For this issue of Studio Stories, we invited Sophie Lamparter, a cherished long-time friend of YVY who was back in town last month.
Sophie is the visionary founder of DART Labs - an impact-driven company fueling European startups that are revolutionizing health and climate technologies.
From the first moment we met Sophie, we were instantly drawn to her charming, free-spirited personality. Sophie is in her element as she wears her favorite YVY pieces paired elegantly with classic silhouettes.
Read the interview to learn about Sophie's inspiring work, passion, personal style and go-to YVY outfit.
Thank you Sophie for sharing your story with us!
Who are you? Where are you from/age?
I am Sophie Lamparter. I am 43. 12 years ago, I moved from Zurich to San Francisco. Now I live in Oakland, which is right across the bridge from San Francisco.
What do you do professionally?
During my career, I have done many different things. I am curious and I get excited easily. At my core, I love connecting people and helping them grow their ideas. I started DART Labs a few years ago with my co-founder Arijana. We invest in and accelerate early-stage health and climate technology startups. These startups are Swiss or European university spin-offs. We support the team's go-to-market and their US expansion. You can call me an Impact Investor.
What is your favorite thing to do in your free time? What is your passion?
I love my friends and family. I love food, music, art and dancing all night. The older and wiser I become, the more I appreciate time in nature, long bike rides and my hours working in the garden.
What do you dream of? What are you proud of?
My dream is that the teams and companies we are investing in will have a real impact in the world. These are inventors who work on Alzheimer's therapy, renewable energies or compostable plastics. I am proud of each one of them and hope together we can achieve incredible things.
Do you think fashion has an impact on your life? If yes, in what way?
Absolutely. I believe strong clothes will carry you, not the other way around. Sometimes when I feel low I will wear something that I know gives me energy. YVY’s harnesses are magical in this way. It’s like beautiful armor that makes you stronger. And people will look at you, so you have no choice but to be more confident about yourself in the way you carry it. Maybe the harness and you are actually carrying each other.
How would you describe your style?
I think it’s somewhat elegant, cool and simple. It also needs to be very comfortable and uncomplicated. I travel and move around a lot and I am quite spontaneous. I leave the house in the morning, but I don’t know where I am going to end up in the evening. My clothes need to be able to do it all. That’s probably why my clothes are often uni-sex. I love jumpsuits, all black and mostly flat shoes.
I like beautiful materials. I might have become a snob here. I wear silk, cashmere, wool, linen, and cotton. Luckily I have a few friends who make clothes. I love buying from them so much more than from big brands. It makes me happy to know that something is kind of made for me, or even tailored, or used a second time. You know who made it, where it is coming from and how much expertise, passion and work went into it. At the same time, your friend is always with you when you wear it.
My partner is a furniture designer. I have very similar feelings there. The more time I spend with technology and on Zoom calls, the more I appreciate people who can make beautiful things with their hands.
What is your go-to outfit? Does it include YVY, and if yes, what and why?
When I travel, I always have a few YVY pieces with me. The accessories are small and fit in any suitcase. I would wear the white shirt for my business meetings and just add the UNI Harness for the night. Same thing with her black jumpsuit or a big belt.
YVY’s pieces can transform you. So you always have different looks, statements and personas to play with.
How do you know YVY?
First I was YVY a fan, then a customer, then a friend. Now I am all three. I adore Yvonne, her style and her personality. She is an inspiration to me and I feel this inspiration in all her pieces.
What connects you to YVY (values, aesthetic, personal)?
Honestly, I love so much about YVY and Yvonne. I feel almost like a groupie. I love how precise, elegant and powerful her pieces are, as is Yvonne herself. They are bold, radical, sexy, but always elegant, never loud.
So many celebrities wear her looks. I am always blown away by that and love looking at the pictures. But then when you stand in her studio, she is just with you, very humble and truly excited to see her work on you.
Which YVY pieces do you own and why did you choose it?
I have a lot of YVY pieces myself and I also love gifting YVY to my friends. The YVY pieces give me power, so I want to gift some of this power to my friends. I want to get one for my mother too. I think everyone should have an YVY piece to feel this.
How do you feel when you wear YVY pieces?
One nice side-effect wearing some of the braver YVY pieces is that people open up to you. It has happened to me twice that people started talking to me about their sexual fantasies or adventures they’ve had. Not at all in a bad or uncomfortable way, but in a very elegant, tasteful, YVY-way. I love it.
How did you feel at the shoot?
YVY and the photographer made me feel very relaxed and attractive. The sunlight made it poetic. I was very excited when Yvonne asked me to do the Studio Stories. I knew she was going to make me beautiful; she can’t do it any other way. It was really fun for me. I hope you can see that in the pictures.
Sophie wears:
Picture 1: The UNI Jumpsuit, Buckle Belt 3, Pocket Bag and Cigarette Box
Picture 2: The UNI Harness
Picture 3: The Plissé Dress
