Who ART You? 17
If you follow me on IG, or get my newsletter, you have probably seen that I am doing a retreat in MARRAKECH on MAR 6-10th, “The Art of Business, Slow Travel, and Self-Discovery” with my good friend and very talented Branding Expert and Business Coach, Katherine Suarez @katherinesuarez, and @nomadatelier. https://www.nomadatelier.com/marrakechretreat (If you would like more information or an invitation to our retreat, please message me at jan@janmccarthy ).
In our reserach about interesting and unique companies we would like to explore, we discovered this artist Laurence Leenaert that I’m crazy about! Here’s the story! and in full disclosure, this article is from Elle Decor by Di Valentina Mariani 11/03/18
Laurence Leenaert
Who ART You?
Why Marrakesh?
Working from a Medina in Marrakech wouldn’t seem to be the best strategy to achieve international recognition. However, if we look at LRNCE, the modern accessories and textile line by Laurence Leenaert, it will be clear why it is actually so successful. Her unique modern taste comes from tradition and is influenced by Picasso-inspired art.
Laurence came a long way, from studying at KASK in Gent, Belgium, and working as an intern at fashion brand Bless in Berlin. Since then, she decided to have her own brand and to work on her own bag line. Her design developed quickly, from focusing on lines and grids to embracing more abstract, almost human-like shapes that today decorate textiles, rugs, ceramics, kimonos, sandals and everything else she sells in her studio-showroom and in stores around the world, from Paris to New York City, Sweden and Switzerland.
She’s an artist with a big heart, in love with design and we asked her to share her vision with us in an interview.
Laurence, what’s LRNCE?
LRNCE is a lifestyle brand based in Marrakech focused on interior decoration and accessories. We revolutionised the aim of materials, spontaneously combining them to create unique design pieces. As we manufacture them in North Africa, we try our best to capture the local artisanal spirit and to remain close to the products hand-making process.
Why Marrakech?
After a magical trip in the desert with my sister, I decided I was going to come back. So one day I booked a flight, shipped my sewing machine and stayed there an entire month working on some new projects. Once back in Belgium, I realised I couldn’t live there anymore and I moved to Morocco. I initially wanted to go to the desert but it was really not feasible to work there so I opted for Marrakech. At the beginning it was hard: the culture is very different and my financial resources were limited. After a while, by working on new projects and by meeting the right people it all worked out.
From opening your online store three years ago, you now have your own showroom...
Yes, opening the showroom was a great chance for us to personally meet our clients, and what’s better than that? Every day we meet interesting people working in the creative sector and many, many young people.
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