Jumpsuit, Offbeat Alley; sandals, Call It Spring.
The following words come to mind when you meet Lucien Villarruz in person for the first time: angelic to describe her gorgeous features, funny to describe how she doesn’t take herself too seriously, unaffected to describe how she doesn’t obsess about said angelic features and easygoing to describe her relaxed demeanor, despite how many times her son Liam interrupts the shoot, asking for snacks or showing off his toys. We didn’t mind, he is as cute as can be and like any toddler, will reward you with a smile if he feels like it. Creativity is in Luci’s blood, being the daughter of renowned artist Lao Lianben and evident in her childrenswear and accessories business Little Luli, of which the workshop is just on the 2nd floor of her very cool industrial and minimalist home. Monica, my friend/photographer and I found her work space extremely serene and conducive for the creative juices to flow freely, so much so that we wanted to move in! Luci’s home, a lot like her personality, is filled with light and airy space to let the good vibes in; fashion-wise, she applies the same philosophy opting for simple pieces that she can easily grab when she’s on mom and girl boss duty, spiced up with accessories from her go-to local brands. Lately, Luci has been in a couple of TVCs— about time in my opinion—playing mom roles and rocking it each and every time. Keep your eyes peeled on this superwoman, I predict great things to come her way.
Photos by Big Love Photography
What she does Business owner, SPED teacher, TVC model
Personal style I’m drawn to minimalist pieces with interesting cuts, neutral colors, plain pieces that I could easily wear and pair.
Her days be like Weekdays I take care of the kids—bring them to school, do Little Luli work like sourcing fabrics, creating designs, managing orders etc., I also attend castings if schedule permits. Weekends we usually spend it with my parents/in-laws or just stay at home with my family. Hobbies? Hmmm… I like to try new recipes and cook for my family.
Favorite designers and shopping haunts I always try to support local brands like Araw the line, Wear Anika, Shop Myka Limchoc, Posh Pocket Shoes, Renegade Folk, Cora and Bear, HeyJow, Aranaz, Gabbie Sarenas, Harlan and Holden because locally, we really make beautiful and quality products. I also take advantage of the convenience of online shopping and one of the online shops that I like is Offbeat Alley. Other brands that I am loving are Zara, Uniqlo and Stradivarius.
Top 5 closet staples Jeans, basic tank top, a dress with pockets, slouchy sweater top, printed top
Celebrity crush Maybe Emma Stone? Hahaha because I find her face interesting, it shows so much expression and character and I love her freckles.
Online surfing I just usually visit random websites about fashion, interior, business—nothing in particular actually, usually for research and inspiration; whatever catches interest from social media then I try to go to their websites to check it out.
Reading material Before I used to read a lot of magazines like Preview, Cosmo, Metro, InStyle… mostly fashion magazines but now, I don’t read magazines as much because its either I don’t have time or I usually just browse the web. I do like browsing books about interior though when there is downtime.
Current uniform My style has definitely evolved because I wear lesser prints and more of solid and plain colored pieces now; not so much of the trendy cuts but more of classic and minimalist cuts that have longevity. When I wear prints it’s usually the classic ones like stripes or polka dots. There are days that I have my go-to outfits because I don’t have much time to think about what I’m going to wear. So usually, I wear these uniforms because I’m more or less sure that I look at least decent enough to go out; that would be a pair of slim fit jeans, tank top, and flat sandals.
On appearance and why it matters For me its more of feeling good that’s important. If you feel good about yourself regardless what your personal style is then you will feel confident, contented and happy.
One of son Liam’s many cameos, in his PJ’s nonetheless!
Her shoe collection comprised of basics she can pair with anything.
Top, Zara; skirt, Offbeat Alley; necklaces, HeyJow; sandals, Cora & Bear.
Top, The Inspiration Seekers; skirt, BCBG; mules, Kultura.
Liam’s extensive dinosaur collection.
Top, Offbeat Alley.
Top and shorts, Offbeat Alley; sandals, Posh Pocket Shoes.
Her necklace collection from HeyJow.
Top and Jeans, Zara; sandals, Posh Pocket Shoes.
Sweet, feminine designs make up her brand Little Luli.
Fresh batch of bags for little ladies.
Set, Offbeat Alley; earrings, Panopio Jewelry; shoes, Nike.
