THE GRAND DAME

Between freedom of choice and grounded reality, Belgian designer Isla Maria Van Damme is busy living in the moment and wants women to follow suit.

- SHIVPRIYA BAJPAI

I wake up early on a Saturday morning, partly whining about the hectic work week I have had earlier, to get on a telephonic chat with Isla Maria Van Damme or fondly known by her sobriquet, Loulou, to many. Barely 30 seconds into the call and she refers to me as “darling”, and sounds more enthusiastic than I have ever been in my 37 years of existence (not an exaggeration). Loulou is 79, a free-spirited designer, stylist, and hotelier, who has no plans of retiring from work anytime soon.

What keeps her going? It’s the first thing I ask. “It’s just my willpower,” she laughs out loud and adds, “I have not been well the past month, but I still work. I usually wake up at 6 AM, visit the flower market, and get on with my day. Even if I don’t get a good night’s sleep at this age, I still work the next day. If I feel like doing something, I put all my troubles aside and just show up,” she smiles.

For the uninitiated, Loulou is an institution in herself for the design community. The Belgian multi-hyphenate was born in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, and has lived in Mumbai, London, Brussels, before returning to India permanently. She is known for her inimitable personal style, though she is quick to reject the decrees of beauty and fashion. An occasional model, Loulou has featured in fashion campaigns of brands like Injiri and Outhouse Jewellery. Designer and founder of Injiri, Chinar Farooqui remembers the first time she saw Loulou in an Injiri outfit and immediately thought her to be the ideal muse for the brand. “I have known Loulou for more than a decade. I met her through Maithili Ahluwalia when they were the heart and soul of the concept store Bunglow 8 in Mumbai. She is a beautiful person inside out with a vast experience in design. There’s something very natural, grounded, and honest about Loulou’s personality that strikes a chord with me. I appreciate her attitude towards life and her work,” shares Farooqui.