A DAY WITH LOU

German model Lou Schoof spoke to us on how she thinks that our actions shape presence and future. 
Lou has taken action and decided to shift her career to exclusively work with clients that embody ethical and sustainable standards. The most polluting industry in the world needs to undergo a drastic change and in the following interview, we ask her about her post confinement thoughts relating to fashion.
In the meantime, Lou invites us to join her recent trip to Denmark's Møns Klint and Louisiana Museum. Visual travels to the Scandinavian country can be accessed through our Instagram stories today.

1. You currently live in your home in Northern Germany, how different was the confinement for you? You are surrounded by nature and have a big comfortable space to live freely at... Has this time affected you in any way? 

The shift and realisation of life had changed came sneaking. Isolation hit and friends, partly family, were missed for a long time. 
This time has made me realise a lot about the needs of a different kind. Contrasts that enrich each other are important to me. 
However, I have always been a rather calm person who has always sought oases of peace. No matter where!
For me, it is important to go down and enjoy the pure life. But this time has opened my eyes even more than ever before. 

2. What are your daily rituals? Tell us how does your typical day looks like when you’re not traveling for modelling jobs. 

When surrounded by nature in Germany, I am going for outdoor activities. Daily hikes, swims, bike rides, runs make me feel free and ready for anything. 
I cook fresh meals and in summer I harvest my fruits and vegetables. The biggest joy is having friends visit when being in my country home. There is so much to explore! 
I love being at home on research and read, traveling far away places, and entering abstract worlds.

3. How did you first come up with the idea of building your eco-home? Why have you decided to build it in your hometown rather than anywhere else in the world? 

Lockdown made me question this for the first time.
When constantly traveling, I can't imagine a place more calming and supportive than the place that I know best and that is close to my family. 
Working as a model makes you see the world, experience a lot, see a lot. Rarely you have the chance to go in-depth. 
In contrast to this colourful, stimulating, and wide world, I long for the deep connection with the place I was raised at, my family, nature, language. 
This year has been the first period of being at the house alone. This changed me and everything felt different, shook up a lot simultaneously. 

4. How do you work on daily sustaining your family relations? You seem to be very close to your brother Nils and sister Mia. 

We are very close, yet different. That is important to see and appreciate. Coexisting with other people for a very long time and continuously being inspired/stimulated is a great gift. 
It reminds you of how nothing has to remain but can. 
It reminds you that we might share the same paths but see the journey with different eyes. 
Sharing observations, fascinations and the truths we find is enriching. 

5. Why have you decided to work with sustainable clients & brands exclusively? It doesn’t come across as a shocking piece of information that the financial side isn’t easy for such endeavours. 

At a point last year I noticed a contradiction. 
The joy, connections, and fulfilment experienced when creatively working in the fashion industry is my driving force. 
The fact that my ‘motor’ majorly harms the environment was nothing new. Fully seeing this all of a sudden made exclusively working with sustainable brands the only way to go. The research opened my eyes and I do not want to shut them again.
The base of all experienced, seen, known, connected to is the planet we live on, including nature. 
We need to realise that the base of all experienced, seen, known, connected to is not money. 
I am grateful for my journey within the fashion industry including jobs, people, experiences. My step to work exclusively for sustainable brands should be progressive. I have become aware of many things and I see this all as a process. 

6. What shift in the industry are you hoping to see apart from it becoming more sustainable? 

This shift actually would have a big ecological impact - but also for other reasons I find a local focus on production interesting. 
Germany for example has great creative minds, though clients often use international teams. 
We feel so connected and well informed when it comes to knowing the global industry - but do we know our locally based creatives? Strengthening connections between us on a local level could be a powerful approach.
"Why seek far afield when the good is close by?"

7. In your opinion how can a consumer differentiate the aesthetic sustainability and the true change within the industry?

Interesting question! We need to find a way to make garments ecological footprint more transparent.
The app "good on you" gives an overview such as certification labels. IVN, GOTS, Made in Green, Bluesign, Oeko-Tex, EU-Ecolabel are examples. 
Natural aesthetic and images can be so beautiful and pleasing, though they do not necessarily reflect the production of a garment.