Albert Lo and Helen Waterson are the brother and sister sartorial pair behind Lomolicious, a stylish and sustainable poncho brand. Lomolicious' signature fleece ponchos are sewn in picturesque Lions Bay by Lo, who’s inspired by his daily drive up the Sea to Sky highway. The company's designs are described as West Coast chic and reflect the beauty of their surroundings which the siblings aim to preserve through sustainable practices.
North Shore News: Why did you decide to start making ponchos?
Albert Lo: I realised with tops and dresses, you need a more tailored fit for it to be flattering, which then ran into the challenge of creating different sizes. Since I make each piece myself, this became quite difficult to do, so I thought, how can I make a design that’s one-sized yet flattering?
North Shore News: How much trial and error was there in the design process?
Albert Lo: Our first poncho was a lightweight knit version, created in the summer of 2013, and it sold really well, so we figured we were on to something. That fall I wanted to take the summer poncho design but make it warmer, and in our search for the right fabric, we came across cotton fleece and thought we’d give it a go. The fleece, however, was far too stiff to reinterpret the summer design, so after a few trial and errors, I came up with a design that we thought worked. I managed to quickly sew up about six or 10 pieces the night before one of our big Christmas fairs, and surprisingly, that fleece poncho sold out immediately. So, the fleece poncho, which has been our biggest seller and our signature design, came about somewhat accidentally.
North Shore News: How does your fashionable outerwear set itself apart?
Albert Lo: We like to think of our fleece ponchos as a very stylish hug. The Lomolicious poncho is also cut with a more tailored silhouette and often asymmetrical, which has become our signature look. We’ve also found that our ponchos have appealed, and flattered, a really wide range of women of various sizes and ages – from teenagers to 90-year-old grandmothers!
North Shore News: Describe the West Coast Chic look you are going for?
Albert Lo: Helen lives in Lions Bay, and I work from her home, where I cut and sew everything. I drive up and down the Sea to Sky to get to her place and I’m always inspired by the colours and textures along the way – the mountainous greys, cloudy whites, blue waters, lush green forests. We also think the West Coast lifestyle is somewhat laidback, with a more casual, sporty style, so our designs reflect that.
North Shore News: What is your sustainability model and why is it important for your company’s values?
Albert Lo: When you think about what it takes to create something as simple as a cotton T-shirt – from the water, land and labour it takes to grow cotton, harvest, process, bleach, dye, then weave into fabric, to then having the fabric shipped, cut and sewn into a garment, then having that garment shipped, stocked, marketed and sold – that equates to a huge amount of manpower and resources into making just one T-shirt. Therefore, we embrace the ethos of “buy less, but buy better” – buy garments that are of better quality, made locally or even handmade, and produced ethically using sustainable materials. Which leads us to our use of bamboo.
North Shore News: How are the ponchos put together?
Albert Lo: Each piece is designed and handmade by me. I love to create things by hand, and I like the fact that I know where and how each piece is made.
North Shore News: Where do you sell them?
Albert Lo: Our products are sold at an artisan co-operative in Lower Lonsdale, called Under the Umbrella. We also sell at local craft fairs, because we love meeting and interacting with both new and repeat customers. And we have an online shop lomolicious.ca where you can buy select pieces.
North Shore News: What’s the benefit of being part of an artists’ collective?
Albert Lo: It’s wonderful being part of an artisan collective, like the one at Under the Umbrella, because we all have different strengths, ideas and resources we can draw upon. It’s sharing the responsibility and commitment of running a business and retail shop, while being able to bounce ideas off one another.
North Shore News: How does the brother-sister team complement the business?
Albert Lo: We have a great balance, whereby Helen, with her advertising background, is in charge of marketing, PR and branding, while I enjoy designing and creating. Having said that, Helen is not only my business partner, but she’s also my muse. With each piece I create, I ask for her opinion during every step, to see if she likes the design, the fabric, and style.
North Shore News: What do you pair your poncho with?
Albert Lo: Because ponchos have quite a bit of volume on top, it’s ideal to keep it slim on the bottom. The best look, we’ve found, is to wear ponchos with leggings or slim jeans paired with knee-high or even ankle boots – this creates a really flattering silhouette, that’s stylish, and forgiving.
