One of our favorite brands to carry at Idlewild is Lauren Manoogian, an elegant and relaxed womenswear brand with a focus on knitwear. The brand works with a number of small artisan fabrics and traditional hand knitters to bring a handcrafted, special feel to their customers.
Lauren Manoogian is originally from St. Louis, Missouri and attended the Rhode Island School of Design for fashion design. She started her business in 2008 at just 25 years old, which she now runs with her partner Chris Fireoved out of their Brooklyn design office. Manoogian’s inspiration for the brand stemmed from a sourcing trip to Peru that she took while working with another company, and it was this trip that sparked her passion for traditional Peruvian craft and fibers. She was drawn to the earth toned knits and the novelty of the locally sourced alpaca yarn used by local knitters, elements which we can see clearly in the brand’s imagery today.
Most pieces from the brand involve draping in some way, although sculptural clothing is also a significant part of the brand identity particularly in their accessories and wovens. Lauren takes inspiration from Peruvian pottery as well as their fiber traditions, and we can see this translated into her clothing and accessory designs as well as the design of her New York store. In 2020, Lauren did a sale of her private pottery collection in an effort to collect donations for communities impacted by COVID in Peru. The collection included 12 handmade pieces of pottery that she had purchased herself in Peru over the course of several years.
Manoogian’s cult following is not misplaced; the quality of materials, craftsmanship and consistent brand identity is hard to compete with. If you are drawn to tonal neutrals and simple silhouettes constructed from high quality materials, Lauren Manoogian might be a brand worth looking into.
