KOCHI: The 2020 lockdown saw entrepreneurs emerging from all walks of life. Though the world came to a standstill, it brought out the best in many and they came out of the crisis in flying colours of creativity. Kochi-based couple Litta Varghese and Jiss Mathew Jacob decided to do something productive during the last lockdown too. “Our screen time skyrocketed last year. That is when we decided to start an online clothing brand. Florence by LJ was never a planned effort. But since I had an interest in clothing and designing for a long time, we decided to give it a go,” says Litta who is a software engineer by profession.
The homegrown venture primarily focuses on comfortable, durable, and sustainable apparel. Though Florence by LJ kicked off with outsourced clothing, especially Chikankari kurtis and sarees, the brand soon started to release purposeful outfits — customised dresses designed in-house. “We were particular about releasing contemporary, affordable designs using sustainable fabric. We didn’t want to be a part of the fast-fashion culture. Cotton is the main component in most of the outfits,” says Jiss, co-founder and an engineer by profession.
Overlap Agarkha dresses, t-shirt dresses, linen tier dresses, soft cotton with floral embroidery motifs, flip flop dresses for the outdoor days, and frill pattern dresses are designed to be used as both casualwear and occasionwear if accessorised properly. “The outfits in sustainable fabrics like cotton and linen not only multiplies the users’ comfort level, but it also helps them stand out in a crowd,” adds Jiss.
There is also a pool of choices for women in terms of maternity wear. “The differently styled neck fits are buttoned from top to bottom,” shares the duo. Interestingly the brand can add pockets to these comfy dresses, a rarity in a woman’s world.
With Christmas around the corner, the brand has unveiled its Xmas collection — Santa’s Loft. This time, red and green stripe dresses come in for adults too. “For Christmas, kids usually get the checkered green, red and white designs while adults are seen in plain shades of red, white, and green. But we are bringing a change to that,” says Litta. A high neck collar with puffy sleeves, frill pattern and more patterns in tweed fabric is the highlight of the collection. “Tweed fabric caters to our overseas clients. The green striped tweed fabric dress would be a perfect winter fit,” adds Jiss.
The brand is all set to release its complete handwoven edition aimed to support many artisans while also bringing comfort through its soft, lightweight fabric.