Today we’d like to introduce you to Louise (lulu) Eschelman

Hi Louise (lulu), we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

I was very lucky to get hired right out of school by Danish designer Ann Wiberg / Trash Couture in 2001. I trained with Ann and her team in Haute Couture and high end ‘Ready to Wear in Copenhagen, London and Paris. While working with Ann, I attended design school at night and got valuable insight into the being in the real world of fashion, while at the same time getting educated on everything related to fashion design ; designs, drawings, pattern making, fabrics, fit and form, sewing etc.

In 2004 the Trash Couture team and I went on a promotional trip to New York and Los Angeles to introduce the brand to the US market together with Saks Fifth Avenue. I stayed in Los Angeles after our trip ended and got hired by Von Dutch Originals shortly thereafter.
Working for a large, very popular US ‘ready to wear’ brand allowed me invaluable insight into the power of product placement, marketing, customer relations, production and sales etc.

In 2013 I launched LumillaMingus, now Lumilla. I was/still am on a mission to create beautifully crafted ‘everyday luxury’ pieces. I started with leather bags and have now expanded to apparel, perfume and fine jewelry.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

It is NOT an easy road. Fashion can be an overwhelming world, and you have to really fine tune who you are and what makes you different from the rest. Being true to what you love is critical and is ultimately what sets you apart from other brands, but you can easily get caught up in what works for other brands.

Knowing every single aspect of your company as an owner is crucial, you can then hire people later but you have to understand the the ins and outs of your company.

Financing is brutal and you often time end up investing time and money, before you make your first $.

You have to find people and production houses you trust, with processes that align with who you want to be.

Keeping up with this new world of social media and getting your name out there can be a full time job, and can sometimes steer you off your path. You have to keep up, a lot and thats hard.

If you are lucky enough to get to a point where you can get an investor and expand, you have to be ready for what comes with that and adjust. I did, but that comes with its own challenges.

People have become accustomed to fast and inexpensive fashion which does not align with our mission, so we have to break through the noise and reach the customers looking for quality instead of quantity.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

I love creating pieces that make people happy and pieces that last. I never compromise on quality, and taking the time to make our pieces right matters a lot to me.
My inspiration is very much rooted in my Danish upbringing and is quite minimalistic with a focus on the accessory – bags, jewelry and even our scent ‘Copenhagen’. I love a simple jeans and t-shirt look with amazing gold jewelry, a gorgeous and versatile bag and a killer scent!!

I started out designing pieces I wanted for myself, and still do ;-)

I have been lucky to collaborate with amazing people and brands along the way and that is still one of my favorite creative things to do!

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?

Talk to anyone that will talk to you, ask questions and be polite and respectful, work for people in your field even if its for free and learn from them. Be in the world you are interested working in as much as you can, you never know who you run in to. Use social media as a tool to learn from people and reach out, you never know who might get back to you.
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shoplumilla.com
• Instagram: shoplumilla
• Facebook: shoplumilla