For Lakan Golden, creating a proper wardrobe is a careful and deliberate labor of love. After many years working under menswear designers in both New York and Dallas, she learned the beauty of slow crafted, expertly tailored clothing and aims to share it with the women of New Orleans. Artfully displayed at her new studio, Lakan designs wardrobe staples like double- and single-breasted jackets, trousers, skirts and shirts from scratch. We caught up with Lakan this month while enjoying some family time and remote work in upstate New York.
How did you become involved in fashion? After high school, I studied textile design at LSU. I then went on to work in New York for Rebecca Minkoff and some other high-profile menswear brands. I wound up in Dallas working with Drew Jones (of the men’s store Harper + Jones) and subsequently helped open an outpost in New Orleans with them.Â
How and why did you create your own brand? While helping our male clients at Harper + Jones, I met women who wanted something custom of their own. But, while men felt comfortable with a bespoke experience, women wanted a more retail-tailored atmosphere. They wanted shapes they could physically touch, try on and receive the necessary guidance on fit and customization from there.Â
Can you describe the process at LAKAN? Please know that even though we are a custom clothier, anyone can come in and shop. What sets us apart is the made to measure aspect of the business. It’s an immersive process. We will take your measurements, discuss your lifestyle, color and shape preferences and then set out to build a classic, custom wardrobe that suits you best. We work from a core collection of designs but are always evolving for new seasons. We typically recommend 4 to 5 outfits per season, but there is no pressure to commit if you’re not ready.Â
Do your designs change annually? Our core collection contains our classic staples and will remain a starting point; however, we do layer in new designs and style capsules throughout the year. We also introduce a new library of fabrics exclusively from Loro Piana and Holland & Sherry semi-annually.Â
Where can we find you? In person at 1818 Magazine St. and online at lakan.com or @studiolakan
Meet Penn, Shop Talk Blogger
Penn Larocci is a born and raised New Orleanian. After graduating from Tulane University she lived in NYC for nine years working in sales and marketing at an investment bank. When she missed New Orleans more than she could stand, she moved back home, met her husband and started a family. She’s now raising two rambunctious little boys and spending her free time on environmental sustainability projects.
