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La Loop Accessories

1st December 2011 A chat with Elizabeth Faraut at la Loop is a genuine pleasure. We meet at SILMO, and the soft-spoken California based designer imparts her passion for eyewear through her elegant accessories. With her New York fashion background, Faraut brings a heady mix of style, business acumen and the creativity wrought by necessity to La Loop.  “When I started the company in 1998, it was because I had lost so many glasses, that I knew there had to be a better way to keep track of my frames. At that time, eyewear accessories were not even a category. Now they are viewed as a true accessory, and it’s been very interesting for me, because I do not come from the eyewear industry.

“My desire is to source materials that will ‘wow’ the customer and the buyer. How do I find these materials? I’m always travelling. I have Amber from Tibet for example, and my goal is to source natural materials from the planet – not manmade. I love to source unique materials and those that feel good – I close my eyes, and feel and savour the material.  If it doesn’t pass this test, it doesn’t become a La Loop. The desert is another inspiration. Gold plays into the desert theme, and I’m a ‘modern nomad’ – always searching and exploring, trying to find things that move me, and will move the customer . Pearls, pure fabrics, real tortoise, sterling silver, leather from a 5th generation mill in Northern Italy, Azurite from Brazil, and shells from New Zealand are among the natural materials included in the collections.”

For Elizabeth, creating a product that matters is very important. She wanted a design collaboration that included a marriage of form, function and fashion. She views each piece as a collector’s item – whether it expresses quiet sophistication, or dynamic, colourful fun. The Museum of Modern Art in New York City, as well as twelve other museums across America, has proclaimed La Loop an invention. The hinges have patented technology, and each item is handmade in America. La Loop wearers include a long list of celebrities, working professionals, fashion followers, and costume designers. “My dream, says Faraut, “is to continue to explore, to keep a personal connection to customers through my designs, and be that ‘modern nomad’. So far, it’s been a wonderful journey.” www.laloop.com La Loop products are available in Paris at Marc Le Bihan www.marclebihan.fr JG