Edit by LBP, a minimalist boutique in the Merchant District’s Acadian Village, celebrated its 11-year anniversary Monday.
Owned by University alumna Lauren Bailey Pollard, the store is known for its well-curated selection of top designers, including rag & bone, L’Agence, Veronica Beard and Loeffler Randall.
Edit employees personally style all of their clients, helping them with head-to-toe looks. They pride themselves on offering fashion-forward ensembles with simplicity.
“We can show you 10 different ways to wear [something], from season-to-season, and show how to make garments timeless,” Pollard said.
The anniversary celebration served as a thank you to customers. The store’s signature tassle necklace was raffled off, and everyone who bought something was awarded a complimentary 30-minute massage by massage therapist Cindy Williams.
“We want to thank all of our honorary Edit girls for trusting us with your wardrobe over the last 11 years,” read the certificate. “We have been together through skinny jeans and now cropped flares and hope to assist you with the changing trends over many more years.”
Pollard, who graduated from the University with a degree in business and a fashion merchandising minor, said she believes if you go into a career path doing something you love, you’ll be naturally good at it and it becomes a part of who you are.
“We found our niche in neutrals that are sophisticated and fashion-forward but not trendy,” Pollard said. “I think that was something [Baton Rouge] was missing, but that’s our niche.”
After relocating to Acadian Village three years ago, Edit now receives customers from the mix of other businesses nearby, like Trader Joe’s and Lululemon. This location also puts them closer to campus, which brings in a more college-aged demographic.
“I love watching college girls evolve,” Pollard said. “They start as freshmen and get cute little casual outfits and by the end, it’s for graduation and interview attire, and they continue to shop with us during their first jobs.”
Targeting women aged 18-55, Pollard met many of her clients a decade ago. She said young girls who were in eighth grade at the time of the store’s opening are now in medical school or young parents.
Open seven days a week, Edit receives deliveries daily. Each staff member carries out store tasks ranging from putting looks together to steaming garments and helping clients who walk through the door.
“It’s rewarding to find something I fall in love with [at market], bring it to the store and see it go to a good home,” Pollard said.
She said she loves the relationships she has made through Edit, whether they are with coworkers or clients. She named her six-month-old after one of Edit’s former employees and even met her husband in the store when he came in for a Mother’s Day gift.
The Edit girls are a close-knit family, something Pollard said she believes is different from working in a corporate store. Now on the hunt for a self-motivated person with a drive for fashion, she’s looking to grow that family.
“The store is my happy place,” Pollard said. “I love that fashion changes often and so our product is constantly changing.”

Gallery • 9 Photos

Jake Bonin

Clothing and merchandise is displayed for sale on Nov. 20, 2016 at Edit by LBP on Perkins Road.