Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Gabriella Talassazan
Parisian-born Laure Heriard Dubreuil, the founder of Miami boutique the Webster, was an established fashion merchandiser in the mid-2000s who’d worked at Nicolas Ghesquière’s Balenciaga and Stefano Pilati’s Yves Saint Laurent. She soon started traveling to Miami with other trendsetting creatives for Art Basel, where she noticed a hole in the city’s luxury market. “I saw this wonderful crowd of art collectors, artists, and gallerists and all of this gorgeous architecture,” she says. “There was a sophisticated crowd coming but there was nowhere to shop; no one was catering to them.”
The Bal Harbour Shops were the premier destination for Miami’s affluent clientele at the time. The open-air shopping center boasted designer stores like Valentino, Oscar de la Renta, and Chanel, but Heriard Dubreuil says “the curation was very classic; no edge and not fashion-forward.” She saw an opportunity to bring cool, of-the-moment designers to a nearby neighborhood where everyone was partying but no one was shopping: South Beach. Despite not knowing a single person in Miami, she packed up her things and moved out of Paris in 2007 to see her vision through.
The boutique concept behind the Webster immediately resonated with VIP clients like Pharrell Williams and Rihanna, who were searching for coveted, high-fashion finds and a private, relaxing shopping experience. Fifteen years later, the multi-brand retailer has 12 stores across the United States and Canada with more locations coming soon, as well as a robust e-commerce platform. The Webster has secured permanent partnerships with David Mallett and Joanna Czech as well as collaborations with Ferragamo, Paco Rabanne, Off-White, and Fenty. In 2017, Heriard Dubreuil launched her own label, LHD, which is sold exclusively at the boutique and features vacation-ready prints in bright colors inspired by the entrepreneur’s own personal style. Heriard Dubreuil lives in Miami with her two children and husband, the artist Aaron Young. Here, how she gets it all done.
On pivoting from merchandising to retail:
I always joke with my team that I don’t know anything about retail. That’s not what we do at the Webster. I used the approach of a merchandiser to build it. The curations are meaningful, genuine, and organic. Having worked with so many amazing designers and creative teams, it’s about embodying the DNA of the fashion houses we carry. It’s about highlighting the voice of the designers, how to represent them and make them proud while also putting our take on them. A lot of the designers from the big houses tell me that they ask to see what the Webster’s selections are.
On the struggle of starting out:
I had temporary stores in 2008 and then opened the Webster flagship store in 2009, which was not the best time to start a business. All of the headlines were, “retail is dead.” All of the new buildings in Miami were closing. The real-estate bubble had completely burst. Everyone was focusing on e-commerce, not retail. After the first year, my dad asked me if I should close the store. But I’m very resilient. I could feel that something big was happening for me and that it could only go up from there. The Webster was something different. It was created with soul and gave people a real experience of being pampered. Even during the recession, I felt a strong attraction to Miami; between the unique architecture, the sunshine, and the water, it’s incredible. And now, the whole design district is booming. It’s been amazing to see it evolve like that.
On what sets the Webster apart:
So many people told me that nobody would shop luxury in South Beach. The building I chose for the Webster used to be a hotel in the 1930s, so it doesn’t have large store windows. You can’t see inside. People told me that nobody would be able to find it. But the façade is what made it a safe haven for people who are in the know. It was sort of a secret address where people could really enjoy themselves and have a good time. It’s the place where time stops, where you can take off your shoes and enjoy contemporary art and vintage furniture. It’s like you’re at your best friend’s house who has the gigantic closet of your dreams.
On befriending Pharrell:
One of the first people who came into the store was Pharrell Williams. At the time, he was recording at a historic studio called the Marlin, which was next to the Webster. He would record there and then come and sit at the store and be like, “Who is this crazy French girl?!” He became a friend and has been a really strong supporter of the Webster since day one.
On her morning routine:
I start at 6 a.m. I’m like a machine from six to seven. That time is all about getting the kids — 10-year-old Marcel and 4-year-old Marguerite — ready for school. I don’t do emails. I don’t do calls. They’re out the door by 7 a.m., so that’s when I do a quick five-minute meditation. I love breathing techniques. I live in a high-rise in Miami, so I have this amazing view. I watch the sunrise and do my meditation. Then I run to the gym for a one-hour session with my trainer. I try to do a steam or a cold shower if I have time. (Fun fact: I recently did three minutes and 20 seconds in an ice bath. I’m very proud of that achievement.) Then I drink my coffee and start work for the day.
On her workout routine:
I alternate between a session of Pilates, a combination of cardio exercises (like running, StairMaster, bike, or elliptical) and full-body weight lifting. I always start or end with some stretching. I also love to squeeze in yoga as much as I can, especially Vinyasa. I recently discovered a mix of Pilates and yoga called yogilates.
On scaling her business:
I was living in Miami when I opened the Miami stores, then I moved to New York to open the flagship in New York. And then I moved to L.A. to open the flagship in Los Angeles. For the past four years, I really focused my time and energy on the West Coast. Now I have four more stores in California. I split my time between going to market and being at the stores. I’m so well supported by my team, and my head of retail has been with me for a very long time. But it feels like the Fashion Weeks are never-ending these days. It’s a lot of traveling.
On setting boundaries:
The stores are open seven days a week, and we work on a lot of different time zones — West Coast and East Coast within the United States, but also in Europe. I’m on calls constantly, so I have to set times where I do not look at my phone. When I’m home with my kids from 5 to 7 p.m., no phone. No phones at the dinner table is really important to me. And when I work out with my trainer, I don’t even bring my phone. On the weekends, I have certain windows of time when I check in to see what’s happening, but it’s not constant. I need windows, because otherwise it’s never-ending.
On her “I made it” moments:
An incredible time for me was in 2012 when Target reached out and wanted to do a collaboration with the Webster. It was the first time they had done a collaboration with another retailer. It was supposed to be just women’s fashion, but we ended up doing women’s, men’s, and kids. It was sold in all Target stores nationwide. The news was broadcast on TV, which was a big deal for little Laure. It was my Emily in Paris moment. Even six months ago, in Los Angeles, I saw a woman wearing one of the dresses from the collaboration. My husband got out of the car to tell her. The second “I made it” moment was my collaboration with Parisian department store Le Bon Marché in 2015. Being French, of course, Marché was really my place. They put the façade of the Webster onto the façade of Le Bon Marché and a larger-than-life photo of myself in all the windows.
On celebrating success:
The team does a big party every year and I always try to attend. We recently did one in Miami. It felt like a celebration of everything we achieved in the past year, but also just in general. Some of these people have been working with me for over ten years. Everybody started really young. For most of them, it was their first job. We know each other; we’ve grown together. Celebration is part of our day-to-day, too. We value the team’s happiness.
On using a surrogate:
It was very difficult for me to have children. I managed to carry our son, but I had to have surgery, so I couldn’t carry our daughter. We had a surrogate. And let me tell you, despite all the atrocities in this world, there are some real angels out there. We are still in touch with our surrogate mother, and she’s such a big part of this dream life. I had to let go of carrying my baby, but thanks to her, it was such an amazing experience.
On the people who help her get it done:
I’m very lucky and extremely grateful that my husband is very present with our children. This has been the case since day one. Even when my son was a baby, everyone was telling me that it’s much more about the mothers than the fathers during that stage. Not in our family. My husband stepped up since day one. He’s an artist, so he has a flexible schedule. I wouldn’t have been able to develop and grow the Webster without his support, his presence, and his relationship with our children. The kids go to the same school and they do lots of activities, so that gives us a larger window to get work done. We have someone who helps with pickup and drop-offs and all of that, so I’m lucky. Also, my little brother lives in Miami in the same building as me, so that’s very helpful. It takes a village.
On what’s next for the brand:
The Webster in Paris could make sense, eventually. An even bigger dream I have is to open the Webster Hotel. It’s something clients always mention, since we have created such a distinct brand. The stores have a strong DNA, a certain atmosphere and vibe. The Webster was a hotel in Miami in the ’30s, so I want to bring it full circle.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
