Bertrand and Khoo want to ensure their products are full of heart, soul and spirit (All photos: Low Yen Yeing/The Edge)
Husband and wife turned business partners Philippe Bertrand and Valerie Khoo bonded through a shared passion for travelling. “When we travel, we gain experience not so much from buying things, but from the people who sell them. When we are intrigued by them, we then wonder about what they do, why they do it and who else is involved in the business. So we always have conversations with shop owners. We cannot fall in love with the product if we don’t love the people,” says Khoo.
She takes pleasure in adorning herself and their home with statement pieces. “For the past 10 years, I’ve been obsessed with certain designs and colours. When I buy things, I need to know the story and person behind them. Like the statue [in my living room] is from a flea market in France, each picture on the walls has a story to convey and even a framed Hermès scarf brings a tale from South Africa.”
Their globe-trotting experiences, paired with an intense entrepreneurial spirit, inspired them to conceive Loulou, a Malaysian label that sells bold and unique things from Southeast Asia. The idea to start Loulou — their second venture after Habitatku, a candle business with a store in Central Market, Kuala Lumpur — had been percolating for a while.
“It was a matter of timing. We launched the brand because Habitatku has a strong reputation among clients, not just from the Klang Valley, but also Penang and Singapore. So we felt more confident about introducing other products to people,” says Bertrand.
From their years of journeying around the world together — they have visited more than 40 countries in total — Bertrand and Khoo have identified artisans from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia to work with. As the brand is still new, the couple want to focus on rolling out items from a single designer at a time. Currently, Loulou offers skirts and bags in striking colours and captivating motifs such as chicken, sparrow and pumpkin, crafted using Ankara fabrics.
“They are well received because of their vibrancy, comfort and practicality. Everything is no frills, just good quality, handmade and easy to wear,” says Khoo.
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Besides the beauty of fashion itself, Loulou is about championing craftsmanship. Therefore, maintaining a solid relationship with the makers is the most important aspect in running the label, the duo affirms. “The people we collaborate with are prolific in creativity. If you see those skirts, all 20 pieces have different patterns. They pay more attention to creativity than producing and selling thousands. They don’t like unnecessary stress and we respect that. The point is really not about scaling the business, but honouring them.
“When we meet the artisans, we don’t meet them at some fancy restaurant. We catch up at their shop or factory, sometimes in between sewing machines,” Bertrand shares.
Placing high value on camaraderie, the founders are selective in terms of who they partner with. “Anyone can come in with interesting offerings but if there is no decent communication between both parties, or the timing does not work, we will not proceed.”
As the products are made by hand, Loulou is only able to source a few of them every week. Hence, there is concern about having too small of an inventory for their customer base who seem to “have an addiction” when it comes to purchasing the items. “They don’t just buy one at a time. They buy five. Sometimes I get worried because I have nothing else to offer. For instance, the maker can only produce four of the chicken bags per week because it requires such delicate work. Anyone who has touched the bag said ‘Wow, I’m touching quality’. This is not an exaggeration. You will see that not one string is out of place,” says Khoo.
“They are very hard to secure. When you see something you like, you had better grab it immediately because a few hours later, it may not be available anymore. These are the kind of things we want to bring in. Something quite exclusive and difficult to get,” says Bertrand.
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Their client demographic is typically someone in their mid-thirties to sprightly seventies who are searching for eccentric and quirky objects that bring them nothing but pure joy. “These people have everything already. They have bought all the branded, luxury stuff, heavy leather goods and paid a premium price for certain labels. So at this point in their lives, they just want to carry happiness on them. That’s why our tagline is ‘Happiness on you’,” says Khoo.
Loulou’s customers are buying more than just products. “When we offer a skirt, we also present the people who create it. In a way, we are building a bridge between these designers and our clients. Everything we sell needs to have heart, soul and spirit. We are not here overnight. We want to be here for many, many years.”
This article first appeared on July 7, 2025 in The Edge Malaysia.
