Hardcouture was founded in Autumn 2006 by Kristine Lopez. As a hobby she handmade jewelry, accessories and sold vintage clothing. The root of her fashion inspiration comes from her love of fashion photography. Naturally, she had fashion-esque photo shoots which led to daydreaming up designs and constructing one-of-a-kind pieces. Her handmade, original designs came to life with her debut collection, "Modern Gypsy" (Hollywood Jan 2010). A small collection comprising of beautiful lace pieces featuring capes, bandeaus, off-shoulder blouses, tunic dress and more made ready-to-wear. This first collection garnered many happy Hardcouture customers and defines the nature of Hardcouture, "classic, sexy and chic."
Kristine always wanted to be an inventor of some sort. With her daily dose of fashion inspiration from fashion photographers like Guy Bourdin, Mario Testino, and Camilia Akrans, she can envision a short film in which a girl has several outfits drawn up in her head. "Making my own designs is like inventing a new thing that is practical to me." The condition of daily fashion epiphanies would have naturally led her to fall into fashion design. "The most rewarding part of clothing design is having other people want to wear my designs." She can construct moods and statement pieces of wearable creations. Her aesthetics can go from vintage bohemian to modern chic. At 21, she's pursuing a bachelor's degree in another field while enjoying creatively being an artist. Who said you can't have your cake and eat it too?
 Desert Fox Collection Showcase July 2010 |
 Hardcouture at LA Fashion Week October 2010 |
