In case you were wondering...
After six weeks of Lolili being open for business, I decided it was time to reflect upon my new and exciting venture. Although always an entrepreneur at heart, it wasn’t until a career-ending accident over four years ago literally knocked me on my head, wrenched my arm, and said…Ok, it’s time!
Photography has always been a powerful and integral part of what makes me happy. It is what I truly love. I also grew up with a mom who introduced me to fabric and sewing from the comfort of her lap. Together we made doll clothes from scraps and had fashion shows on the runways of lined up shoe boxes. During my post-accident healing, I had plenty of time to think. I knew there had to be a way to creatively combine my photographic art and my love of textiles to produce something very special, perhaps something that others would like to own. I just needed to land on the perfect product. Thanks to the advice, support, and cheerleading of some wonderful people, who have listened to my ideas for years, I decided to take a deep breath and embark on this journey of creating luxury fine art fashion scarves. And hence, the birth of Lolili.
Seeking the finest fabric on which to reproduce my art was a huge challenge and took what felt like years. I didn’t think I could ever be satisfied. Had I set my sights too high? After carefully examining samples from all over the world, the Italian fabrics won my heart and the job. The fine Italian cashmere blend really was the answer to the quality that I believed spoke to my brand. Then, once that was decided, I needed to choose the fabricator which best met my expectations. No one warned me it would be this hard.
Choosing a scarf design is a thoughtful and creative process. I especially seek unique one of a kind images that can have an emotional impact on my clients, something they will resonate with, not just wear. I like the idea of collections and just as one would have a collection of pieces from their favourite artist, I wanted my clients to know that they could also have a collection of these timeless scarves that fit their mood, memories, and fantasies. It goes deeper than just choosing colour and size. It’s a feeling.
Wearable art…what could be better! Choosing the slogan was the easiest. ‘Wear Your Story’ really jived with my intentions for the Lolili brand. This is shown in the comments and feedback from my clients as they choose and wear what really makes them feel special. As to the name, Lolili, that is the subject of my upcoming blog post, ‘What’s in a Name?’
If you would like to follow Lolili on Instagram, look for www.instagram.com/loliliwear