Four months prior to this interview, I fell under the spell of the Stephen F brand. At this presentation, I found myself enthralled by his muted palette, impeccable details, and the interplay of unexpected textures. Fascinated, I set up an interview to learn more about the man and his inspiration, particularly his soon to launch LILI Collection. 

At last, he entered the studio, and now as before, I was struck by the casual and convincing ease with which he moved through a room. As he poured me a cup of tea and pulled up a chair, I felt a sense of anticipation, as if something hidden was about to be revealed. 

Intrigued by the origin of creative ideas, I often ask designers where they find inspiration. With the instinct of a storyteller, Ferber began his answer, slowly explaining the symbolic triad of associations behind the LILI Collection: a movie, his grandmother, and the flower bearing her name.

The cinematic inspiration occurred over the ocean, en route from New York to Sweden. Here he discovered the movie The Book Thief, based on the bestseller by Markus Zusak. The story features 9-year-old Liesel, who steals books that were otherwise fated for burning in Nazi Germany.

As the images unfolded on the small screen before him, he found himself recalling his beloved grandmother, a brave and generous soul who not only survived Auschwitz, but went on to become one of the guiding lights of his life. Because of her, lilies, not roses, are his iconic flower.  

As he spoke of his grandmother’s life in Nazi Germany and her warm ways, my excitement about the upcoming LILI Collection intensified. I have interviewed many designers, but have yet to meet one who cited inspirations such as a white flower and two young girls—one real and the other imaginary—who lived through one of history’s most devastating chapters.