Interview: Fashion designer Lara Loca Couture (Germany)

Could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your background that lead you to fashion designing?

My name is Lara Melanie Renner, i'm the owner and the fashion designer of Lara Loca Couture and i'm 36 years old. I have founded my label on 13. 5. 2013. As a child i was already very artistically gifted and i noticed early that i love to experience beautiful and extraordinary designs. That's the reason why fashion is my passion!

Describe your designs for anyone who doesn’t know your work yet.

My Design is characterized by precise craftsmanship and attention to detail. Each piece is unique and every bead or blossom is embroidered by hand . Delicacy in the fabrics is drawn through all my collections. Typical of my style is the combination of lingerie and cocktail dress !

What is your favourite material to work with?

My favorite material is pearl lace and silk chiffon and also leather imitation.

Which item of all your collections/designs is your favourite and most significant for you?

It's a coral-colored evening dress consisting of a body filled with little flowers and a long fluttering skirt. I love the harmony and proportions in this dress!

How do you want wearers to feel when they put on your clothes?

The wearer feels uncomfortable, light, timeless & especially not disguised in my clothes. Womans feel like a feather or if they are wearing a second skin on their body.

In your opinion, why is lingerie so important to the modern woman?

Every modern woman should own high quality lingerie. Just as important as good clothes is what you wear underneath. Fact is , that excellent fit already starts with the underwear!

What makes you passionate about your brand?

The beauty of women and my limitless ideas bring me my daily passion for what I create.

Describe your creative process.

The creative process for me starts already in the morning when I leave at home. Inspiration comes from everywhere, from nature, architecture, even from the simplest everyday things. First the material comes then the idea , the scetch-cut construction and the conclusion the implementation.

What is your most productive working time/style?

In the evening i work most effectively. I make many wedding / & redcarpet dresses on individual figures but also many pantsuits , businesswear , hats and lingerie.

Tell me about a time when a client didn’t like your work.

Fortunately there never was this moment that a customer was not satisfied with my work. The customer is in the first place and i fulfill every one of his wishes even if i have to fly to Milan to get the desired tip fabric.

What was one of your favourite shoots or projects that you worked on recently?

For me every project or fotoshooting with my dresses was special in its own way. The most important for my career, however, was a fashion serie in florence with an internationally top-notch photographer and great models.

Do you have a supporting team/staff or do you work solo?

I have a big network and many people who support me but most of the time i manage alone. I am the creative head and all the financial matters regulates my dad as a former banker.

What has been the most rewarding moment of your career, so far?

This was definitely the opening of the fashionweek 2016 in Berlin. I had the first show and i introduced my spring/summer collection with models from the tv-show "Germany's next Topmodel with Heidi Klum".

Where do you see your brand in the next ten years?

I am already very satisfied what i have achieved with my brand so far. I'm proud of what i have created in this short time and i see the name Lara Loca Couture in any case in the next years internationally placed. Maybe selected pieces of my collections are even in some luxury boutiques in Milan, Paris or London.

What do you like outside fashion?

Outside fashion i like a lot of things. I like to photograph, to socialize with people and i dance tango. I have a weakness for sunsets, chocolate and icecream & i like good food. I love to travel and be in the nature with my dog.

How comfortable are you working hands with models and other designers?

The work with different models and designers is very important for me. I see a lot of the world through various projects. There is nothing better than to be constantly together with great people. For me, other designers don't represent a competition because no one is the same and a good design can't copy.

Do you always do fittings?

I hate fittings because they steal my valuable time. It's enough for me as a good designer if i have the sedcard of the models with all their data. For large projects, fittings are very important for planning.

Being a wardrobe stylist as well, do you have a favourite fashion era?

I love the shrill fashion of the 70s. It was so beautifully colorful and free, and i totally rely on the oversized sunglasses. I am fascinated by the provocatively naughty and it's diversity. I would have liked to live in this time of hippie movement and woodstock festivals.

Being a fashion designer and wardrobe stylist, what kind of clothes do you like to wear yourself?

I love to wear timeless classic clothes, preferably in black because my fashion should be in the foreground. But sometimes i also like crazy dresses to myself.

How would you describe your signature look as a wardrobe stylist?

My signature is now recognized immediately. It lies in the love for detail and my extravagant style stands out simply from all other designs. My combination of simple elegance paired with lingerie is unmistakable. My bodys from pearllace can also be combined with casual jeans. My fashion is very diverse and it does not always have to be the pompous bride or evening dress. Less is sometimes more.

Your worst work experience as a wardbrobe stylist?

The worst experience was definitely when i had booked a model and she lied about her confection size. She was bigger than stated and she didn't fit into my dresses. The project was free and i hate it when i am lied and if i have wasted a precious working day for an unprofessional model.

If there ever comes a day in which you’re given a choice of being a wardrobe designer or a fashion stylist for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

This day will never come. I want to be a fashion designer for the rest of my life and do nothing more than what I love.

What’s next for you? What can we expect from your next collection?

A lot of new things await you in my next collection. It will be sexy and exciting but more will not reveal. If you follow my pages then you will not miss anything because there are many exciting projects and fotoshootings for 2018 with extraordinary people. I'm very excited about it.

To come to an end, where can our readers follow you and your work, any social media platforms?

First i would like to thank Modellenland Magazine for the great interview, it was an honor for me. Lara Loca Couture is represented on all social media networks.

www.lara-loca-couture.com Facebook: Lara Loca Couture Instagram: lara_loca_couture

Photographer : Blitzlichtgewitter - Model : Aline Be - Hair & Make up - Artist : Lisa Hofmann

Photographer : Blitzlichtgewitter - Model : Aline Be - Hair & Make up - Artist : Lisa Hofmann

Photographer : Blitzlichtgewitter - Models : Aline Be & Marie Moos - Hair & Make up Artist : Lisa Hofmann

Photographer : Blitzlichtgewitter - Model : Alina Roth - Hair & Make up Artist :Lisa Hofmann

Photographer : Blitzlichtgewitter - Model : Alina Roth - Hair & Make up Artist :Lisa Hofmann

Photographer : Blitzlichtgewitter - Model : Alina Roth - Hair & Make up Artist :Lisa Hofmann

Photographer : Sabrina Schlösser Fotografie - Model : Aylin Bahr - Hair & Make up Artist : Laurie Ibsen

Photographer : Sabrina Schlösser Fotografie - Model : Aylin Bahr - Hair & Make up Artist : Laurie Ibsen

Photographer : Cara Gutman Photography - Model : Saskia Bu

Photographer : Cara Gutman Photography - Model : Saskia Bu

Photographer : Cara Gutman Photography - Model: Saskia Bu

Photographer : Blitzlichtgewitter - Model : Alina Roth - Hair & Make up Artist :Lisa Hofmann

Photographer : Cara Gutman Photography - Model: Saskia Bu