How Lauren Chan Filled a Gap With Her Size-Inclusive Luxury Brand Henning

The model’s womenswear brand was just acquired by Universal Standard.

Lauren Chan.James Macari/Sports Illustrated.

Lauren Chan is a size-inclusive model who worked as a fashion writer before becoming the fashion features editor at Glamour. The former editor used her expertise in that space to jump into entrepreneurship. She founded her luxury women’s wear brand, Henning, in 2018.

The ethical clothing brand offers chic workwear and athleisure, including everything from dresses and blazers to pullover sweaters and leggings. Utilizing her skills and expertise while following her gut has proved the right path for Chan, as Henning was recently acquired by clothing company Universal Standard. Chan will join the brand, which carries wardrobe essentials in sizes 00 to 40, and serve as head of brand partnerships.

“I admire so much what [Universal Standard has] done in inclusion and I’m so proud that Henning is going to be a part of it,” she shares.

Chan, who makes her debut appearance in this year’s SI Swimsuit Issue, spent the majority of her career as a fashion editor and writer focused on plus-size fashion and inclusion. She says combining those creative endeavors with walking the runway herself was “the perfect dynamic,” but it also presented an incredible business opportunity.

“I was covering all the top designers, I was in the world but I was still left out because I couldn’t wear the fashion I was reporting on, and at a certain point, I just decided I needed to start the brand to fill that gap in the market, to dress myself and all the other women like me,” Chan says.

Thus, Henning was born. While the brand started with tailoring workwear and outerwear, the COVID-19 pandemic allowed the brand to pivot, adding cashmere loungewear into the mix.

Utilizing her editorial fashion expertise with her work as a model proved to be the perfect combination for entrepreneurial success, as well as a great learning opportunity for Chan.

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“It was a really great experience in reaching that customer, speaking to her in a new way instead of reaching that reader and speaking to her that way,” Chan shares, noting that building a business allowed her to learn a lot about the other side of the fashion industry, including how to sell a product.

Chan’s various professional avenues have one important thread in common: helping women to feel empowered and seen.

“Everything that I’ve done with my work has the one through line of hoping to make people who consume that work feel powerful and equal and seen and celebrated,” Chan states.

The clothing line consists of quality staple items made to help you feel confident and put together, like the classic white denim jacket ($138) to the knitted tank dress ($138).

With five years of experience under her belt as the founder and CEO of Henning, Chan has learned to take other people’s business advice with a grain of salt while ultimately making choices that are best for her.

“It's really difficult at first if no one’s really drilled this into your mind to not be swayed to the right when this person says, ‘Do it on the right,’ and sway to the left when this other person says, ‘Do it on the left,’” she offers. “And so if you kind of take all that advice and map it on a chart and find your own through line, then that will be the most authentic, best way to succeed.”

Chan, who graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and French, says the biggest thing she’s learned from starting her own business is that success is limitless when you’re passionate.

She notes while she didn’t go to business, journalism or fashion school, she encourages others to chase their dreams, no matter what.

“I believe so much in just getting out there and putting yourself in situations that may feel scary, you may feel under-prepared for, but that you are ready to approach with a learning mind and a can-do attitude,” she says. “It sounds so cheesy, but if I can do it, you can do it, and people will help you along the way. Go do it.”

Meet Lauren Chan—read the 2023 SI Swimsuit rookie’s full feature profile here.