As the daughter of Boston-based designer Sara Campbell, as well as an employee of her eponymous company, Lucy Maloney seemed almost destined to follow in her mother’s footsteps, so perhaps it seemed nearly inevitable when Maloney launched her own women’s fashion line, Willard Road, last summer.
Maloney, who received a bachelor’s degree in film and business from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., before earning a master’s degree in finance, began her career at an investment management firm in Boston. Today, she works part-time managing the website for Sara Campbell, whose clothing line is sold at more than 20 of her mother’s namesake boutiques on the East Coast, in addition to working on her own fashion line.
Willard Road takes its name from the street where Maloney grew up in Brookline, right near Cleland Circle, off Chestnut Hill Avenue, and has released two collections so far.
The first collection, which was unveiled for the company’s launch in June of 2021, featured blouses and “everyday clothing staples,” said Maloney, while the new spring line includes more dresses, skirts, and “special moment pieces.”
Both Gail Lopes and Inga Nelson, Sara Campbell’s pattern maker and head of production, respectively “have really helpful” said Maloney, in helping her on the production side at Willard Road.
“It’s a unique position where I can learn a lot from the Sara Campbell business and apply it to my own,” said Maloney. “It’s very fluid between the two businesses, which is nice.”
In fact, the symbiotic relationship between Willard Road and Sara Campbell will be on full display as Maloney’s new clothing line will be featured at a Trunk Show on Friday, April 15, from 1 to 6 p.m., and on Saturday, April 16, from noon to 3 p.m. at Sara Campbell’s Beacon Hill store at 84 Chestnut St.
“We’re hoping to get some of the store’s organic foot traffic, and to see some new faces,” said Maloney. “There should be a lot of spring breakers this weekend, and with the Easter Holiday and the Marathon, we thought there would be a lot of people in town celebrating different things in different ways.”
While Maloney held a Trunk Show last summer in the Boston area to show off the Willard Road collection, this will be her first public Trunk Show held locally.
Maloney, meanwhile, is coming on the heels of another Trunk Show last Saturday and Sunday, April 8 and 9, at II Brunettes Boutique in Charleston, S.C.
“I’d done a few earlier Trunk Shows at different locations – friends’ houses, country clubs, and other Sara Campbell stores – but this was my first one at a store not related to Sara Campbell,” she said. “I wanted to get into a different market and had heard from customers and friends that II Brunettes was a good boutique.”
Added Maloney, “It was totally different market. I’m used to having so many friends and connections throughout the Boston area, so it was nice to meet different people from a different part of the country.”
With the boutique’s “organic foot traffic,” Maloney estimates between 200 and 300 people wandered inside and visited the Trunk Show over the weekend.
In anticipation of this weekend’s Trunk Show on Beacon Hill, Maloney said she is again looking forward to seeing how the public reacts to Willard Road.
“As a designer, it’s really helpful for me to see people try on the clothing and get their feedback to learn about what people like and don’t like about it, so I can perfect it going forward,” said Maloney.
For more information on Willard Road, visit Willardrd.com or follow @WILLARD_ROAD on Instagram.