The Company:
Paco+Lupe products are all 100% original and handmade. We use mostly biodegradable materials without sacrificing quality, durability and style. We have to contribute even just a little to make our world a little less sick.
Our fashion collection is young, trendy and urban. Our home collection is all about comfort, style and functionality. Nothing is frivolous.
Be sure to check back frequently, as we are always coming up with new materials and colour combinations.
The Designer – Celia Cruz:
The concept of Paco+Lupe has been circling my mind for quite a long time. I guess you can say it all started when I was 15 years old and I sewed a simple wrap-around skirt in high school, which won 3rd prize. I wore that skirt the whole entire summer until the sun faded the colours away. Since then, I haven’t stopped sewing.
The love for fabrics came naturally to me. In fact, I am nuts about them. I hunt for them everywhere. Even if they are at the bottom of a huge bin, I dive in head first. When I see something amazing, I just buy it and figure out what to do with it later. And I always do. For my work, I make sure the materials I use are tactile, durable and beautiful. I also try to balance all these aspects and remember to be eco-friendly as well. It is a challenge because resources available are limited and very pricey.
As for being a designer, to be honest, I am not trained in this field. In fact, for a long long time, I was on quite a different path; education and career wise. No regrets at all. In the meantime, I taught myself everything on my first sewing machine; a $50 used one.
I always carry a sketch pad with me just in case I get an idea. It starts with a doodle. From that, I make a pattern. Then I sew a prototype and maybe adjust the pattern a bit more. Afterwards, I make the real thing. Learning is what feeds my mind.
And so after many years of just thinking about it, I decided to do what I enjoy the most. I think I’ll take this path and see where it leads me.