THE CONVERSATION EDIT: with Lara Sluszniak on LA201
Written & Interviewed By : Hannah Corbett
“I always wanted it to feel personal,” Lara says, talking about her new loungewear line, LA201. “Like, if you see the name, I want it to feel like me, without literally using my name.” The name itself nods to her hometown area code and initials, a subtle signature that makes the brand uniquely hers.
Lara’s path to creating LA201 wasn’t straightforward. After graduating in 2024, she worked at Island Gypsy, enjoying the slower pace of off-season retail but feeling restless. “I’d applied to over 300 jobs,” she laughs. “It was ridiculous. I loved the girls I worked with, but I didn’t want to work weekends anymore or be tied to a 9-to-5.”
A stint doing remote marketing for her stepdad’s company gave her flexibility, but Lara wanted a side project of her own. At the time, she had barely a thousand followers on TikTok and wasn’t sure anyone would buy her loungewear. “I thought, why do influencers get to start brands with the snap of a finger?” she says. “Why can’t a normal person do that?”
Her inspiration crystallized after attending a female founder summit last November. “That room was full of people who had just started their own brands, not influencers with massive followings,” Lara recalls. “It hit me, this is what I wanted to do.”
From there, she collaborated with a small manufacturing company in Colorado, navigating unexpected costs and learning the intricacies of production. The result: loungewear sets that are soft, versatile, and stylish enough to wear out of the house, but also can wear to bed if you so wish. Prices stay under $100, keeping them accessible without sacrificing quality. “I wanted something that felt effortless,” she explains. “Cozy, but stylish— something you could literally live in, whether you’re at home or running to the coffee shop.”
Her first sets arrived just in time for a soft launch, with family and friends helping test sizing and fit. Lara captured photos herself, sometimes with her cousin’s fiancé modeling the sets, other times staging mini shoots at home. “I wanted people to feel presentable but completely themselves,” she says. “Like, wow, this is so comfortable. I just want to wear it all day.”
Even the marketing process became a learning curve. She navigated Shopify, experimented with email platforms, and worked through the logistics of launching a small business independently. “Sometimes things that should be simple are surprisingly complicated,” she says with a laugh, “but it’s all part of the process.”
For Lara, LA201 is more than loungewear. It’s a reflection of her approach to life: effortless, stylish, and comfortable. “It’s for anyone who wants to look put together without putting in a ton of effort,” she explains. “Someone who’s on the go but still values comfort. Someone who appreciates the everyday, in a little elevated way.”
In the end, the brand is unmistakably hers—a blend of personality, vision, and practicality. “I never would have imagined posting on social media could lead to this,” Lara admits. “It’s all just meant to go the way it’s meant to go.”
You can shop Lara’s first drop with LA201 featuring the Daily Tee & Pant in Champagne and Toast Saturday, November 8th at 10AM EST.