Belgian designer Isla Maria 'Loulou' Van Damme is busy living in the moment and wants women to follow suit

I wake up early on a Saturday morning, partly whining about the hectic work week I have had earlier, to get on a telephonic chat with Isla Maria Van Damme or fondly known by her sobriquet, Loulou, to many. Barely 30 seconds into the call and she refers to me as “darling”, and sounds more enthusiastic than I have ever been in my 37 years of existence (not an exaggeration). Loulou is 79, a freespirited designer, stylist, and hotelier, who has no plans of retiring from work anytime soon.

What keeps her going? It’s the first thing I ask. “It’s just my willpower,” she laughs out loud and adds, “I have not been well the past month, but I still work. I usually wake up at 6:00 a.m., visit the flower market, and get on with my day. Even if I don’t get a good night’s sleep at this age, I still work the next day. If I feel like doing something, I put all my troubles aside and just show up,” she smiles.

For the uninitiated, Loulou is an institution in herself for the design community. The Belgian multi-hyphenate was born in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, and has lived in Mumbai, London, and Brussels, before returning to India permanently. She is known for her inimitable personal style, though she is quick to reject the decrees of beauty and fashion. An occasional model, Loulou has featured in fashion campaigns of brands like Injiri and Outhouse Jewellery. Designer and founder of Injiri, Chinar Farooqui remembers the first time she saw Loulou in an Injiri outfit and immediately thought her to be the ideal muse for the brand. “I have known Loulou for more than a decade. I met her through Maithili Ahluwalia when they were the heart and soul of the concept store Bunglow 8 in Mumbai. She is a beautiful person inside out with a vast experience in design. There’s something very natural, grounded, and honest about Loulou’s personality that strikes a chord with me. I appreciate her attitude towards life and her work,” shares Farooqui.

It’s the power of the mind over the body that helps Loulou to stay positive. Additionally, she takes care of herself, eats healthy, practices yoga, and leads an active lifestyle. “That’s all you need to do, there’s no miracle. Also, if your work makes you happy, it’s one of the most rewarding feelings, and that keeps you going no matter what,” she tells me.

The New York Times describes her as a graceful, elfin figure in flowing caftans and gypsy skirts, beads and pendants, patterns and textures all layered with abandon. But, she also wears chic khaki trousers, shirts, and elegant blousons with equal elan. “I am not a personal fan of expensive things, except maybe for old jewellery, which I have collected over time. But I am totally against flaunting your expensive stuff. I don’t have anything against people buying luxury brands, but you need to wear it in the right way. It’s not about looking good, you have to feel good. Clothes and accessories have to be comfortable. This is something I have been fighting for all my life. When I had the shop (Santosh in Brussels), I would teach women, young and old, how to dress differently to create a unique style that values comfort over trends. It was extremely satisfying.”

With roots in India, Loulou considers the country to have shaped her entire being. While reminiscing about her childhood, she refers to herself as a “junglee”, and adds, “I grew up in the outskirts of Bombay (now Mumbai) and was quite naughty. I spoke in Hindi, ate with my hand, climbed trees, and played with the kids in the village. My parents thought they needed to ‘educate the little monkey’ and sent me to a boarding school in England.” Later, Loulou moved to Brussels in Belgium and opened her store Santosh, where she sold jewellery, antiques, and textiles for three decades. “I travelled to India two to three times a year to buy things for my store, see my friends, work with designers, and develop a deeper understanding of Indian textiles and jewellery. People who came to my store said lovingly, ‘we love the smell of India in here’. I never left the country.”

Her love for India prompted Loulou to return in 1999 with the intentions of living a content, retired life. In reality, Loulou could never ‘retire’. Her indomitable spirit, and love for art and design is to blame. She lives in the moment, still travels extensively, designs spaces and clothes for her friends and like-minded people. “I never expected to work in India. But it was so exciting and I got caught up in it. I never take on too much on my plate as I don’t want to be stressed with work. I would rather enjoy the process. It gives me the opportunity to meet people with different characters, create with varied budgets, and make everyone happy. It’s not always easy to comprehend the people and the culture, but I understand India—whether it’s the food or the design.”

Loulou has styled the Raw Mango stores in New Delhi and Hyderabad with Sanjay Garg, designed the opulent home of jeweller Hanut Singh, opened the Olive Ridley Cafe in Morjim, Goa, built her guesthouse, Isla’s Ridge, in Palani Hills, Tamil Nadu, and continues to work on multiple projects. Singh describes her as “magic” and adds, “Loulou is a visionary and an artist in the highest sense and calibre. She turns everything into magic. She has the finest eye and is ultra cool. It’s a huge honour and pleasure to work with her, and to see a master of her stature at work.”

Ask the extremely talented woman to describe her creative vocabulary and Loulou calls it her “masala”. It could be cooking, designing, or even gardening—her philosophy relies heavily on diversity. “The young kids in Belgium inherit these wonderful castles, and put a modern painting or a couch and call it design, but it lacks personality. For my guesthouse in Tamil Nadu, I have displayed 60 years of furniture. There are diverse things, cheap items from Chor Bazaar, expensive furniture, and stuff I inherited from my parents. I love very simple things.” This essence encompasses the medium for Loulou, whether it’s designing spaces or clothes. “With the interior, it’s more personal because the family has to like it. People ask me how I went from designing dresses to homes. They are exactly the same—you have to know the family, the budget, understand the material and climate. So, I had no problem envisioning spaces as I would do for clothes,” shares the designer.

With pertinent questions raised on ageism in fashion and beauty, we have only scratched the surface of representation that celebrates inclusivity, distinctive style, greying hair, and wrinkles. Being a fashion insider who has witnessed the formative decades and the evolution, Loulou’s nonchalant relationship with her body is a fresh perspective, “I didn’t take much notice of my body. I loved playing sports as a young girl and dressed for myself. Women need to live freely. The way you don’t decorate your house for others, don’t dress for others as well. Focus on your personality and do your own thing. Some people called me crazy for the choices I made in my life and others thought I am lucky. Take that leap, be courageous, and live your life. Don’t think too much about doing what you truly believe in.”

There is no chemistry, there are no secrets—we are all getting older everyday, says Loulou. “For heaven’s sake, embrace it! As you get older, you learn. I have become softer in my demeanour and am much more in control of my emotions. There’s nothing you can do about it, and to stay looking young is a ridiculous construct. Be comfortable in who you are. I travel alone and people get amazed to know that I am almost 80. Young kids tell me they want to look like me and it makes me emotional that I can get that message out by just being myself.”

For someone who is childfree by choice, Loulou is wary about raising kids in the present times. “It’s going to get difficult with the global political situation, emergence of artificial intelligence, and our habits of over consumption. Ask yourself what you need and if you need it at all before buying things like clothes, expensive cars. Don’t get influenced easily. Be mindful of the planet and communities,” she signs off.

Editor: Rasna Bhasin (@rasnabhasin)

Digital Editor: Sonal Ved (@sonalved)

Photographer: Nishanth Radhakrishnan (@nishanth.radhakrishnan), Feat. Artists (@featartists)

Stylist: Samar Rajput (@samar.rajput05)

Cover Design: Mandeep Khokhar (@mandy_khokhar19)

Editorial Coordinator: Shalini Kanojia (@shalinikanojia)

Hair Artist: Daksh Nidhi (@dakshhnidhi)

Make-up Artist: Sandhya Shekar (@sandhyashekar)

Assistant Stylist: First assistant, Rupangi Grover (@rupangigrover); Second assistants: Nida Shaikh and Michelle Lobo

Production Assistant: Riya Kala (@riya_kala)

Location Courtesy: æquō Gallery (@__aequo__)

Loulou is wearing dress, trousers, sunglasses and shoes; all Gucci (@gucci); blue amulet necklace, Two Extra Lives; long necklace, House of Umrao (@house_of_umrao) Octa Ottoman, single, by designer Florence Louisy (@florencelouisy) for æquō Gallery (@__aequo__), materials: stainless steel, magnetic linen cushion.