Lulu On Her Clothing Debut

Lulu Guinness is launching ready-to-wear, which isn’t shocking news in itself – since the designer’s womanly and humorous aesthetic can easily be imagined reaching beyond her signature accessories – but what is surprising is the fact that this is the veteran designer’s first clothing collection.

“I know…” she pondered when we caught up ahead of the collection’s unveiling. “I’ve put clothes together all my life, but never really designed. It just always seemed too big a thing to do before, so this is my first ready-to-wear collection. I love doing T-shirts – it’s quite like doing a tote bag; you can do those things quite instantly and it doesn’t require the same process as a dress. I just wanted to begin with a very small capsule and I’ve really learned a lot.”

Describing the offering as a “palette cleanser” to set the tone for the ready-to-wear collections going forward, bringing it back to her signature white, black and red, the collection sees Guinness more involved than ever as her brand heads towards the birth of this new category. Of paramount importance to the designer was communicating her belief that a successful collection should be able to be worn by all women – regardless of age or dress size.

“When we make shoes, I’ve always really taken care to make sure that our heels can be worn even if you’re standing for a long time, and I approached the clothes in the same way,” she told us. “I wanted to make clothes that everyone could really wear, whatever size or shape they are. Every piece is cut to elongate and flatter; to give you a good shoulder. I tried the pieces on girls from a size 8 to a size 14 or 16, and the shirt dress for example looks great on all of them. I’m not someone who only feels their brand is relevant if they’re loved by the very young market. Often, I’ve met a grandmother, mother, and daughter who carry my bags – and a lot of interest from the younger girls comes because they’ve found a bag in their mother’s closet, and then found us on Instagram.”

Cast by Guinness, the campaign shoot articulates just this conviction – featuring a mix of models and women who wear her brand in everyday life. Cuts are classic and womanly, some in her letterbox red or printed with single-line drawings by artist Jonathan Calugi, and all feel very Lulu: “I think if you’re going to do something then it has to be distinctive,” she said sagely. And this season is just the beginning of the venture.

“I’ve already done the whole of the next season, and so I’m very excited,” she said. “Next season is a bit bigger and more colourful, and it has a few more visual tricks. My customers need to have a sense of humour – that’s what ties us all together.”