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Los Angeles-based designers Sophia Kim and Jane Moon launched their label, Isabel Lu, in spring 2009. The label strangely includes neither of the designers’ names. It turns out that Kim and Moon are sisters, and Lu is their father’s nickname, while Isabel is Moon’s oldest daughter’s name.

“[Our father] taught us everything about the business,” the designers say. “The combination of the name reminds us of where we came from and what the future holds.”

A label originating from strong familial bond, Isabel Lu presents its latest holiday season with pieces, such as a black little dress spiced up with golden details, a navy top with ruffled sleeves and golden lining paired with black shiny leggings, a loose-fitting royal blue top with a metallic blazer, and a deep-V black silk blouse adorned with tiny golden rectangles.

With no prior fashion experience, Kim and Moon learned everything about the industry from the ground up. At the same time, their multicultural roots and people around them shape their aesthetic vision and sense of style.

“Our cultural upbringing has taught us to be very hard-working, and we have been able to see the styles of different cultures, from Korea to the United States,” the designers say.

Kim and Moon look for inspiration not only across cultures, more importantly, from the street, from everyday people they see walking down the street. Like Bill Cunningham, fashion photographer for The New York Times, once said, “I realized that you didn’t know anything unless you photographed the shows and the street, to see how people interpreted what designers hoped they would buy. I realized that the street was the missing ingredient.”

For the sister designers, this is not one bit less true.

“We get inspired by traveling and seeing the personal style of different women,” they say. “We strive for our pieces to have longevity and remain staples in a woman’s wardrobe.”

So what do the designers think would be some signature pieces from Isabel Lu for a woman?

“Our sweaters and knits have definitely proven to be essential pieces,” they say. “Also, our embellished pieces and silks because of the edgy silhouettes, and the fact that they are eye catchers.”

Sweaters, knits, and silks sound very soft and comfy. For a sophisticated woman living in a metropolitan city, they do seem to be good choices that could create an elegant look or something that’s a little more relaxed.

“Our collections are definitely wearable and put together in a casual sense,” Kim and Moon say. “‘Downtown chic’ is the best way to describe our style. Our concept evolves and matures as street style does. We aren’t all about ‘what’s in now;’ we want to create pieces for a modern woman who doesn’t conform to trends.”

A fashion nonconformist sometimes has different definitions in designers’ dictionaries. What do the L.A. girl and the New York girl look like in Kim and Moon’s dictionary?

“New York girls wear a lot of black,” the designers say. “They are more conservative and seem to wear more suits. The L.A. girl is definitely more casual and laid-back. Hollywood is obviously a major influence of style, as opposed to Wall Street or the corporate setting of New York.”

Well, that might be true in some cases, but black is not the only color in a New York girl’s closet. While a L.A. girl probably gets to go to the beach and enjoy the sun more often than her New York counterpart, we certainly do see colors on the Lower East Side, in Nolita and the West Village.

Being based on the West Coast, the designers think the best celebrity to represent their label is surprisingly not someone from L.A., but one of the leading female actors in the New York City-based show Gossip Girl, Blake Lively.

“[Her] character on Gossip Girl really captures the style, lines, and embellishments of an Isabel Lu girl, and in real life, Blake has said that she likes to borrow things from her character’s wardrobe,” the designers say. “So, we feel like not only the character she plays, but Blake in real life would be a perfect candidate to represent Isabel Lu.”

As 2009 is coming to an end, the designers continue working hard as they have these past 11 months to make Isabel Lu a better-known brand in the upcoming year. Moon is working on partnership with major boutiques and online stores as Kim is designing a fresh variety of knit sweaters for Isabel Lu lovers. Full of hope and excitement, both sisters are looking forward to an even better 2010, providing something for every woman with each new collection.

“We want to get our name out there,” the designers say.

(Photo credit: Isabel Lu)

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