Even though she’s got her own fashion line, Lourdes Leon — better known to the masses as Lola, the daughter of Madonna — admits that she had a lot to learn when she first launched the Material Girl brand.
“It was really hard at first because I didn’t know what I was doing,” Lola, dressed in a tank top and jean cutoffs, said in a recent interview. “I was like, ‘You know, not a lot of people wear this. Let me just wear it.’ It wasn’t even that it looked good on me. I was just like, ‘Let me do this because not a lot of people are doing it.’ Now I feel like I can follow fashion a lot better than I used to, but also have some of my own take on it.”
Her learning curve is understandable: After all, she’s just 14. But she’s already a fashion star with Material Girl, which is geared toward teens and sold at Macy’s. The line, which she launched with her mother last year, is now branching out into cosmetics, undergarments and nail polish.
Photo: EPA
Through laughs and typical teenager banter, Lola talked about her vision for Material Girl, her mom and fashion do’s and don’ts.
Alicia Quarles: It’s been a year since your clothing line launched. What have you learned about fashion over the past 12 months?
Lourdes Leon: I learned a lot of things that I shouldn’t wear or do. Like don’t wear white to school, because then stuff gets dirty really fast. I don’t think you should wear shorts that are too small and I don’t think you should wear shorts that are too big either because I find myself looking really awkward. It takes me a really long time to find the perfect pair of shorts. I like the ones you can pull up to your bellybutton almost, which makes it look extra weird and retro.
AQ: Your mom once told me that the two of you don’t always agree on designs.
LL: Absolutely. Every day ... I will be like, “Mom, you can’t wear that.” Or she will be like, “Lola, you can’t wear that.” A lot of the time we don’t listen to each other, but sometimes we do.
AQ: When it comes to designing Material Girl, who wins out?
LL: Me. I have to tell her, “Mom, it is the in thing. This is what kids are doing now. If you don’t do this, then it is going to suck.” And then she usually gives in.
AQ: Do you go to your mom’s closet for inspiration?
LL: Her closet is huge. All the time. I am always in there and if no one knows where I am in the house, it is usually my mom’s closet and I am usually taking something without asking her. She gets mad at me.
AQ: How does it feel to have a clothing line at such a young age?
LL: It is really cool, and also it is a lot of fun to know that my friends enjoy it, and to know that a lot of people enjoy it because it is also a lot of what I like. My friends have great style. I go to an arts school, so a lot of them are really artistic and passionate about a lot of things that inspire what they wear.
AQ: Advice time. What is your idea of a fashion faux pas?
LL: Don’t wear white. I am all for crop tops, but I don’t like it when people wear crop tops that are excessively cropped. Really, don’t be a skank with your crop top. I think boots are always a go-to, no matter what you are wearing, but you always have to make sure they don’t cut off your leg because that is not right. When you are wearing heels, it is more comfortable to walk in platforms. Platforms always look good and they are more comfortable to wear and they make you look way taller. I used to do this a lot, but the hippie bands around your head are very out. Don’t ever wear that again.
AQ: Your line has expanded to include nail polish and undergarments. What is your ultimate vision for the collection?
LL: I think it has continued to evolve and now it is at a point where we have so much stuff that I use and that I think other people will really enjoy using, so I like it.
On the Net: www.materialgirlcollection.com
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