Kee Edwards’s life is all about romance. Creator of gorgeous eco line Loup Charmant, the well-traveled and adventurous Edwards draws upon her Old World/New World heritage and boundless curiosity to source and produce her finely-crafted organic clothing. She recently sat down with The Inside Source to talk about what inspires her, and what she's shopping for on eBay.
The Inside Source: First, Kee, you have to tell us about your name—it’s so unique!
Kee Edwards: K.E.E. are my initials. My dad ‘s initials were F.E.E., and I always loved that our initials went together. Little girls think their fathers fully hang the moon, and I was no different. It was so special to me to share initials with him—it was “our thing.” Kristin is my given name and close friends always call me Kee. When I got married, my husband began to introduce me as Kee, and it sort of took over.
TIS: Loup Charmant is such a romantic name too. It sounds like a fairy tale! How did you come up with it? There must be a story!
KE: Loup Charmant means the “Charming Wolf” in French, and it is a personal reference to two beautiful times and places in my life. I’m part Cherokee, and Wolf refers to my Native American talisman animal, who is always present and appears in my dreams.
Loup Charmant also reminds me of a lovely transition time in my life, the leaving behind of childhood to become an adult. I was living in the Loire Valley of France as a college exchange student. How amazing for me to finally connect classroom skills with a new culture! I was feeling grown up and realizing that I could take care of myself; all my years of studying French at school and I could finally use my French language to communicate with a whole new culture. When I began dreaming in French, it was totally thrilling!
TIS: So where did you grow up before you spent time in France?
KEE: I grew up in South Carolina, and I feel very connected to the Coastal areas of the Carolinas and Georgia.
TIS:That explains your love of history and of nature.
KEE: (laughs) I am a beach girl and a city girl with deep roots in the natural world—that is always part of Loup Charmant. I was once an interior landscaper and garden designer for a wide variety of projects, and I’m still in awe of gardens and farms that work with nature's intelligence. I am hugely inspired by the ways we're learning to live in cooperation with nature and moving beyond Man vs Nature thinking.
TIS: You mentioned earlier that you are part Cherokee and that you have a talisman animal…were you brought up with the traditions of the Cherokee?
KEE: I became aware of my Wolf as an adult, so no it was not really part of my family's tradition. The Cherokee history was shared more than the actual practice—which of course ignited my curiosity. A few of my relatives did a some research, and later found we all really connected with that side of the family. It's pretty cool, actually, I have a copy of a newspaper story... I have a female Cherokee relative who was on the Trail of Tears and fell in love with a white man. Once they got to Oklahoma, she did not want to go in to the corral that was Cherokee Nation, and instead married Mr. Shelby, the white man. After years and children together, Mr. Shelby was shot in the back and killed because "he shouldn't have married that squaw!" I also have family that goes back to First World kings and nobility, so we're truly an Old World—New World combo family.
TIS: Well, your clothing is truly one of the most beautiful and stylish eco-pure lines out there. Tell us about your vision, and how it came about.
KEE: Thank you! I began dreaming of and conceptualizing the line while on my honeymoon on the beach—we were in southern Portugal, the Azores, and Panama—so that explains the ‘honeymoon’ theme. Sexy little nothings (without "trying too hard”), nighties, beach cover-ups for a remote tropical island vacation and perfect little dresses for zipping in to town.
TIS: So how did it become a reality?
KEE: It all started with the search for the most finely woven airy cloth we could find. We found a group of small family farms in India only to discover that the farmers who grew the cotton were in the process of shutting down their whole production! So we immediately bought enough farms to put them back in business. Then we waited for the crops to grow: getting updates of the seeds being planted, harvested, milled and woven in to our proprietary breezy organic cotton. At the end of that process, I felt like mama hen to this fabric!
TIS: The Loup Charmant blog is one of the TIS editors' daily reads...we want to live in the Loup Charmant world...it is so thoughtfully and artfully curated. What came first, the blog or the line? Where do you find your inspiration?
KEE: Thanks so much! The blog came after I had created the line and the website. I look forward to seeing it become more and more of a world to share with you! In the beginning I built my own simple website but wanted to be able to share more of the LC story, like the good news of an editorial in Italian Vogue or photos from our Champagne Reception at Roseark in LA. Since I love the immediacy of the blog format (I love to be connecting directly with our clients), the blog came first and eventually grew into our online shopping site.
TIS: You must live in Loup Charmant—I know we would! Do you have any old favorites from your designs or any new pieces you are excited to wear?
KEE: I absolutely do live in Loup Charmant! I layer over layers depending on the weather…. I am always wearing my bloomers! The slips are the easiest things to layer with each other and everything else. Maybe I shouldn't admit this, but the slips are so carefree and comfortable that I wear them straight to bed and just start over the next morning!
TIS: Any changes for Loup Charmant going forward?
KEE: I want to first mention that we work in a different way than many designers. We keep our favorites and then add to the line to create “beyond the seasons”—more of an “evergreen” mentality. Lately we've added colors so I now have pieces in various shades in differing states of wear. I’m already wearing next season’s samples! I’m also lucky enough to have pieces made for myself—in different linens and silks.
TIS: That’s a great perk! Where do you get your inspiration?
KEE: My inspiration is very ethereal and spirit- based right now... freedom, ease, joy, and simplicity are key words for me. Constant inspirations for me are hand work, traditional techniques, and indigenous cultures. Travel is another one, even if it's just armchair travel. I usually read about six books at a time on a variety of subjects, mostly non-fiction. I am slightly obsessed with Africa. For the past few years, I've been devouring books on Africa and am excited to be planning a trip to help plant gardens in rural areas. Interiors and how we live our day–to-day lives always inspires me. I can spend hours getting lost in a stack of home magazines and interior design books.
TIS: Are you jumping on the designer collaboration band wagon?
KEE: Yes! I am very excited about it! We have been doing collaborations since almost the beginning of the line and started with a gorgeous piece with Heather Heron. We began last year with a few Loup Charmant pieces for kids in our collaboration of heirloom dolls with Jess Brown and exquisite paper dolls with Maia Chavez Larkin. The newest collaborations, which I can’t tell you about just yet, will be incorporated into the women's line.
These are some treasures Edwards has already purchased on eBay, as well as some things she currently has her eye on:
1. Vintage Crisloid Royal Backgammon Set-Bakelite (winning bid, $72) "My husband and I are huge brunch people, and we love a game of dominoes or backgammon while we linger over our fave meal. This Bakelite backgammon set from the Forties is huge, and every piece is impeccably made! I had to buy it immediately from eBay, and it arrived yesterday. It's even more gorgeous in person (better than these photos)! We'll make a beautiful leather and rope handle for it."
2. Antique Brown Leather Chesterfield Sofa (buy it now price, $3,899) "We're moving apartments in the city, and I am craving new furniture…a mix of vintage and modern….what a score this chesterfield sofa is! I have a weakness for leather and tufting. The couch will age beautifully, and I love the vintage details like the castors."
3. Antique 38 Star American Flag (winning bid, $202.50) "We have a country house in the Catskills. An old flag would be awesome on the old barn."
4. Colorful Vintage Peruvian Manta Cuzco Wool Textile (buy it now price, $220) "I love all sorts of wool blankets for cold nights in the country. Mexican serapes, Peruvian woolens, ralli blankets…."
5. Danish Modern Decanter Carafe Dansk IHQ Quistgaard (winning bid, $40) "I love this carafe."
6. Vintage Dansk Kobenstyle Enamel Dutch Oven (buy it now price, $129.99) "All the pots in our upstate kitchen are vintage turquoise enameled cast iron. This would be great to add to the collection."
7. Vintage Native American Beaded Childrens Moccasins (winning bid, $71.35) "I am part Cherokee and I love all things Native American Indian. It’s a regular eBay search for me."
8. Antique Native American Beaded Bag (buy it now price, $750)
9. Vintage Native American Beaded Moccasins (winning bid, $177.50)
10. Gucci Vintage 80s Silk Gown-Beaded Dolman Sleeve (buy it now price, $1,499) "I search for vintage pieces from my favorite designers regularly, and this slinky Gucci gown would be a fabulous party dress."
11. Triple Strand Carved African Animal Necklace Vintage (starting bid, $25) "An antique African necklace would be awesome with summer whites."
12. 32 Piece Flatware “Bird of Paradise” (winning bid, $38) "We recently bought a mix of a few different silverware patterns for the country. This is my favorite because I love how minimal it is. I like to use silver plate for every day. It has a gorgeous patina that you can never get with stainless steel. I just throw it in the dishwasher and save the full silver—which requires hand drying—for special occasions."
13. Uzbek Hand Crafted Woven Silk-Cotton Ikat Adras Fabric (winning bid, $29) "I love collecting textiles. These would be great for Loup Charmant or pillows for home."
** Images of Kee Edwards and Loup Charmant collection provided by the subject. **
A freelance editor who recently relocated to Tucson from New York, Jen Smith was the Fashion Director at Cookie. Before that, she was the Senior Fashion Editor at Lucky.
