Studio Visit with PALOMA WOOL

Whether it’s photography, art, design or clothing, Paloma Wool has long been more of a project for Paloma Lanna. As a photographer herself, she began printing her favourite analogue photography on sweaters. They stood symbolically as souvenirs for each city that Paloma had travelled to. The result was the first limited capsule collection consisting of three sweaters. The personal project gradually evolved into Paloma Wool. A brand that, despite its success, hasn’t even after ten years of existence lost its attention to detail, family cohesion and close ties between all team members. I had the chance to meet Paloma and talk to her about Paloma Wool, her vision and her bond with her hometown, Barcelona.

SLEEK How did Paloma Wool evolve from your first

idea to what it is now?

Paloma Lanna I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do with Paloma Wool. I didn't want to create another traditional brand in the fashion industry. It was always important to me that Paloma Wool had a direct connection to art and photography. Next to design, it was equally important to me to produce locally and to think in terms of limited capsule editions rather than seasonal collections. And, looking back, I’m happy to say that even after almost ten years of Paloma Wool, I still hold on to my original vision.

S It feels like you continue to grow while still

maintaining your style.

PL Our whole corporate identity is constantly changing. This is certainly due to the fact that we work with many artists who have their own visions. Also, at Paloma Wool we have a strong core team in Barcelona. We have created our own universe where we regularly share and implement ideas with each other. We love to work creatively and break new ground. It makes the changes feel very natural and organic.

S As part of your world tour, you worked in Berlin with the set designer and artist Carsten in der Elst.

PL Yes. We love his work and his style. The pop-up team from Barcelona collaborated with Carsten to create a space in Berlin that is closer to being an installation than a store. The team is actually based permanently in Barcelona, but they are more like little satellites that are there to help us in every city and country and create together with us.

S There isn’t a permanent Paloma Wool store yet

either, is there?

PL Not yet, but we are working on opening our first store in Barcelona. We have recently found the space. It is very large and was once a garage. That’s why it can become a studio and a store in one. It will be a special place that will be worth visiting soon.

S What inspires you?

PL Whenever I’m in Berlin, I love visiting vintage stores. Vintage fashion inspires me a lot: seeing what people created in the past and wondering how you could modernise those designs. I grew into the world of art. I was lucky enough to grow up with a number of strong female artists and spend a lot of time in their worlds. My best friends are artists, so we shaped our universes together, and this helped me create the vision of Paloma Wool today. My circle of friends is mostly strong, creative women.

S That is reflected in Paloma Wool.

PL Paloma Wool is a community, and the fact that we work so much with acquaintances and friends gives it the family character that it has. Another important point is that women support each other and work together. Create something together. Paloma Wool is a team-work project that aims to make women feel good, particularly in their own bodies. That was the focus from the beginning when designing the clothes. But I didn’t have to address it even – it came naturally, by virtue of the fact that we are mainly women who have a similar understanding of beauty.

S What understanding of beauty is that?

PL For me, beauty is everywhere. When I see women on the street, they inspire me. Everything about them inspires me: their charisma, body shapes, skin colours, styles, hair. Diversity was important for us back in 2014, even before the term became a buzzword. It was natural for us and came quite organically. For me, there is beauty in everyone.

S Especially when they feel comfortable in their

body?

PL Absolutely. Besides the fact that we want our customers to feel good and comfortable in Paloma Wool, we also focus on making products last. Our clothes should be suitable for every occasion, and not languish in the closet. Also they can be styled in a variety of ways: backwards, tied differently, combined with sneakers, with heels, for special occasions and for everyday use. Our clothes are meant to be worn.

S You have transparent disclosure on the website about the transportation and production processes. Is trust with the customer important to you?

PL Sustainability is vital at Paloma Wool. Our suppliers feel like family. It was very important to me to work with them, as well as with the textile mills in Spain. We have a strong textile industry in Spain, so we can produce almost everything locally. I always wanted to support that. Our suppliers have been working with us consistently since the beginning – for ten years. And they are extremely important to Paloma Wool.

S And the materials?

PL Cupro is one of our favourite materials, not only because it feels incredibly good, but also because it’s derived from natural material. We also have a rule book that we follow when choosing fabrics to meet our ethical standards. For example, we only produce leather goods to order, which means there is no unnecessary waste. We also only use certain materials if they have been recycled. Sometimes this makes things harder, because certain ideas can’t be carried out as planned. But we want to remain true to our principles.●