BREAKING THE RULES
As owner-operator of clothing store Louis Who and the mastermind behind Waikuku’s Old School Collective, Lisa Willetts is a formidable force, passionate about slow fashion, a good frock and comfort.
MORE THAN ANYONE I KNOW,
Lisa Willetts does not believe in rules. ‘I wear sneakers to black tie,’ she laughs. ‘People say, “You can’t wear sneakers to black tie!” and I say, “Well, I am!”’ Perhaps this propensity for doing her own thing is genetic, as Lisa had two very interesting grandmothers. ‘My grandmother always wore a tweed suit, no matter what,’ Lisa remembers. ‘Every day she’d walk into town in a suit, with her basket, wearing a hat with a velvet budgie sitting on the top.’ Her other grandma was talented in many areas. She was a potter, a great seamstress, cultivated bonsai trees, and a passionate gardener.
Continuing her family’s theme, Lisa also has a highly creative home, and a beautiful garden. I admire her ability to fearlessly blend a lot of colour and pattern in her décor, while still evoking the feeling of a very restful space. Not surprisingly, colour features heavily in her clothing choices too. There is something joyful about the way she dresses, her own magical blend of playful and chic.
Regardless of the season, you will find her in a dress, or ‘a frock’ as she likes to call them, most likely paired with some Havaianas from her rather vast collection. ‘I love the fact that a frock is just one thing,’ she explains. ‘It’s so easy. You don’t have to worry about anything else.’
Lisa is a big advocate of less is more. This is because she believes in buying fewer clothes, but the best quality she can afford. ‘I do love luxury brands,’ she reflects, ‘but I find that I keep them. They last. You’d be lucky to
wear them out.’ And if she ever does get tired of something, she can always recycle it through her shop Louis Who, and then buy something new.
With so much experience dressing people at her shop, I ask if she has any style tips. ‘I think people should learn to dress for comfort,’ she says. ‘If something is itchy or uncomfortable, even if it looks great, you’re not going to enjoy it.’ Secondly, she believes we shouldn’t keep things just for special occasions. ‘Dress it down and wear it out for lunch,’ she suggests. ‘Buy less, buy better quality, and wear it!’
And her most important advice? ‘Wear what you bloody want!’ she laughs.
You will find her in a dress, or ‘a frock ’ as she likes to call them, most likely paired with some Havaianas from her rather vast collection.