Loup’s ‘Fall ’15 collection got a jump on the parade of ’70s-inspired looks that strutted down the ready-to-wear runways during fashion month. “It was a happy accident,” laughed founder and creative director Danielle Ribner.
The truth is, her New York City-based womenswear has mined the decade for inspiration since its inception in 2009, its collections steeped in the effortless Gallic chic of Brigitte Bardot, Jane Birkin and Francoise Hardy.
To that end, classic cuts and vintage details are infused with contemporary attitude to bow wearable wardrobe staples that are at once retro and right-now. Retailing from $80 to $200, the collection is chock-full of “dream items you would want to find at a vintage store” in an array of rust-colored shades and worn-in denim. “Buyers are really into our wide-leg cropped pants, culottes, denim jumpers and overalls,” Ribner shared, and add that, “Denim does really well for me because I don’t really do jeans — I do skirts, dresses and tops in denim and people love that.”
True to form, fall’s denim offering spans an A-line skirt with a front slit and a voluminous bell skirt to a jumpsuit and dresses of various lengths. “I love using denim and doing different washes with them,” Ribner noted.
While Loup (French for wolf) imports its name and aesthetic from Europe, the brand itself is firmly rooted in the States. Made in New York City’s Garment District from the get-go, last year Loup stepped its homegrown ethos up a notch when Ribner decided to work exclusively with domestically-sourced materials (read: denim, cotton and rayon, mostly from California). “I am a little more limited but it means that I get to be more creative, working more with washing techniques, doing my own prints, dyeing or things like that,” she said.
Targeting “women in their 20s to 40s that work all week but also want to be able to wear their work clothes on the weekends or out after work,” stockists include the likes of Anthropologie and Shopbop online, as well as such independent boutiques as Life Curated in New York, Veridis in Seattle, Portland’s Communion and Bell Jar in San Francisco.
Though Ribner doesn’t believe consumer demand for U.S.-made goods is on the up, or that shoppers are willing to pay a premium for homegrown apparel, discovering that something has a Made in America tag does add some value to a purchase. “At the end of the day people want things that they like and are affordable and I do think for most people, knowing something is exciting,” she said.
