Lauren London has always been seen as the “it girl.” Women have looked up to her style for years. Many have based their looks on it, KNOWING they’d be the best looking person in the room. Now the girls, guys and everyone in between can have a bit of that iconic Lauren London style in their wardrobes. London has collaborated with PUMA a second time to bring fans the “Lauren London’s LA Love Story” collection, which she says is “a peek inside of my closet and of my life.”
We caught up with the star to discuss the new collection, influences in her life and more! Check it out below.
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Zayna Allen: Congratulations on the new collection! This is your second collection with PUMA. “Forever Stronger II” was created to honor those who persist in the face of adversity, which we know you’ve done the same. What are some of the ways that you wanted to differ the “Lauren London’s LA Love Story” collection from your first?
Lauren London: The “Forever Stronger” is a lifelong message and manifestation and then this collection is a peek inside of my closet and of my life. It’s an expanded version. This line has something for everybody. It’s completely unisex and we spent two and a half years making it. So we’ve been doing “LA Love Story” and out of that, “Forever Stronger” was born and so we’re able to drop that first.
ZA: You’ve always been a fashion killer, we’ve always known you to be that. You’ve always been THAT girl when it comes to fashion and looks. So what made you really want to get into creating Collections and having a bit of yourself in everybody’s closet?
LL: With this collection, I just didn’t want to throw clothes out there, I wanted them to have a story. I wanted it to be very authentic, to who I was and things that I would actually wear. And this collection is very cozy. In my opinion it’s very comfortable. It’s unisex; it’s for men and for women. Everything in this collection I would actually wear and there were pieces that I wanted to make, so that I could wear.
ZA: “Lauren’s LA Love Story” is about how LA has really had an impact on you. What story do you want people to get from this? What exactly do you want people to walk away with when they see the collection?
LL: That it’s 100% authentic to who I am in this space right now. That I didn’t just put my name on clothes. That I was extremely genuine in figuring things out like the colors and who shot the campaign. That I was fully involved. I want people to feel that they are getting the time that I put into it and that they’re getting these pieces that I really, authentically was true to. Not necessarily the story to this collection because the collection is the story.
ZA: You had messaging emblazoned in the “Forever Stronger” line and you are doing the same with “Lauren London’s LA Love Story.” For this collection, you have a saying from Nip that you put into it. What do you hope that your your consumers gain from these messages that you’re putting in the clothing?
LL: That it’s purposeful. They’re affirmations you can wear. It’s not just a piece you’re putting on, but you can look down and you could see “forever stronger” and that can be a small reminder for you. You can look down and remind yourself that “it’s not on you, it’s in you.” You’re that light. It’s who you are, what makes you, you. That’s inside of you. It’s not what you put on. It’s who you are inside.
I always want to be very intentional and purposeful and mindful of the energy I’m putting out there and the energy I’m putting in to what I put my name behind.
ZA: I really do love that about you. People do look to you as someone who does exudes positive energy and cares about her footprint in this world. I feel like when you first got on the scene, a lot of people looked at you in a “she’s so cute. She’s so fine, we love to see her,” type of way. But as we got to know you and as you got older we got to learn a little bit more of you as a person. You’ve shown that you care about people, you care about yourself, you care about the world. What do you attribute this to?
LL: I think that it would be such an empty success story if I didn’t align it with a sense of purpose. I don’t want to just be known, I want it to make sense and I do believe in being of service to each other. I think God has put us all here to be of service to each other.
I just want to make sure that anything I’m doing is a service of the highest good. And if I ever fall short of that, it’s not my intention. But yeah, I just don’t want to be living in vain.
ZA: As we mentioned earlier, a quote from Nipsey Hussle is emblazoned into the clothing. You’ve been close to his family as well as yours. How has being around family helped with your outlook on life?
LL: I have a lot of elders in my family. Like my aunts are extremely wise church-going women. Anytime I’m in a really deep rut, I go to my aunt for prayer. She’s like an extreme prayer warrior. I have a huge family, like 33 cousins. A huge family of extremely strong, beautiful black women. I attribute a lot of my strength and a lot of my inspiration to my aunt and my mother. My mother was the first person I ever saw go to therapy in the early 90s. She read a lot of self-help books. So I would attribute a lot of my inspiration to her through my own life. And yes, Nip has inspired me, he was one of my greatest teachers. But MY own family, I have to give them credit.
ZA: So what else can we expect from Lauren London? Will there be another PUMA collab? Do we not know yet?
LL: We know and I hope so! I think there’s something in there for everyone. I also have to say that Hype Williams, the legend, shot the campaign photos.
“Lauren’s LA Love Story” is available now on PUMA’s website! The collection retails for $22-$110 and features footwear including a PUMA Suede, Slipstream and leadcat slide and unisex apparel pieces including a track jacket, track pant, hoodies, shorts, men’s and women’s boilersuits and more.