In October, amid a dizzying season that featured fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris, fashion designer and Louisiana native Laura Citron hosted her first pop-ups in her home state. Citron, beaming in her custom gold lamé suit, greeted customers near her rainbow-colored racks at HerringStones Boutique’s Baton Rouge and Lafayette locations.

Since launching her one-of-a-kind, show-stopping collection in Nashville nearly a decade ago, her vibrant suits, dresses and tops have been on more than 30 runways, including the Charleston Fashion Week stage in 2023, where Citron was crowned winner of the Emerging Designer Competition. Celebrities known for their country glam looks, including Lainey Wilson and Jake Wesley Rogers, who she notes has been called “this generation’s Elton John,” along with members of Little Big Town and Greta Van Fleet have sported her designs on the red carpet.

Citron says her Louisiana roots subconsciously inspire the lamé, sequins and feathers that distinguish her brand. As a child, she spent countless hours dressing up in her mother’s Mardi Gras ball gowns, sparkly cocktail dresses and classic 1970s jumpsuits—the kinds of pieces thrifters now search for relentlessly.

“She always wore colorful, shiny things and was never afraid to have fun with fashion. That inspired me from a really young age,” Citron says. “So many people find out that I’m from Louisiana, and they say, ‘Oh, I can completely see it in your clothes.’”

Laura Citron suits, available as custom, made-to-fit pieces, are designed to make people feel confident in a fun, energetic way. The line also offers a bright selection of dresses, tops, bags and more, many of which are complete with details like metallic eyelash fabric and faux fur.

“Fashion is fantasy,” she says. “You can step into whatever world you want to be in and be whoever you want to be with what you choose to slip into that morning, and I think that can be powerful and give someone so much confidence.”