LAEKEN

Drawing from international travels and personal creativity, LAEKEN is a label with not only a strong palette of color and sexy silhouettes; it also is a label with a conscience.  $1 of each garment (which will never be made from fur or leather and always incorporates organic fabrics) is donated to Friends of Toms, a non-profit organization supporting philanthropic work abroad.

The charismatic founder of LAEKEN, Mallyce Miller, and I had an entertaining chat one evening, which we feel should be passed on in its original form:

4:26pmMallyce

whatcha wanna know?

4:27pmBradley

well first off, what do you want to tell me? what direction do you want this to go? i dont want it to be all the boring questions that everyone asks ya know. BUT i still want it to be beneficial in expressing you as a designer

4:28pmMallyce

hmmmmm. i like long walks on the beach…

the truth is…im not one of those people who can bullshit about their work…you know the ones in school that would show a crappy painting and have the best “BS story” behind its inspiration that that person would get an A…well, im more of a sarcastic creative type that would rather have a glass of wine with you and chat about ..uh…BEACHES..and show you my clothes..but since you are TOO FAR AWAY…i will attempt my best

4:31pmBradley

yeah i totally understand that. i love that you are sarcastic. its great!

well first off, you were inspire a lot by tokyo street style. how much time did you spend there?

4:35pmMallyce

so last time..right before i started my line..i went to

AUSTRALIA< NEW ZEALAND< FIJI< LAOS< CAMBODIA< VIETNAM< THAILAND< TOKYO

I fell in love with tokyo!

seriously..if i could live there i would. All of the images on my site are from my travels.

4:36pmBradley

what an amazing trip! did you kind of have it planned out or did you kind of take it as it came?

4:36pmMallyce

i scheduled it for 3 month

but kept extending it

met up with an ex (aussie) …and kept extending it

the style was AMAZING!!!! i could take the best outfit i have in my closet and look the LEAST stylish one on the street

4:37pmBradley

did those travels inspire your design a lot?

4:38pmMallyce

yeah…at that time NEONS/80s were really huge in Australia..they hadnt really hit big yet in the US

i loved their use of color and how men there wear more “obnoxious in a good way-type” clothing

in tokyo they have REALLY interesting silhouettes!

4:40pmBradley

yeah i love all the layering that is done in tokyo

4:40pmMallyce

much more layered and voluminous

4:42pmBradley

so, to get the technicalities out of the way, i have just some basic questions:
1. where did you study
2. where is LAEKEN sold
3. what is the origination of the name

4:42pmMallyce

1) USC…Business

2) SATINE, OAK, Delta in Japan, Revolve, and i have an online store too!

for spring …some more in Canada..and Steven Alan.

3) the name is from an amazing place in Belgium. Royal greenhouses and gardens are in Laeken..

oh and speaking of….always capitalize it…..LAEKEN

4:48pmBradley

alright so now i have some more fun/random questions!

what was your favorite cartoon as a child?

4:49pmMallyce

snorks..or…uh,..yeah i guess snorks

thats the first that came to mind

4:49pmBradley

what is the last song you listened to?

Mallyce

hmmmmmmmm..driving home probably something on that station COAST. 103.5

probably Phil Collins or something

id say that because I shamelessly rock out to Phil Collins

4:51pmBradley

haha really?? thats amazing.

4:51pmMallyce

love the Cure..Love song..I remember that song playing last night

4:51pmBradley

what did you eat for breakfast?

4:51pmMallyce

its 2pm..havent had breakfast yet. i had barrys tea

4:51pmBradley

blackberry or iphone…or neither!

4:52pmMallyce

BLACKBERRY!

but

i HATE IT!

4:52pmBradley

hahaha why??

4:52pmMallyce

i have to email uber long emails daily on my phone so i assumed bbs are the best for that

my phone is more of an office-toy than a play-toy

4:53pmBradley

so, when was the last time you had a hickey?

4:54pmMallyce

haha

hmmmmmmmmmm

the last time i remember is in college…and..

it was sooooooooo giant..that i had to borrow all of my friends (tank turtlenecks..which thankfully were in style at the time)…and wear a new colored one each day for a week!!!!

it was about 80 degrees that week

4:55pmBradley

haha brilliant!

what was the last movie you saw?

4:56pmMallyce

hmm..movie…..

sector 9?…

haha

wait…district 9

4:56pmBradley

hahaha!!

4:57pmMallyce

sector 9 is a skateboard company

ha

i like manly movies.

action packed.

4:57pmBradley

i guess so!!

4:57pmMallyce

weird..i know

5:00pmMallyce

fyi i just shaved 8 diagonal steps into the side of my head

5:00pmBradley

8!!! thats intense!!

i need to see pics of this! when we met you had a few steps…dont think 8 thought

5:00pmMallyce

skinny ones

I had 3 when we met

5:01pmBradley

yeah. i loved it!

5:01pmMallyce

it looks weird now though..not too into it…i liked 3 better

5:01pmBradley

ha oh sad!!

yeah the 3 worked for you!

so, would you rather see sound or smell?

5:02pmMallyce

ohhhhhhhhhh….

see sound…….i have uber senses actually

5:03pmBradley

haha yeah?? what uber senses do you possess???

5:03pmMallyce

i can see, hear, smell everything that others cant

5:03pmBradley

like dead people?

5:04pmMallyce

i cant sit in libraries because i hear the lights…like a dog i suppose

i smell everything others cant!

5:04pmBradley

ha that actually really cracks me up!

5:04pmMallyce

i can probably see dead people

5:05pmBradley

haha

hilarious

alright, quick word association game. i say a word and you tell me the first thing that comes to your mind, cool?

5:05pmMallyce

ok

5:05pmBradley

tofu

5:05pmMallyce

soft

5:05pmBradley

mole

5:06pmMallyce

dirt

5:07pmBradley

critter

5:07pmMallyce

room ….uh..i need to explain

5:07pmBradley

haha please do!

the critter room?? creepy!!

5:08pmMallyce

yesterday! i had to run upstairs to my neighbors to get him to come to my room and get that CREEPY CRITTER..jurassic type centipede out of my house

it was sooo scary..i must find a pic..will send later..cuz i need to find out if it kills people

here it is!

http://theora.com/images/centipede.jpg

5:09pmBradley

hahahahaha! serious?! yeah that is terrifying

5:09pmMallyce

i did actually google jurassic centipede and found it!

5:09pmBradley

ew serious?? that thing is sick

that is unreal! haha

5:10pmMallyce

go on

5:10pmBradley

parrot

5:10pmMallyce

cage

5:10pmBradley

diva

5:10pmMallyce

bradley smith

5:10pmBradley

ha!!!

5:10pmMallyce

SNAP!

5:10pmBradley

serious!

Ok…midget

5:11pmMallyce

little person

5:11pmBradley

(how very PC of you!)

5:11pmMallyce

totally!

5:11pmBradley

slurp

5:11pmMallyce

peeee

5:11pmBradley

moist

5:11pmMallyce

eww..im not gonna say what comes to mind

5:12pmBradley

(ha! yes!!!)

lime

5:12pmMallyce

disease

5:12pmBradley

coral

5:12pmMallyce

reef

5:12pmBradley

gems

5:12pmMallyce

and the hologramssssss

ha

5:12pmBradley

veins

5:12pmMallyce

trees

5:12pmBradley

ok cool. thats it!!

5:12pmMallyce

Ha

http://www.laekencollection.com/

-bradley smith