HSN Jewelry Vendor, And Saint Laurent Cohort, Loulou De La Falaise Dies At Age 63

We were sad to read that Loulou de la Falaise, an HSN vendor and noted jewelry designer, passed away.

The New York Times ran an obit of her on Saturday with the headline “Loulou de la Falaise, a muse to Yves Saint Laurent, Dies At 63.” She died Saturday at her home in northwest France.

“Ms. de la Falaise was synonymous with the bohemian Left Bank world of Saint Laurent and with his 1970s-era entourage, whether it touched down for a weekend in Marrakesh or New York,” the obit said. “She was lean and radiantly beautiful, with a wedge of curly blond hair and a crackling laugh.”

She worked for Saint Laurent for years, designing jewelry for him.

“In 2007, Ms. de la Falaise began to make costume jewelry for Oscar de la Renta,” The Times obit said. “She also created pieces for the Home Shopping Network.”

We enjoyed the offbeat jewelry that she brought to HSN, and enjoyed listening to her whenever she did an appearance on ths home shopping network.

HSN, which still has some of her items on its website, said this about her:

Loulou’s influence on couture and ready-to-wear fashion profoundly changed the industry. For more than 30 years, she was the muse for legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent. Yves revolutionized fashion as the first couture designer to create a ready-to-wear line, making designer style accessible and affordable for working women. Loulou was the source of inspiration and the brain behind his accessories.

“I met Yves through mutual friends. We had lots of fun together, and he must have liked what I did with clothes because one day he asked me to work with him [designing jewelry and accessories]. Then every day I would invent a new way of wearing the same clothes or use things gathered from the flea market … trying to be an inspiration to him, the studio, and myself,” Loulou says.

Yves was one of the first couturiers to put a strong emphasis on accessories, famously saying, “All one needs is a black turtleneck sweater, black trousers or skirt, and lots of chic and fun accessories!”

While at Yves Saint Laurent, Loulou and her work thrived in the limelight. She designed two couture, four ready-to-wear, and four license collections, as well as knits and hats.

Her reputation as a great luxury designer followed her when she opened a two-floor boutique across from the Ritz Paris. Now, her creations are coming to America from the worldwide fashion hub and will be sold exclusively at HSN.

The Loulou de la Falaise collection is for the “American woman seen through the Paris eye.” Loulou’s sophisticated and chunky designs were created for women who have what she calls “dash and dare” and those who like to entertain friends and family at home. Loulou has a lifetime of “dash and dare” memories, beginning in her childhood.

“My mother was born into a world of art and fashion,” Loulou says. “She made it her own world and shared it with me.”

Loulou’s mother introduced her to the New York fashion and arts scene, and Loulou later modeled for Vogue, designed prints for the iconic designer label Halston, and became friends with the most famous artists of the era, spending late nights at Studio 54 with the “Pope of Pop” Andy Warhol.

While Warhol is best known for his Campbell’s soup cans, Loulou is recognized for her signature wolf chomping on one of her favorite gemstones, either a pearl or a diamond. Loulou said she was drawn to the wolf because it is “untamable but faithful to his pack.” She also has a literal connection to her icon.

“Wolf in French is ‘loup,’ pronounced ‘lou,’ “she says. “So my name is wolf-wolf!”

Loulou believes that a woman’s favorite jewelry pieces become her lucky charms. Find your next talisman in the new Loulou de la Falaise jewelry collection.

Tags: HSN, Loulou de la Falaise, The Homeshoppingista, Yves Saint Laurent