Shelli Segal studied at the Mayer School of Fashion Design before being hired to design for a dress company. Segal had designed for a number of different labels, including a signature line for JM Studio, before being hired as the chief designer for Laundry.
After Laundry was acquired by Liz Claiborne, Segal left the company and the line's name was changed to Laundry by Design, but when Perry Ellis purchased Laundry, Segal was brought back and the name changed back to Laundry by Shelli Segal.
Segal's designs are trendy and popular, and have been widely worn on television, including by Gillian Anderson on The X Files, Jennifer Aniston on Friends, and Sarah Michelle Gellar on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.