Designer Files: Elizabeth Faraut
by Louis J L Fullagar
Welcome back to our exclusive series of "Designer Files". This week we chat with one of the nicest people you could meet in our industry. Not only a successful business woman and mother, Elizabeth Faraut, is a true pioneer and visionary. She started her company in 1999 with a single product and idea. Courage, drive and determination are the words that spring to mind when looking at the story of La LOOP and her journey from then until now.Born in Los Angeles and raised in Paris, Elizabeth was predestined to be involved in fashion and luxury in some form. From a background in marketing and public relations she found herself at Guess Jeans as the brand's licensing director for Europe as well as opening their new stores....but something even more interesting was just around the corner...How and when did you come upon the idea for La LOOP?I met a woman in New York who had designed a necklace to hold your glasses. She was wearing a prototype she had made when we had lunch and honestly I couldn't stop staring at the piece... I was so intrigued with the idea of creating products that are both functional and stylish. I had lost countless pairs of glasses myself and upon seeing it, just knew that this was brilliant. I then made it a point to walk into just about every high end optical shop I came across and wherever I was whether it be in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Miami, I found the options available in terms of stylish eyewear accessories were non-existent. It was from there that we decided to turn La LOOP into a business.How did you transition from the "idea" to the "reality"?The original prototype was made on 47th Street in Manhattan- the Jewelry district. We made a few more locally and sold them to the Robert Marc stores on Madison Avenue. That first Mother's Day, the New York Times Style section featured La LOOP as a great Mother's Day gift. From that editorial, Robert Marc sold 1,000 La LOOPs in a week!! I remember we had 4 people in the kitchen of the apartment assembling the necklaces and I would hand deliver them daily to Robert Marc. That was 13 years ago!http://youtu.be/4S7cfh3tnZMVideo courtesy Dan Deutsch Optical OutlookYou invented a whole new product category....how does that feel 14 years on?I love that the optical retailer has a way to generate an exciting incremental sale to their business. It is much easier to sell a frame and a La LOOP than it is to sell two frames to a customer.Where do you draw inspiration from in your design?I travel and am always inspired by the people I meet...what they are wearing, what they are talking about, what they are seeing, how they are living. I am also inspired by people who create... I am passionate about art and incorporate a lot of texture and meaning from pieces I see. The "Ellsworth" last season completely conceived from works I saw in New York and Paris by Ellsworth Kelly. A simple, elegant yet geometric beauty.
Elizabeth wearing the La LOOP MonocleWhat is happening with your brand this year?This year we are developing new accessory products that will launch in the fall. The eyeglass business to me is the next to tackle. I want a case that I want to carry and I would pay for it if it is stylish enough. Why is it that I can walk into a J Crew for a sweater and walk out with a great nail polish, a little cute notebook and a hair clip for my daughters? I want to be able to create this retail environment in the optical space. Customers should be able to walk into an optical store and buy a frame, and a beautiful necklace, and a great case.What is it about being an independent that makes it worth all the hard work?At the core, I am an entrepreneur. I love that I am completely consumed by my work. I think out of the box. I think that being an independent allows me to make quick decisions and partner closely with my retailers and suppliers on a personal level. I worked for big companies and find that being an independent keeps me more grounded and more in touch with my customer.www.laloop.com
