Although our design studio is based in Baltimore, Maryland, the origins of La Loupe Design begin in Argentina...
It all started in the year 2012. I (Jorgelina) was 36 years old and finishing my studies as a Textile Designer at the Buenos Aires University of Architecture and Design in my homeland Argentina.
I have always been fascinated by the dynamic, structures and pattern of the natural world. By observing and wonder the natural world I find a infinity source and inspiration and a beautiful parallel to the textile world, its language and its expressions. This fascination and observation inspired me to focus my final graduated thesis project on the exploration of materials and fabrication techniques and their tridimensional capabilities, to design a collection of contemporary textile jewelry, inspired by the structures and growing patterns of underwater creatures. I called this collection “La Loupe”.
From top left to right: Top view of sculptural ring / Earring: alpaca silver and woven hand-dyed silk yarn / Kinetic Necklace: alpaca silver and woven cotton yarn / Sculptural ring: Alpaca silver and cotton yarn / Kinetic ring: alpaca silver and cotton yarn / Necklace: leather. (Link to Portfolio)
The name La Loupe (from french loupe /lo͞op/=magnifying glass), aroused from the idea of the object as representation of the act of observe and explore the natural world and what is around us. An object that allows us to take a closer look and wonder the beauty of a world within our world.
This 3-month project led me to great self-expression journey and discovering a new and interdisciplinary way of my practice.
After graduating, fascinated with this new approach, I continued incorporating and combining metal and other materials with fiber, experimenting with small sculptural pieces. As I wanted to take this idea to a bigger object, in 2014 under the name La Loupe Design , I designed my first collection of lamps in collaboration with a blacksmith artist and friend, Javier Abbonizio.
We finished some prototypes and it was such a great collaborative experience, but this collection never got to the process of production since destiny and love led me in a new direction and La Loupe Design was on standby for a little while.
In 2015 I left Argentina to relocate to the USA, where Marco and I reconnected in Baltimore, MD. After a period of adaptation, in 2016 I started designing again and continued pursuing this first idea that I had in Bs. As. Marco, being a cross-disciplinary artist, was the perfect partner, and that same year we began to work on our first lighting collection. In 2017, La Loupe Design, as you know it today, was officially founded.
Our first collaborative project, The Strata Collection was a family of wood and woven table lamps that played with colorful striped patterns in combination with the beautiful natural texture of the wood, inspired by the layered patterns of sedimentary and agate rock formations.
The first collection with Marco allowed us to find the dynamic of our design process, fusing our different aesthetic influences and creative approaches.
Many people ask us why we chose luminaries. As a designer and artisans, we want to emphasize the usefulness of the object created. Lamps are sculptural and functional objects that allow us to explore tridimensional form as well as the relation between structure, material, and light. Throughout the creation of these functional objects, we find the beautiful balance between craft, art, and design.
Since our first collection together in 2016, La Loupe Design has grown as an independent small studio in Baltimore, MD. concentrating on designing and making handcrafted interior lighting and home decor objects along with our personal artwork. Always learning on the go and discovering new ways of growing.
Even it is always a challenge to be an independent artist/designer and entrepreneur, I can say, it has been a interesting journey. We want to continue doing what we love, share it with you, and keep bringing to your home daily enjoyable objects. The help and encouragement from the community and friends have been a huge help to keep going and believe in what we do. We are grateful for what we have achieved and so thankful for the continued support. Thank you for reading this far. We hope you have enjoyed it.
Gracias!!
