Once upon a time, not so long ago….

Loobie’s Story began at my dining room table, when a moment of nail biting serendipity saw my husband, Brent Sutcliffe, sell his menswear business at the very same time that I found myself let go from the fashion business that I had worked at as creative director for twenty years. Along with being out of a job that I had loved, I was heartbroken to think that I would no longer be travelling the world for my work. I love venturing to exotic locales, seeking out luxury experiences, that are a little off the beaten track and returning with a head full of creative ideas.

But fate had other plans… Brent decided it was time to venture into womenswear and with my new business partner’s encouragement, I found myself on an inspiration trip to Europe and Asia with a simple brief: to dream up a new collection.

I wanted to create a collection that was feel-good, uplifting and feminine and that would take the wearer from day to night with a simple change of accessories. I love understated glamour, beautiful prints, joyful colour, and natural fabrics like easy-care viscose, silk, and perhaps the ultimate combination of opulence and practicality, silk with a little stretch. At the same time, I care about the environment and I didn’t want to churn out collections that would last for only one season and then end up as landfill.

Loobie’s Story began to unfold with original prints created by our graphic designers and then coloured into beautiful, coordinating hues. Once the prints and palettes were in place, I designed modern bohemian pieces with a free-spirited modern woman in mind, as well as the everyday pieces that underpin any hardworking capsule wardrobe, in the same shades as found in the prints. The idea was to make it easy for women to combine and layer our garments with complementary colour palettes that merge across seasons so they can confidently pull their own look together.

In a nod to my new business partner, we named it after the nickname he affectionately made up for me when we first met, inspired by a blonde, blue-eyed little girl in an advert for washing powder – someone he thought I might have looked like when I was a little girl. (Now all of my nearest and dearest call me Loobie).

Each and every collection from Loobie’s Story has been inspired by a beautiful location that we have either visited, aspire to visit or imagine. I’m fascinated by different cultures and their unique offerings.

Ten years on, my design team and I continue to create each collection with a woman in mind who is not afraid to buck the trends or stand out in a room full of black. We’ve used indigo instead of black from the very start and you still won’t find any black in our summer collections. We are proud to create much-loved garments in luxurious fabrics that are beautiful to look at, beautiful to wear and still beautiful and relevant after many seasons.

This is Loobie’s Story, a collection that lets you tell your own unique and ever changing story.

A merging of urban essentials with a hint of the exotic, it’s a story about a love for life and a life well lived.

Enjoy with love,

Laurinda (Loobie) x