Hello, or bonjour if you will.

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Happy almost March, a dream yet a nightmare. 

If you do need a reminder- today is Saturday, February 27, 2021

As we look towards spring and hope for some fresh inspiration, I want to share what's been dancing around in my head. I’ve talked about it now and I'll talk about it again--mood boards are how I start to channel what’s next and a way to organize the enormous amount of digital content that we all drown in daily. While furniture and lighting is the name of the game, my inspiration comes from literally everything.

But to save us all a bit of time, I’ve narrowed “everything” to three main categories. While you might think there is some disconnect between this trifecta I promise there is a thread connecting them and that thread is my furniture.

Before we dive in, I wanted to share what is hot off the press. In the digital world it was wonderful to chat with Squarespace and talk about how this collection came to life, you can read that here. On the newsstand, Jezebel by Modern Luxury, features the Joie De Vivre collection saying “SCAD grad Lulu LaFortune proves the future of furniture and lighting design lives within craftsmanship with her debut collection, Joie De Vivre”

Now, back to the inspiration.

First, Copenhagen Street Style. And yes, it is as specific as it sounds.

The essence of cool and bright meet wonderfully here. There is a display of clothing items that alone might be read as boujee- such as fur coats, formal dinner gloves and sequined ball gowns, but when paired with sneakers or a pair of corduroy pants the rules of those formal garments are broken. This youthful energy and contrast of styles is a concept that I try to weave into my furniture designs.

Let me just quickly give you a little more context to maybe how I ended up being so inspired by clothing. For most of my youth I was more than sure that I was going to be a Fashion Designer and live in NYC. In High School I used to wake up at 4 AM and literally sew my own outfits for the day. In Middle School I worked tirelessly to bring back the brooch (and actually that is still in process). In Elementary school I always found ways to break the uniform dress code because no gym teacher is going to tell me I can’t wear socks with frills and play dodge ball. Anyway, after all that hard work, I got to college, I took one fashion class and said “never mind, this isn’t for me” and I transferred to the Furniture Design department with the decision to also minor in Interior Design and Textile Design.

The bottom line: The color pallet of my collection was based heavily on Copenhagen Street Style.

Second, Old Styles in a New Life. Now you know me, I love vintage. But not just the cool kids like art deco or Bauhaus, but also the underdogs, like the antiques you see in the Rococo era. I love to see a great stained glass window or an insanely plush skirt on your grandma’s couch. I love fringe but also wallpaper! Any convoluted wallpaper that covers every inch of a room- sign me up. These beautiful elements of design deserve another time to shine!!! Let’s give them that chance!

The bottom line: Much like my efforts to bring back the brooch, I worked several old styles into my new collection. Such as fringe, french treillage and stained glass.

Third, Parisian Panache. The lovely Madeline O’Malley from AD said this about my Joie de Vivre collection and I said that I want it embroidered on a TeeShirt (and the copy gal Claire wishes she wrote that first). Point is, that is exactly what I wanted people to get from my collection. Pizzazz, gusto, OOMPH, zest, zing, zip! Oh, how wonderful are all those words. To be honest, this concept is always on my mind. And can you blame me? Flowers, pastels, drapery oh my! 

The bottom line: This sort of over the top abundance inspired the photoshoot of my collection, hence why I had a dessert tower of french pastries, bowls of strawberries, and a massive display of flowers.

So now you’ve seen the inspiration and you’ve seen what it turned into. And trust me when I say, this is far from over.

Thank you all for tuning into this newsletter. Please forward to any friends or family that you think might be in need of a weekend read!

As always, thank you so much for all the support. It means the world to me!

Sending love to you all,
Lulu LaFortune

BROWSE THE FULL COLLECTION

Before you go, here round 2 of the Q and A. Please feel free to reply with any other questions you have for the next newsletter!

Question: How do you come up with your inspiration? I am loving your vibe.
Answer: Such a perfectly timed question for the release of this newsletter!

Question: What are your favorite materials for product to work in?
Answer: I think my favorite at the moment is stained glass. It has been amazing to learn about the process and working with the color samples is like being in another world! It is simply delightful.

Question: What pair of shoes do you wear the most?
Answer: For everyday use I have been wearing this platform sneaker by Vince. They are so comfortable and easy, I think I will probably get them in black.

Question: How long does it take you to design a collection?
Answer: Designing takes me about six months. Once designs are final I try to give 3 months to the craftsman for the production of the prototypes. The items are then ready and photographed 3 months before the official launch.

Looking for more? Take a deep dive into my world, here is the latest:

1. I am currently dying over all of these new Dolce & Gabbana items. Bury me in a head to toe quilted look.

2. This Staud Handbag has proven loyal, I am wondering if it’s time to take it up a size?

3. I am on week who knows of the BBG program, but if you need some inspiration for daily workouts- I highly recommend it.

4. If you are looking for a perfume I recommend Rozu by Aesop. Worth every penny.

ABOUT LULU LAFORTUNE

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