provence) there’s just this effortless romance and ease in everything. The markets, the florals, the pastel buildings, the sense of history mixed with beauty… it feels nostalgic and feminine and inspiring all at once. It’s the kind of place that naturally mirrors the world of LoveShackFancy: romantic, light–filled, and a little bit magical.
How did photographing the TENNIS collection at the Hamilton Princess help convey the balance between sport and softness?
The Hamilton Princess* felt like the perfect setting, both sporty yet beautiful, and captured that effortless mix of movement and femininity that defines the collection.
Shop LoveShackFancy in Bermuda at The Shops at Hamilton Princess, with curated pieces debuting this month.
*Editor’s Note: A Persephone Social Client!
What excites you most about the next chapter of LoveShackFancy?
What excites me most about the next chapter of LoveShackFancy is how limitless it still feels. Even after everything we’ve created (fashion, beauty, home, stores across the country) I still wake up feeling like we’re just getting started.
“There are so many ways to keep expanding the universe while staying true to the heart of it.”
I’m especially excited about continuing to grow categories like beauty and home, because they allow us to live with the brand in a more intimate, everyday way. Opening new stores is always thrilling too, because it turns something digital and imaginative into a real–life immersive experience where our community can gather. Seeing people walk into a space we dreamed up and immediately feel transported is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do. Hospritality! I got my first taste with our pop cafe when we launched Secret Crush and I just loved it! The dreams I’m ready to chase next are really about continuing to build a world where femininity is celebrated, where getting dressed feels joyful, and where community is at the center of everything through more immersive experiences, more meaningful collaborations, and more moments that bring women together.