LouLou Loves You is not only a super cute sentiment, it’s also a really rather fabulous website selling prods of adorability!
The site will have you wishin’ you had as much hair as Amy Winehouse so that you could adorn yourself with several of LouLou’s incredible and infamous over-sized bows all at the same time, and the site is really rather cute to look at too!
Meet the lady behind the label, Lou Lou!
Describe the girl behind the label, LouLou Loves You, in 5 words:
Dreamy, Ridiculous, Addicted, Sailor-esque and Wondrous
Pink-world hearts Loulou mostest. Tell us all about it, what is it? What’s with the name? When did you start?
Thank-you!
Getting here in the first place is a bit of a round-a-bout story! I’ll try and simplify! I started out with a Fine Art degree about 7 years ago but sadly only managed to complete one year because I became ill. Fast forward three years when I was recovering I knew that I wanted to get myself into some courses where I really came out with a ’skill’ that I could develop. I took a few city college classes, pattern cutting and Dressmaking and then when my health was almost 100% I moved on to a C&G lingerie course at KCC in London whilst working part time as a nanny. The movement from art to fashion was actually born out of my obsession with lingerie (and deciding that I wanted to start up a ‘pant empire’) The lingerie course was wonderful because I had a really inspiring tutor and I just felt quite at home with everything I made. Once I had completed the course I felt immediately enthused to set up a business partly through my excitement for what I had been doing and also because I knew I wasn’t 21 anymore!
I’d say it’s definitely proof that you never know what’s going to happen, I certainly didn’t have this in mind when I left school
The name came about from just the fact that it was a handle I used for email addresses and Internet sites etc and so when I came to setting up my business it seemed natural for that to be the name! Loulou Loves You as a site and brand has been open for just over a year, hurray!
When and how did you realise you were a creative girl able to make fabulous-o treats that people would buy?
I’ve always been creative, Arts and Fashion were my favourites at school and although I enjoyed my other subjects I always knew that the art path was the one I wanted to follow. I also work by making things that I want for me so it kind of struck me that people might like what I create if I love it so much (this could totally backfire!)
What was the first product you ever made?
Humm, well outside college the first item I made for my range were the ‘Loulou’ knickers, which is the signature style and named after um myself!
Tell us about your product range, what you got to offer? What are your current favourite items? What inspires your too-cute designs?
Ok! I have three styles of knickers, the ‘Loulou’ and ‘Lorelei’ and the Dorothy’ two of them have matching boudoir jackets, and then I have garters and then my favourite the Loulou Loves You Bow emporium! You’ll probably notice that every item has a bow on it somewhere. I confess, I am a bow addict and it shows no sign of slowing down.
My inspiration list is pretty endless at the moment but here is a rundown of the current people/things/stuff that is filling up my brain:
Chuck Bass from ‘Gossip Girl’ (I really want to make him a bow-tie), my stupid cat, Cryptozoology, Buffy the Vampire Season 7, side shows and carnivals, Brat pack movies, New York, Tim Walker, my friend Lucy, ice cream, Penny arcades, and the English seaside
What’s the secret to your success?
Without sounding too cheesy, my family and friends. I am way more inspired by them than any thing/celebrity or otherwise. Other than that the excitement from knowing that a few years ago I couldn’t barely even walk let alone be doing this reminds me of the changes that can happen and it makes me super excited about this year, next year and the years after that.
Do you have to be all business-y too?
Oh yes! In fact that’s something that takes up a huge part of what I what I do. At first I found it really difficult, with not naturally being a business type of person. Luckily for me my sister and dad are business geniuses and helped me sort a lot of the start up out and bit my bit I have learnt so much that I had no idea about before and now I quite enjoy it all. I do look forwards to a day though when I can afford to pay someone to take over anything business related and leave me with my creativity!
What’s a typical day in the life of designer-girl Loulou?
Well I try and get up early, I work from home and it took me a long time to get into a proper working day and not slacking off in the mornings! I usually start out with checking emails and writing a list of things I need to get done during the day. Then I often get a lot of cutting out done and settle into sewing whilst streaming some of my favourite American TV shows on my laptop, currently I’m re watching all seven series of Buffy ha-ha!
I usually take a couple of hours at lunch to nip to the Zoo (I have an annual pass) or take a walk to get some air before back to more sewing. If I have fewer orders then I experiment with new things. At the moment I’m a complete workaholic so I often finish about 10 or 11pm.
How do you promote your products?
Aside from the usual press releases I use the Internet a lot, I’ve always been an Internet nerd so it just seemed natural. You can find LLLY on Myspace/Facebook and Twitter and I spend time trying to get to know who likes my products and making a lot of friends who are doing similar things, then it’s fun to do swaps with each other and help each other out with promoting.
What’s been the best experience since setting up Loulou Loves You?
It has to be all the new things I have learned in the past year, and how I’ve seen Loulou Loves You change and grow. Also seeing that people are buying my creations and and having really lovely feedback just helps me want to keep on workin!
As an official style-ista, what’s your ‘must-have’ accessory?
A big bow! Mainly as they are so versatile, bows can be in your hair, round your neck, on your dress, on the back of your coat, on your bag or on your pet, anywhere!
What would a Loulou soundtrack sound like?
Currently it’s a mix containing: Sonic Youth, Kings of Leon, The Strokes, Sleeping States, Bauhaus and The Shangri Las.
Do you have a style bible – a magazine/book/website that you completely dig?
I am currently addicted to reading blogs, some lifestyle, some fashion and they al inspire me just because it’s exciting seeing other people my age just getting on with life. I follow about 50 on my Google reader! Here are some of my favourites:
http://www.galadarling.com
http://mademoisellerobot.com
http://www.nubbytwiglet.com
http://kingdomofstyle.typepad.co.uk
http://www.queengilda.com
(That’s only a very small snippet)
Other than that I am always on the BBC Science and nature page, twitter and flickr searching through peoples photos.
What makes you jump-in-the-air-happy?
Animals! I confess I’m an animal nerd, never grew out that phase, I still say hello to every dog/cat/squirrel and pigeon that I see in the street. Spending time with my best friends, family and my goddaughter and seeing my friends succeed in what they believe in.
What’s next in the world of Loulou?
I am working through my five-year plan! Haaa, I’m designing new items, writing more in my rambling blog (http://sailorette.wordpress.com), experimenting with new ideas and plotting as to how I can move to New York and kiss all the American boys.
Quick fire round: What’s your favourite:
Place: At the moment it’s my bedroom, home comforts!
Food: Breakfast! Porridge, blueberries, banana and Greek yoghurt mmmm.
Magazine: I can’t pick just one! - Nylon / Vogue / Teen Vogue / some weeklies for the gossip.
Book: The Princess Bride.
Hangout: I think because of the non summer I’ve already gone into slight hibernation mode so at the moment its eating / drinking / watching movies and playing board games in my lounge with a bunch of friends and my evil cat.
City: Currently it’s New York
What advice would you have for would-be design girls – any words of wisdom would be fabulous-o lovely lady!
Never underestimate the usefulness of making lists! Lists of things you need to get done and lists of things you want to achieve. Don’t overwhelm yourself, take everything one step at a time. Always ask friends and family for help, there is always someone who knows something that will be useful to you. Get interested in the business side of things as well, although being creative may be the fun part it feels awesome to learn new skills that you never thought you would enjoy.
Read, visit museums/galleries, take tonnes of photos, hook up google reader and start following inspirational blogs, look at Flickr for visual stimulation and never ever put a limit on your creativity, often the trail you accidentally follow is the right one!
The colour pink. Discuss.
I have a confession, I don’t wear pink anymore since I dyed my hair red because it doesn’t suit me, sigh, but! You’ll be pleased to know however that I have pink flamingo wallpaper, I make pink undies, love strawberry ice cream and my last flat had a candyfloss coloured front door.
Visit LouLou loves you at: www.louloulovesyou.co.uk
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