Ecuadorian-raised, San Francisco-based women’s wear designer Lia Larrea has established herself as nothing less than the ultimate crusader for fashion and versatility for the everyday woman. Larrea studied business management at Palm Beach State College in Florida before graduating from the Art Institute in San Francisco. Her designs focus on style and artistry in addition to functionality.
“My line encompasses the lifestyle of a woman who is strong, independent and active. I design clothes that blend themselves to her life and the fabric surrounding them,” explains Lia. This translates to clothing designs that couple her idealism for fashion with the practicality required by the everyday consumer with pieces that can be worn in any season.
From an early age, Lia exhibited a thirst for cultural relevance. She was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador, and it is clear from her designs that Lia has stayed true to the history and aesthetics of her homeland. When I spoke to Lia about her choices in fabrics and tailoring, she explained that, “…it can be a regular knit but, mind you, I like to look at things and think about how they are going to add detail… I like to implement textures. I have a lot of contrast stitching so it brings out the style lines of the collection, which are disguised in a way so that certain asymmetrical lines can accompany each woman’s physique.”
When asked how she felt about the suggestion that drawing and creating sustains her and acts as an artistic accomplice, Lia replied, “Artistically, I feel as though drawing and creating for me is an outlet. But when you’re trying to create a business, it is the artistry of design that calms me down. For me, I feel lucky to merge both my hobby with my job.”
Lia Larrea’s brand conveys the artistic presence of a collection that is geared toward excellency. Her emphasis embodies a multitude of carefully selected and coordinated fabrics from- light to heavy weight combinations that range from knits to wovens, and even include hand-selected leathers. Her brand’s mission statement, “The woman in control,” is indeed the un- yielding and identifying backbone behind her line. When probed for more detail, she elucidated on this idea: “It is about being in charge of your own life; you choose what and how you want to experience it.”
I spoke with the burgeoning designer about the future of her designs and her line, which will be launching sometime in February, and also what the public can expect. “Look out for fabrics, and the sourcing of those fabrics that have instinctive components to them. Elegance, casualness and a sexy approach that don’t show off too much. Soft at heart yet light and dark combined the intuitiveness of a person’s happiness,” she said.
Text by William Lankford
Photography BY Clay Kerri
