IN CONVERSATION WITH VALERIE QUANT ZECCHETTO

Valerie Quant has always been drawn to the tactile—the way materials shift, soften, and gain character with time. At LoQ, she designs with this in mind, creating shoes that celebrate the natural beauty of vegetable-tanned leather and woven details. She carries this philosophy into her own space, where found objects and layered textures tell a quiet story of place and memory. In both her work and life, Valerie embraces craft that feels effortless, imperfect, and deeply personal.

LOQ’s designs have a distinct balance of modernity and nostalgia. Where do you find yourself returning to for inspiration, whether in art, architecture, or everyday life?

LoQ is designed with a well-traveled spirit in mind celebrating the artisanry of handmade footwear from the south of Spain. Our product is inspired by the way we move in everyday life, elegant functionality transporting back to a time when craft was valued.

Valerie wears the Lois Dress.

Travel often informs personal style and creative vision. Is there a place that has particularly shaped your approach to design?

As partners from different parts of the world, Keren has been based in India and recently relocated to the Netherlands and myself in Los Angeles, we have always worked from afar and garnered inspiration from where we live and where we are going. We make shoes for ease of movement with a timeless quality informed by tradition.

"Our product is inspired by the way we move in everyday life, elegant functionality transporting back to a time when craft was valued."

— VALERIE QUANT ZECCHETTO

Valerie wears the Parker Dress.

How do you translate textures, colours, and forms from the world around you into your collections?

We favor architectural sculptural shapes juxtaposed with supple materials that mold to the foot as you wear. Comfortable forms and woven uppers offer flexibility and movement, designs that move with us through our journey.

Your collections often celebrate the beauty of imperfection—organic leathers, hand-finished elements. How does craftsmanship and materiality play into your creative process?

Weaving elements, veg tan leathers and carved wood are throughout our collection. We love the beauty of handmade, that wears well over time and has a soulful quality.

Highland Park has an undeniable charm, filled with thoughtful design and community-driven spaces. What are some of your favorite local spots?

We are lucky to be living and working in a vibrant community which has a small town feel with vintage stores, kids shops, and so many restaurants. For dining we love Joy, Queens St., Bub and Grandma's (located next to our store), Modu Coffee, Kumquat Coffee and Sam's Place (a sweet little wine bar).

Interior spaces can be as much an extension of one’s style as clothing. How does your home reflect your personal aesthetic?

We opt for natural wood elements, handbuilt furniture pieces and found objects from our travels and try to enrich our home with artful heirlooms from family. Areas of terracotta integral plaster revealed on our walls from peeling back old paint tell a story from the past and lends an imperfect quality to our home.

Valerie wears the Maple Top and Skirt.

How has your personal style evolved over time, and what pieces do you always return to?

I've learned to pare down my closet and find that I return to core pieces like the perfect fitting t-shirt, a vintage button down and well tailored pants. Of course worn with a soft ballet flat or fisherman sandal from our collection.

Valerie wears the Sandy Top and Skirt.

When you’re not designing, where do you find inspiration? Are there particular books, films, or rituals that keep your creativity flowing?

My favorite creative outlet is in the kitchen and I love the ritual of gathering around the table with friends at home. It inspires our recently launched home goods line that we are excited to expand on.

ABOUT LOQ

LoQ is a meeting of minds—an effortless interplay between Keren Longkumer and Valerie Quant. The name itself, drawn from their surnames, speaks to a partnership shaped by balance and instinct. The two first crossed paths while studying footwear design, drawn together by a shared sensibility: classic forms reimagined with modern precision. LoQ was born in 2015, rooted in an appreciation for proportion, materiality, and color—pared back, yet quietly subversive.

Handcrafted in the south of Spain, each pair is shaped by time-honored techniques, a testament to slow craft in an ever-accelerating world. This artisanal foundation extends beyond footwear, shaping a broader design language that is both refined and instinctive.

From Los Angeles to India, their practice is attuned to place—a dialogue between contrasting landscapes, textures, and traditions. This global perspective informs LoQ’s evolution, culminating in the launch of LoQ Objects in 2020: a considered collection of home pieces that echo the brand’s architectural ease and reverence for craftsmanship. Always in motion, Keren and Valerie continue to refine their language—designing for the spaces we inhabit, the moments we move through, and the stories that unfold between.

Valerie Quant Zecchetto @v_q_z
www.loq.us
Photography Bliss Braoudakis

IN CONVERSATION WITH VALERIE QUANT ZECCHETTO

Valerie Quant has always been drawn to the tactile—the way materials shift, soften, and gain character with time. At LoQ, she designs with this in mind, creating shoes that celebrate the natural beauty of vegetable-tanned leather and woven details. She carries this philosophy into her own space, where found objects and layered textures tell a quiet story of place and memory. In both her work and life, Valerie embraces craft that feels effortless, imperfect, and deeply personal.

LOQ’s designs have a distinct balance of modernity and nostalgia. Where do you find yourself returning to for inspiration, whether in art, architecture, or everyday life?

LoQ is designed with a well-traveled spirit in mind celebrating the artisanry of handmade footwear from the south of Spain. Our product is inspired by the way we move in everyday life, elegant functionality transporting back to a time when craft was valued.

Valerie wears the Lois Dress.

Travel often informs personal style and creative vision. Is there a place that has particularly shaped your approach to design?

As partners from different parts of the world, Keren has been based in India and recently relocated to the Netherlands and myself in Los Angeles, we have always worked from afar and garnered inspiration from where we live and where we are going. We make shoes for ease of movement with a timeless quality informed by tradition.

"Our product is inspired by the way we move in everyday life, elegant functionality transporting back to a time when craft was valued."

— VALERIE QUANT ZECCHETTO

Valerie wears the Parker Dress.

How do you translate textures, colours, and forms from the world around you into your collections?

We favor architectural sculptural shapes juxtaposed with supple materials that mold to the foot as you wear. Comfortable forms and woven uppers offer flexibility and movement, designs that move with us through our journey.

Your collections often celebrate the beauty of imperfection—organic leathers, hand-finished elements. How does craftsmanship and materiality play into your creative process?

Weaving elements, veg tan leathers and carved wood are throughout our collection. We love the beauty of handmade, that wears well over time and has a soulful quality.

Highland Park has an undeniable charm, filled with thoughtful design and community-driven spaces. What are some of your favorite local spots?

We are lucky to be living and working in a vibrant community which has a small town feel with vintage stores, kids shops, and so many restaurants. For dining we love Joy, Queens St., Bub and Grandma's (located next to our store), Modu Coffee, Kumquat Coffee and Sam's Place (a sweet little wine bar).

Interior spaces can be as much an extension of one’s style as clothing. How does your home reflect your personal aesthetic?

We opt for natural wood elements, handbuilt furniture pieces and found objects from our travels and try to enrich our home with artful heirlooms from family. Areas of terracotta integral plaster revealed on our walls from peeling back old paint tell a story from the past and lends an imperfect quality to our home.

Valerie wears the Maple Top and Skirt.

How has your personal style evolved over time, and what pieces do you always return to?

I've learned to pare down my closet and find that I return to core pieces like the perfect fitting t-shirt, a vintage button down and well tailored pants. Of course worn with a soft ballet flat or fisherman sandal from our collection.

Valerie wears the Sandy Top and Skirt.

When you’re not designing, where do you find inspiration? Are there particular books, films, or rituals that keep your creativity flowing?

My favorite creative outlet is in the kitchen and I love the ritual of gathering around the table with friends at home. It inspires our recently launched home goods line that we are excited to expand on.

ABOUT LOQ

LoQ is a meeting of minds—an effortless interplay between Keren Longkumer and Valerie Quant. The name itself, drawn from their surnames, speaks to a partnership shaped by balance and instinct. The two first crossed paths while studying footwear design, drawn together by a shared sensibility: classic forms reimagined with modern precision. LoQ was born in 2015, rooted in an appreciation for proportion, materiality, and color—pared back, yet quietly subversive.

Handcrafted in the south of Spain, each pair is shaped by time-honored techniques, a testament to slow craft in an ever-accelerating world. This artisanal foundation extends beyond footwear, shaping a broader design language that is both refined and instinctive.

From Los Angeles to India, their practice is attuned to place—a dialogue between contrasting landscapes, textures, and traditions. This global perspective informs LoQ’s evolution, culminating in the launch of LoQ Objects in 2020: a considered collection of home pieces that echo the brand’s architectural ease and reverence for craftsmanship. Always in motion, Keren and Valerie continue to refine their language—designing for the spaces we inhabit, the moments we move through, and the stories that unfold between.

Valerie Quant Zecchetto @v_q_z
www.loq.us
Photography Bliss Braoudakis