25
Jul
Some favorites…
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14
Jul
Behind the Scenes with Lauren at Leona
What do you get when you mix deep Southern roots, a flair for artistic expression and an entrepreneurial attitude? The birth of Leona: a fashion line designed, based and manufactured right here in the South, with headquarters in Nashville, TN. So let’s have a chat with Lauren Leonard, the mastermind behind it all! (Just be warned: your credit card might start talking to you.)
Lets start from the beginning…
Where does your interest in fashion design come from?
I have always been involved with art, and have a deep-rooted entrepreneurial spirit. I wanted to create a uniquely branded product that fashionable women around the world could relate to and enjoy.
How did Leona come to be?
I knew for a lifetime that I would own a label, but I did not know it could happen at the age of 23. I had been working in the industry for 7 years at that time, and thought if I was going to take such a huge risk, why not now? A month after graduation Leona was born! I had been a student of the industry for so long, but I had so much to learn. It was not easy, but my first season I had to stop taking orders because I had far exceeded my original production expectations. Stores loved the product and the rest is history!
Where does your inspiration come from?
COLOR is always my starting point. I have colors that I will naturally gravitate toward and they eventually begin to tell me a story. I also have a soundtrack while working on each season–something that evokes the mood I am wishing to convey. While working on Fall 2011 I was listening to a lot of British pop, old and new.
What has been a memorable moment in this process for you?
There is something new and exciting every season, and so many stories I could tell. When I received my first call for a reorder, I cried. I had no idea the product had landed in stores yet, and someone had already sold out. It was that moment of relief I was waiting for. It was my Sally Field Oscar moment!
What challenges do you face in this business?
We haven’t done anything the way you are told to do it, and for that reason, we have challenges. We believe in giving exceptional customer service, and that means not using showrooms. We believe in having a product that tells a story about who we are: chic southern women. Our headquarters are in Nashville, TN and all of our products our made in the South. All of these things present challenges, but our passion to do things our way makes the reward of success so much sweeter.
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13
Jul
Heat Wave
What’s that you say? Heat index over 100 degrees across our sweet Southern states?! Get me to the POOL!
07
Jul
Behind the scenes with Britt Bass!
Meet Brittany Bass: a UGA grad and an artist to the core. With diploma in hand and a knack for seeing beauty in all of life, this aspiring artist/painter has much to offer the world. Enjoy these thoughts from Britt herself and be sure to check out her website, blog and Etsy shop to see more of her work.
When did you first start to paint and draw?
When my mom gave me my yellow plastic “Play School” easel as soon as I could walk. I suppose I’ve been a little hooked since then. My elementary art teacher told me I was going to be a famous artist one day- I took her very seriously you see.
Has painting always been your creative outlet?
Not necessarily painting, but creativity in general has always been my outlet of sorts. I’m not so great at sports or anything of athletic nature and although I can beat anyone I know in a card game I’ve seemed to settle with the arts as my go-to. The art of craft in its many forms has always been very important to me, even at a young age. My mom is a creative and over the years has shared with me her passion in a variety of media. I learned how to sew pillow cases, crochet, make barettes, and tie a perfect bow before I was 8. My mom has passed on her passion for making in other forms as well, cake baking and decorating, faux painting, restoring/recovering furniture, and interior designing. I always thought this was a normal way to spend one’s free time. This sort of upbringing has transformed me into an incessant maker and explorer of new materials and constant potential projects. So back to your question, creativity has always been my creative outlet- and I do love to paint.
What are your top three inspirations?
My inspiration certainly comes from life itself. The idea of creation and God creating intricate and timeless astonishing beauty out of dust, dirt, nothing. What a concept- and a constant and unending source of inspiration. I like to work in layers, to focus on the process, and reflect on the aesthetics of my surroundings. On a more simpler level however, my three current inspirations are Confetti System (they are awesome), rocks and gemstones, and moss.
What is a challenge you face?
A constant challenge is the ever persistent battle between the work I currently/desire/dream to make vs. the work that sells/the work people want me to make. On top of this challenge remains the invariable fight of my current work which may be a success or comfortable vs. the necessity to move on, to make more work, better work, and even more daring, different work than before. Along with this struggle is the fear that I have reached my peak, or that my audience may change, or even more dreadful, I won’t have an audience at all.
I hope to hang one of these lovelies in my home someday!
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29
Jun
Organize with Tili!
I love carrying a big purse. Love carrying a beach bag. Love carrying a good gym bag. Love traveling with a large suitcase. But I don’t love the “Mary Poppins bag” effect when I lose the very item I am looking for to the depths of the bag. This is where I fall in love with Tili.
How precious are these? And practical too!
How many uses for these cute Tili bags can YOU think of?
