Michelle Moore, founder and creative mind behind LYLA&BO, has built her brand on three fundamental principles, quality, aesthetic and price.
“First and foremost is quality. At the end of the day, this is why I started the brand. I want people to look at the product and feel as though it was worth every dollar they spent on it,” Moore said.
The story traces back to 2013. At that time, Moore was living in Canada, struggling with neverending winters and unwilling to settle for a conventional beanie, she noticed a void in the market for simple, stylish and yet affordable hats. LYLA&BO was created to fill that gap.
“When launching the label I only created two pieces, the Chloe (black) and the Chelsea (blue). Both hats were oversized in style and had a super girly boho vibe to them. The two styles sold out in just over two months. I then followed it with a five-piece collection ‘The City For Lovers’ which I shot in New York City the following year,” Moore said.
A true traveller at heart, she was born in England but soon moved along with her family to Brisbane, Australia, and settled there until graduating from QUT in 2012, when she obtained a Bachelor of Creative Industries majoring in Fashion and Business. Right after graduation, she finally began feeding her wanderlust, travelling throughout Europe, Canada and the US for a few years. Meanwhile, Moore never lost her love of fashion and crafting, and it was only a matter of time before she made a career out of it.
“Designing and sewing was something that always came naturally to me. I remember cutting up my year seven graduation dress, changing the straps, adding some beading and then resewing it back together. That was just something that I did, I never really thought of it as a path to becoming a designer. It just kind of happened.”
Moore loves basics and mostly wears simple, neutral colours like black, grey and white. Generally using basic darker shades, LYLA&BO has a universal vibe to it that clearly reflects her aesthetic. As for her fall-winter fabrics of choice, Moore focuses on leather and wool, especially soft cashmere wool blends, whereas for the next summer collection she has been trying out different types of straws. On the whole, this versatility is what gives the brand its soul.
“LYLA&BO has quite a varied customer base. Accessories are so universal and you don’t have to be the most fashion conscious to wear them. It’s all very interpretive and that’s what I love the most about accessories, you can make them your own,” Moore said.
Although the label was initially launched in Canada, LYLA&BO is currently based out of Brisbane and available in four countries (Australia, New Zealand, US and UK), whilst concrete expansion plans in Canada are on the horizon. More countries could follow suit.
In the meantime, the brand has enriched its initial offering and now also sells intimates, leather bags and fine jewellery, including a lot of delicate sterling silver pieces.
For more information, email info@lylaandbo.com or visit www.lylaandbo.com.
