To mark the debut of her Lula handbag sold exclusively at Barneys New York, L’Wren Scott sat down for a Q+A hosted by O, The Oprah Magazine creative director Adam Glassman at Barneys New York. About 20 bloggers from the likes of Fashionista, Elle, Racked, People’s Style Watch, Harper’s Bazaar, FabSugar, The Associated Press, and more gathered on the third floor along with Simon Doonan for the informative talk which began with Glassman stating that he has “never seen bloggers.” He then introduced Scott as being like bloggers because she would rather come from the back than walk the red carpet. “OK,” I thought, “should I be insulted?” I’m still not sure. That aside, Scott, who also admitted to never having seen a blogger and being “scared” [Editor’s note: they make bloggers sound like Big Foot!] came across as incredibly sweet, and as a former model, it goes without saying that she’s strikingly gorgeous.
Fun facts
Though Wikipedia states that Scott is 6 feet 5 inches, she’s actually 6 feet 3 inches. Born in Utah, the designer was discovered by Bruce Weber and worked as a model, which led to her obsession “with the details of making clothes,” and later, to her move to L.A. where she worked as a stylist and costume designer before founding her namesake brand in 2006. When working on her collections, two of the elements Scott thinks most about are proportion (given her tall physique) and color (she hates brown, telling us “it must be some hidden childhood memory about brown shoes or something.”)
Scott wanted the Lula to mimic the sound her mother’s purse made when she opened and closed it, saying, “Sound was a big memory for me [when it comes to] my mom’s bag.” Adding that she associates the “whoosh” sound of her mother’s purse with getting gum, pocket money, and other special treats. In addition to sound, Scott took inspiration from the structured silhouette of the bag she remembers her mother favoring telling us that she wanted it to be “a sharp, tailored bag that you could actually use and that was practical.”
The Lula is being sold in very limited quantities
Scott who debuted a mini pochette last season is very focused on quality luxury items, which explains why her new carry-all, offered in calfskin, python, and crocodile, will be sold in very limited quantities. In fact, the exotic pieces are numbered and there are only 75 of them.
The Lula comes in three sizes
Offered in small, large, and weekender sizes, Scott says she didn’t see the need for a “medium-sized” bag. As for colors, the Lula comes in four – black, purple, bordeaux, and mauve python – each of which was picked for its “neutrality.” Prices range from $2,300 for the small to $20,500 for the large in crocodile and each piece is made in Italy with gunmetal hardware so that, according to the designer, it is easy to coordinate your other accessories with it.
The Lula has been designed as a “forever bag” with practicality in mind
Each of the three sizes boasts pockets to store iPads, iPhones, Blackberries, and the exotic skin versions come with a pochette that doubles as a clutch (Scott wore it as such to the CFDA Awards this year). Scott isn’t about trends. “My bag isn’t going anywhere,” exclaimed the designer, adding that she will be adding new colors and fabrications in the coming seasons. As for her logo, it’s discreetly featured on the inside and, fittingly, before designing the Lula, her bag of choice was black and from Hermes.
Fashion editors don’t coordinate their shoes with their handbags
When Glassman asked this question, most everyone in attendance, including Scott, said they didn’t coordinate their handbags with their shoes. The notable exception? Simon Doonan!
Scott on dressing Oprah
Months before her finale show, Oprah’s team called on Scott to design some pieces for Oprah. The designer had no idea that Oprah would end up wearing two of the custom dresses for her final three broadcasts; just speaking about the experience, Scott got animated telling us that shipping off the dresses felt like she was sending away her children. When she got a phone call to turn on her TV because Oprah was wearing one of her dresses, the designer told us, “I was in tears.”
What does Scott carry in her Lula?
At least one shade of lipstick, tissues, Altoids, Purell, iPad, iPhone, a Blackberry, and various currencies (she frequently travels between London and New York).
Will Scott be coming out with a lower priced line?
While she wouldn’t divulge anything concrete, she did point to it being top of mind saying that she was “working on something.”
