Fit Check, Food Check: Sophia Lerner on Peruvian Fashion and Denim

Raised in Colombia and Peru by German and Peruvian parents, Sophia Lerner was born to adapt. The versatility she accrued from her upbringing directly informs her namesake clothing brand, a collection of denim-forward pieces meant to be dressed up or down. Since her launch in 2016, Lerner has prioritized wearability, comfort, and manufacturing processes that harken back to Peru’s rich artisan history. Each garment is handmade in her Lima-based studio, where it’s woven, stitched, and dyed to achieve her vision. 

In September 2025, the designer launched Casa Lerner, a community-oriented concept store in Lima’s Miraflores neighborhood. The multi-level space contains products from Sophia Lerner and a host of other Latino clothing, jewelry, and homeware brands. On the roof, a satellite location of Raiz Coffee Roasters overlooks the famed pre-Incan pyramids of Huaca Pucllana. 

Last week, we visited Lerner in her new space. While taste-testing tamales Limeños from nearby La Negra Panadería, we discussed identity, craftsmanship, and the importance of uplifting Peruvian creatives. 

Read on for more about Lerner, from her fashion origin story to her favorite Peruvian brands.

Fit check: Take me back to the early days of the Sophia Lerner brand.

When I finished school, I began working on my design portfolio. I started by exploring different textiles. In denim, I found a material that gave me so much opportunity to explore. It’s very rigid, in a good way. If I’d tried to explore with leather or silk, both of which are more expensive and delicate, I wouldn’t have had the space to try so many new things, to fail, and to see how I could alter the fabric in different ways.

Food check: How does your heritage inform your tastes?

I told you how much I love papas a la huancaína! They’re my absolute favorite. When I came to visit my family here as a kid, we ate so much traditional Peruvian food. There’s a super emotional connection there; I relate papas a la huancaina to Peru. I do the same with my favorite Colombian foods, like arepas, thanks to the time I spent there as a kid. Both of those foods connect me to very specific moments in my childhood, in my life. 

Why is it important for you to manufacture your clothes in Lima?

Honestly, that’s been one of the most important things in this journey. My team and I have incredible attention to detail, and every process is super important. Obviously, you can’t actually reach perfection, and that’s not the idea, either. But the dynamic of constantly improving, having control over every process, that’s something we talk about constantly as a team. It makes so much sense to do everything here, in-house.

Why did you create Casa Lerner?

Before we founded Casa Lerner, there were different businesses throughout this space. I started out by selling my clothes in one storefront on the first floor. When I got to know the larger space, I felt a really strong connection to it. It’s super interesting, obviously, because it’s right across from la Huaca. Little by little, I realized that this was the space where I wanted to establish my brand. It started with my namesake store, nothing more, but over time, I started to dream bigger. I wanted to create a collaborative space. 

Now, Casa Lerner has fashion, art, homewares, and a coffee shop. The idea is that people can stop by to try different things. It’s not just a place where you show up, look around, buy something, and leave. It’s a sensory experience, and there’s a great appreciation for the aesthetic aspect of things, even from a historic standpoint thanks to la Huaca. The idea is, also, to have a place where people can get to know these different Latino- and Peruvian-owned brands. Looking for brands who complement us, rather than looking for competition, that’s what we’re trying to do.

Which Peruvian brands do you find most inspiring right now?

There are so many. In Casa Lerner, we’ve selected every single one with so much intention. I’m especially excited that we offer more than just clothes. We have accessories from Mozhdeh Matin, from Canella. I also love that we carry home goods, like ceramics from Manufactura and Céu de Lima. I find their work so beautiful. The ceramics really complement the space. It’s hard for me to identify one brand in particular when they all come together to create this universe where our core values, like transparency in our manufacturing processes, are aligned. 

Every brand we carry has its own unique connection to Lima, and to Peru in general, in terms of artisanship. Sometimes, there’s not a super direct reference to the region, but the fact that we’re all employing artisans and using these techniques, that allows the inspiration we get from Peru to shine through.