Our story is one of optimism, perseverance and of squashing that annoying little ear worm telling you aren’t good enough!
Two + Lou was founded in Otautahi Christchurch by us (sisters Katie and Bertie) right around lockdown, back in June 2020.
Growing up in rural Mid-Canterbury in a family full of practical, creative women, our childhoods were filled with do-it-yourself art projects, sewing experiments, abstract food creations and hut building. Though we didn’t recognise it at the time, this is where the love of creation, design and boundary pushing, which continued into adulthood, began. After school we both obtained qualifications related to the arts, yet neither of us ended up in careers offering creative fulfilment, instead settling for design within our home lives.
Then, in Winter 2019 we made a bunch of roll neck tops. They were bright & colourful, made in soft, comfy fabrics that could be worn dressed up or down. They garnered so many comments that we started thinking.…. could we produce a small run of them to sell??
What we found was that it was really tricky to source fabric that was sustainably and ethically made AND available in bold, interesting print designs. This was the moment that changed the trajectory of our project…. what if we designed our own fabrics?!
The following months were spent teaching ourselves print design and searching for a mill that carried a globally recognised sustainability certification. It’s a good thing we knew nothing about how tricky this would be before we started, but it gave us time to establish the foundations of the sort of business we aspire to be and an appreciation for what we could achieve when we set our minds to it.
We’re passionate about being a business that puts slow fashion, people (women!) and the planet at the front of what we do. We think there’s no point in starting something if you aren’t going to do it right from the beginning. We have purposefully chosen to keep any aspect we can local. Our garments are made in New Zealand and our patterns are drafted locally too. We love that we’re able to work with other women in business and we wholly support the flow on effect of women being independent and doing well. Our commitment to ourselves is to always strive to do better and to seek out new ways to build on our sustainability measures as we grow.
Our designs are our own! You won’t find them anywhere else. Our unique prints celebrate our love of colour and incorporate joyful aspects of the world we live in. We hope you share our joy and happiness every time you wear one of our garments. All our garments are purposefully designed to fit a busy modern lifestyle, with particular consideration given to comfort, colour and importantly - individuality.
We believe in finding your own style, and that looking cool and being comfortable shouldn't be mutually exclusive possibilities! Whether you are a pattern-on-pattern kind of gal, or just like to wear a patterned top with jeans, we hope our bold prints and vibrant colours inspire joy and happiness in your life. And, we think it’s pretty cool that this can be achieved whilst caring for the world we live in, and the people we share it with.