A quick look at her website will tell you that Laurence Leenaerts sees herself as a sun-chaser and adventurer. Both things are true, but there’s so much more to be said. In the light of the LRNCE x Bellerose collaboration, we jumped at the chance to spend a few days with her and discover her atypical story. With an infectious enthusiasm, she answered our questions and showed us around in Marrakesh. Whether she was making us watermelon juice in her house in Gueliz, painting her instantly recognizable patterns on a few vases in her Sidi Ghanem studio or interacting with craftsmen in the Medina, her energy and determination were always tangible.
BACKGROUND.
Can you give us some background on how and where you grew up? Were you exposed to art and design at a young age or how did you end up being drawn to that world?
As a little girl I was obsessed with horses. We had a pony back then and I was always outside with our pony, in the garden or the fields around the house I grew up in. My parents got divorced when I was very young, so I mostly stayed with my mother. We lived on the outskirts of Kortrijk, which is in the southwest of Belgium. She is a textile designer and always used to take me with her to trade fairs or show me what she was working on. That included carpets, upholstery for furniture and what not. Using the leftovers of the fabrics she worked with, I’d cut out my own little creations for the pony (laughs). I guess you can trace back my interest in design to that point in time.
Was that how you ended up choosing your future direction in school too?
Actually not. That idea hadn’t crossed my mind yet, because as a teenager I initially wanted to pursue sports. But I had an art teacher who insisted that I was really talented and that it would be crazy not to do something with that talent. I didn’t believe her at first. I had no idea what she was on about (laughs), but my parents believed in it too and convinced me to give it a shot. I followed their advice and registered in the local art school, which seemed nice enough. Almost to my surprise, I really enjoyed doing Visual Arts. Plus, I was lucky enough to have some amazing and inspiring teachers.
After high school I wanted to take things further and study Fashion, in order to create things myself, triggered by all the textiles I’d always been surrounded with. In the end, I didn’t finish my Fashion studies in Ghent because by the time that I’d finished my internship, I’d already started doing LRNCE and creating my first bags, so I didn’t feel like going back to school. I had no reason to. School seemed so much less appealing than going out there to work and create.
We’re guessing your parents weren’t too excited about that.
They didn’t it understand at all. My mother was freaking out (laughs)! She was convinced that I’d never be able to make a living off designing bags and not actual clothes. But I insisted and said I just wanted to try, I wanted to take that risk. I understand why they were worried but I’m glad I pushed through.
What brought you to creating bags? Did you have any specific inspirations at the time?
I’m not very skilled technically and a little impatient. I need to see results quite fast. Bags are perfect for that. They’re rather easy to make and I always had access to leftover fabrics. When I started wearing my own designs and taking them with me in the city, people took notice and started asking me if they could maybe buy one, which lead me to making more.
Some of my main inspirations when I began designing were African tribes and graphic design... tons of it! Even though I’m horrible with computers, I love good graphic design and it always inspired me to make my own collages and cut up all kinds of things. Symbols and colors were always important to me too. Most of those early inspirations can still be seen in what I create today, that same vibe is still there.
LRNCE & CREATIVITY.
If you ask us, keywords when it comes to LRNCE are instinct, naivety and spontaneity... Does this reflect your personality? Or is it an escape from the more serious things in life?
When I start thinking of what I have to do, I can’t function. Spontaneity is everything to me, but it’s hard to explain how that works, or why it is that way. It just is. I hold on to it dearly because that sense of joy is what I want to exude. Marrakech, with its palm trees and sunlight, certainly is a factor in that too.
It’s easier to work on instinct or to try new things here for sure. What sometimes blocked me a little in Belgium for example was the minimal production quantities. Like, 100 pieces at least, which I did not have the budget for as a start-up. Here in Morocco, you can just have one sample made and see if you like it or not.
So, would you say that Morocco turned you into a sunnier, more relaxed person? Even if, like you said, you’ve always had a rather spontaneous and care-free attitude?
I guess that, when I was still in Belgium, I was afraid to get stuck in a life I did not want. When I had the chance to move here, I took that chance. Belgium was a little intimidating for me, but it’s hard to say why. It was almost as if stability and normality scared me. I need to feel that I’m alive. Obviously, moving here with hardly anything, knowing nobody, was kind of frightening but it was also super exciting.
The brand has grown immensely since then. How do you experience that growth?
It’s really cool that people seem to enjoy what we do but we don’t really care about growing even more. Earning more money, increasing production, expanding our points of sale; those things don’t necessarily satisfy me and don’t match with what LRNCE is about.
In order to grow even further in a business sense, we’d have to hire even more people and I’m afraid that we’d lose a part of our identity. It’s not worth it to me. I’m happy with the level we’ve achieved now.
Up until today, every LRNCE item is still finished by you personally, you paint every piece by hand – how important is that to you?
Very important. It’s the core of what I do. It’s all about the details. If those details wouldn’t be exactly how I wanted them to be, LRNCE would be something else. Even the pictures of our products, I take myself. “I started it, so I need to finish it too”, that’s my philosophy.
Part of the reason is my need to control, but I know can’t control everything. And I’m getting better at accepting that (laughs). Nowadays, I can ask a collaborator or an intern to do something and feel alright about it. When it comes to the artisans I work with, I’ve also realized that it can sometimes be better to give them some more space and to listen to their feedback.
How have those relationships evolved? How do the artisans you collaborate with respond to seeing the finished LRNCE products?
In the beginning it was weird, they thought it was horrible (laughs) and were like “we’re doing so much effort to make nice plates for you and then you do this?”. It’s different now of course. They’ve really started to appreciate what I do. It’s probably also my reaction to seeing the finished products and my enthusiasm that pushes them over the edge. They need some convincing at times (laughs).
What also used to happen often is that the artisans I worked with would take over. I’d design sandals and would explain what I wanted in detail, but when I would return to pick them up, they’d changed my designs because they thought they made no sense (laughs). Of course, I know they mean well and luckily it was always just one sample at a time.
It’s been over 4 years now that I’ve been working with most of them and, over the years, you really grow together. I really value those relationships and the work they do. These are the people have been with me since the start, when I was literally nobody. It’s nice for everyone involved to stick tight and to continue working as a team, as a family almost.
Seems to us that it’s freedom of expression you’re after, more than achieving perfection. Is there a specific creative process?
Honestly, I just do what I do (laughs). I do draw and paint a lot, I source a lot of materials, I make studies for carpets, I’m always brooding on something. Everything is connected too, you see. A painting can also be used as an inspiration when I’m making ceramics, one thing always sets another in motion.
The freedom to be creative is crucial to me. I don’t have to work in collections, I don’t have to force myself into a certain category or box. I can decide to do whatever I want. If I find the perfect fabric, I can create a couple of jackets with it if I want to. That’s what works best for me.
MARRAKESH.
Your first trip to Morocco was to a tent camp in the desert, right? How did that come about?
That story’s funny. I’d arranged a two-week trip to Morocco with my sister. Our first stop was Marrakesh and after that we had a trip to the desert booked. I thought we were going there in a jeep or so, but it turned out we had to walk! I swear, my sister was about to kill me (laughs). It was a 6-day journey, so every day from 8 in the morning until sunset, we’d walk. It was crazy but it was an unforgettable, beautiful experience.
After that first trip, I felt that I needed to come back. So, I talked to my friend Bobo, who owned the camp and asked if I could come back to help him out, in exchange for a stay. He agreed, so I went back and stayed for 6 weeks. I told Bobo I’d move to Morocco one day and he didn’t believe me. But sure enough, not that much later I decided to go for it.
Was Marrakesh always going to be the place you were going to move to in Morocco? Did it take you long to really feel at ease here?
At first, I didn’t really like Marrakesh all that much. It was just too intense. Too hectic compared to the desert, where everything and everyone is super relaxed. You have to learn to understand the city better before you can really live here. In my case, all the artisans are here, the materials are here, it’s easier to work and arrange shipments here, so Marrakesh really was the best option for me. Nowadays, I really do enjoy living here.
It took me close to a year and a half to get to the point where I felt totally comfortable, where I felt more like a local than a visitor. Because I don’t speak Arabic, I’m still not what I’d call a local for 100% but I’m getting there (laughs).
Arriving here at the age of 25, on your own, must've been quite the experience. You must have some funny anecdotes from those first couple of months.
One of the funniest things happened when I had to first visit the atelier where they make our leather bags. It’s a 30-minute drive from Marrakesh and I didn’t have a car at the time. So, I thought “you know what, I’ll just hitchhike there”. But the thing is, no one hitchhikes here and after a little while the police showed up. They told me it’s forbidden to hitch rides in Morocco and asked if I was a prostitute maybe (laughs)! I quickly showed them all the paperwork I had on me and the samples of the bags that I made.
There's a stark contrast between the hectic tempo of the Medina and the laid-back, harmonic LRNCE universe. How do you see that?
To me it’s like bringing two worlds together. When I look at my designs or paintings, I can see the chaotic, hectic pace of Marrakesh in them, but placed it in a different, calmer context. I need that dose of chaos; I love driving around the city on my scooter for example. It’s the best. That’s when I really take the time to think about what I do, to reflect on what’s going on. Even though traffic is crazy, like being a video game (laughs), I can really slow down my mind and think about everything when I’m on my scooter.
GHENT & BELLEROSE.
What do you miss from back home?
Not that many things. Maybe that European big city feeling, where you can just stroll around and go clothes-shopping if you feel like it. Food wise, I miss having some more options. Because as great as tajines and couscous are, sometimes you just want something else. I would love it if more young people moved here, to shake things up a little, to diversify the city. There are so many opportunities here! I’ve been saying this in close to every interview or to anyone that will listen, “young people, move to Marrakesh!” (laughs).
When you go back to visit your friends and family in Belgium, do you now sometimes feel like an outsider?
Sometimes, yes. Everyone’s so busy with work and their lives, but we work it out though. It still feels good to go back and visit, to simply speak Flemish. I miss that sometimes. When you’re not speaking your own language, you’re a bit of a different person, I think. I think I’m funnier in Flemish (laughs).
Do you have any favorite places in Ghent?
I have great memories of Or Coffee, I just found out they moved further up the street! I love the Copyright bookstore. Of course, I love going to Schleiper and I like vintage shopping at Think Twice.
How did you get to know Bellerose growing up? What are you souvenirs of your time working for us?
Well, my mother was already a fan of the brand and that’s how I got to know Bellerose. After moving to Ghent to study, I needed a job to make some extra money, so for about 4 years I worked at the Ghent store during weekends and holidays. The atmosphere there was always really relaxed. I liked the clothes, I liked the fabrics, the team at the time was fun to be around. It was a good time.
Were you surprised when we reached out to do this collaboration?
Thing is, I’d already sent out a couple of emails in the past, but nobody answered (laughs)! I’d almost forgotten about it until about a year or so later, I got an email with a proposal. I was really happy, because it does mean a lot to me. When I met some of the people behind the brand later, things just clicked too, everyone was super nice.
The collaboration makes sense to me, because of my past with the brand and the fact that I run my own brand now. Plus, I know Bellerose often branches out, creating shoes, selling interior design, books and what not so I always felt that something nice could come out of a collaboration. That’s why I reached out in the first place (laughs).
I’m really pleased with how everything is coming together. I specifically love the candles, because visually it’s LRNCE, but the scent is Bellerose. When you smell it, you instantly know what it is.
FUTURE PLANS.
You just got married, which of course has been demanding a lot of time and attention so what is going on now? What are the future plans?
We’re trying to rest a little now. The wedding really took a lot of energy, we tried to put a lot of ourselves into it, I created a whole range of items for the occasion too.
Now, our next project is moving our studio & showroom closer to the Medina. We found a really old riad, that was half-renovated by the previous owner, but decided to start all over again, mixing classic Moroccan styles with contemporary design. Everything in there will be locally produced too. Hopefully by early 2020 we’ll be up and running there.
There’s more but honestly, we try to not plan too much, because we need time to enjoy the other things in life too.
Thank you Laurence and Ayoub for having us!
Words : Bjorn Dossche
Pictures : Victoria Nossent
