It was a feeling I’d had ever since I was a child, when I used to search for plants whose names I didn’t know. I searched without knowing why, drawn by scents and the quiet allure of something ancient and lost.
I was the girl who grew up in a pollarded willow and who always had a bucket of witch’s soup standing around somewhere; perhaps those provided a bit of magic – who knows?
Before LLOOCKI really became a business, I was already talking about my future business empire – Van Loocke Enterprises™. It was a bit of a joke when I was up to my elbows in clay, picking blossoms, designing herb beds by instinct, and sometimes going on foraging expeditions through front gardens to collect seeds and cuttings.
And yet. The intention was set.
All good things start with a feeling. With a scent. With the seasons. The elderflower’s blooming cycle, product development amongst the nettles, fizzy lemonades, and a dream of a lovely larder full of herbs and filled jars.
Farmers’ blood runs through my veins, my hands always in the soil, keeping a close eye on the seasons.
It is that deep instinct and that connection with nature that call me home time and again — even when fear articulated what I couldn’t clearly see during a toxic relationship, and wasn’t allowed to feel, say or be.
Quietly but surely,
I made oil macerates,
I read everything about herbs,
my hands in the clay,
I loved my children,
I realised I did make my friends laugh, and they believed in me
when I could no longer see myself
I renovated a house, with a garden and a shed.
I remembered who I was: that funny girl, in that willow tree, a bit wild, but caring, with a pigeon as a pet and always dreaming.
Etymologically, Van Loocke means ‘a place surrounded by trees’ — a place of rest. LLoocki also refers to the figure from Norse mythology: a shape-shifter and teller of truths, with a chaotic power of transformation. Sometimes mischievous, but always striking a balance between mischief and healing. Always up to something new — sometimes a touch dangerous and never without delight, yet always searching for that place.
That is what this is. It is LLoocki, always looking for trouble. Like a playful child. A company seeking the right intention, the healing of the soul and the nature within us. Today, LLoocki is a place where things emerge slowly, from instinct, earth and memory.
A balm like Oliban Tallow doesn’t stem from market trends, but from a moment when I needed protection. Made from ancient resin and pure tallow from grass-fed cattle. It’s an echo of an age-old beauty secret — a ritual cherished by women for millennia to nourish skin and soul.
Some people produce millions of units. I prefer small batches. Made in tune with the rhythm of what grows. With what needs to be made, for those who want it.
In spring, I steam roses to make hydrosols. In summer, I ferment ginger lemonade. In autumn, I ferment: kimchi, pickles, chutney, savoury dishes. In winter, I make skin balms to brave the cold.
Every product is a response to the seasons, to what is growing – or what quietly calls for care.
LLOOCKI isn’t a mega-company – it’s something else.
A space of slowness. Of texture. Of authenticity.
Rooted in gardens, ceramics and botanical alchemy. Built on instinct, craftsmanship and playful rebellion.
It is my contribution.
With muddy hands and an open heart. Not made for the masses, but for those who still believe in listening — to plants, to the seasons and to that little voice inside.⠀⠀