Roni Hirshberg

“Generation Love is not a fashion brand, it is a mindset”. 

When I sat down with Roni Hirshberg, co-founder of Generation Love, I understood the deeper meaning behind her brand. 

Hirshberg and her business partner, Audrey Bressa, founded the brand in 2008.Their goal was to help women feel confident and beautiful every day. Inspired by their shared love for Parisian sophistication and New York’s energy. 

Born and raised in New York City, Hirshberg developed an early fascination with fashion. As a teenager working in luxury retail, she discovered that clothing had the power to do far more than simply dress someone. After studying at New York University and gaining experience in the industry, she co-founded Generation Love while still in her twenties.

Launching a new fashion company in 2008 meant entering the industry during one of the worst economic downturns in recent history. Generation Love initially focused on premium T-shirts before gradually evolving into the full ready-to-wear collection it is known for today.Hirshberg said one of the biggest lessons she learned while launching her brand was, “Never give up because there are always going to be challenges but keep going”. That mindset helped her build Generation Love from a small idea into a recognizable fashion brand.

"Generation Love is not a fashion brand," she told me. "It is a mindset. It's about how to be positive and how to go about your day with kindness." She explained that from the beginning, she wanted the company to unite women across generations rather than focus on one specific customer. "My biggest goal was for my brand to reach women of all different age ranges." Generation Love aims to create timeless pieces that mothers, daughters, and grandmothers can all wear with confidence.

As she described that vision, I immediately thought back to my own experience shopping in one of Generation Love's boutiques. I had stopped in looking for clothes for myself when I unexpectedly ran into an older family friend browsing nearby. We laughed as we realized we had both picked up many of the same pieces despite the decades between us. At the time, I simply thought it was funny. After speaking with Hirshberg, I realized I had experienced exactly what she had hoped to create.

Hirshberg's Jewish identity has shaped the way she thinks about fashion and entrepreneurship. She spoke about the influence of her Israeli heritage and family, recalling, “I grew up spending my summers with my grandparents in Israel. Being Jewish and being Israeli is a big part of my life.” For Hirshberg, that identity is connected not only to personal history, but also to the value of community. She believes the sense of community often associated with religion has been essential to building a brand. 

Today, Generation Love is carried by luxury retailers across North America and has expanded with its own boutiques, reflecting the company's steady growth from an independent startup into an established contemporary fashion label.