As a full-time mom and business owner, I have limited time to scour magazines and my favorite, the internet, for new fashion and home brands. That’s why I love Brandshop, a traveling pop-up that curates the best emerging brands—all owned by women—and brings them together for a fun-filled weekend of shopping and sharing ideas. The most cutting-edge, upscale jewelry, apparel, art, and beauty products—plus words of wisdom from other female entrepreneurs—all under one roof? Dream come true!
The most recent Brandshop in New Orleans continued the founders Hillary and Laura’s mission of connecting inspiring people and and beautiful things, and Simply Framed was so excited to be a part of it.
On Friday morning, I spoke on a panel about the art of partnerships alongside Elizabeth Brown, CEO of luxe furniture destination Viyet, and Morgan Hutchinson, the founder of Buru, a site offering upscale fashion for new moms. Ashley Finch, head of partnerships for the inspiring women’s networking community Lean In, moderated. Personal note: I was actually working for Facebook when Lean In was released, and Cheryl's words helped inspire me to launch Simply Framed a few months later!
The event took place in the most beautiful space: the top floor of Martine Chaisson’s Gallery—and home!
I’m always looking for new ways to collaborate with businesswomen across different categories, so it was tons of fun to hear from these powerhouse ladies about their strategies for establishing partnerships.
Speaking of partnerships, another top highlight from the weekend was our collaboration with the incredible illustrator Inslee. We framed eight original paintings of the beautiful figures she has become known for, along with a series of limited-edition prints—all created specially for Brandshop. Hanging tip: When faced with hanging a group of pictures near stairs, you don't have to make the artwork "climb" the stairs. We took Inslee's mom's sage advice and aligned our salon-style display even along the bottom.
Inslee was also on site doing live portraits. Witnessing her amazing talent in person was just as exciting as being "Inslee'd" myself in a portrait with my mom and my son Miles. I cannot wait to get this back from our shop in its custom frame!
The weekend kicked off with an amazing opening at the Martine Chaisson Gallery featuring the work of Dorothy Shain. Her recent group of illustrations and collages, “The Tropics Collection,” was inspired by summer travel—we’re talking bikinis, palm fronds, and tropical fruit. We were honored to frame a group of her original collages from the collection in our white gallery frames, which perfectly complemented her colorful works. You can also see a few fine finds from our friends St. Frank on the console below Dorothy's large work.
It was beautiful (ish) weather all weekend in New Orleans. That, combined with the whole vibe of Dorothy's show, had me feeling very ready for summer! You can still purchase one of her colorful collages or prints through her website.
To top it off, I got to shop and meet the founders of some amazing new companies along the way. I rounded up a handful of my favorites so that you can discover them too.
Fun patterns and cool textures abounded at the CCH Collection booth. We're big fans of domestic production here at Simply Framed, and I love that all of CCH's garments are produced in NYC.
I try to shop sustainably whenever possible, and it's super exciting to see more fashionable and eco-conscious brands out there. Rothy's ballet flats are cute, comfortable, and—here's the kicker—made from plastic water bottles! I'm coveting their Point style in black for all-day, everyday wear.
I've been a fan of Whit for some time now, mainly for her bold patterns and the whimsical collaborations they do with artists on their graphic tees. Their collections always feel all about being lighthearted and having fun—and who doesn't want that?
Karolina Zmarlak has mastered the construction of sophisticated and minimalist silhouettes cut from ultra-luxurious fabrics. These are the kind of striking clothes that I want to wear to an important meeting; you put them on and instantly feel powerful, modern, and chic.
Beautiful jewelry and a beautiful mission? Deal. Fernweh makes amazing statement pieces, and as social entrepreneurs they find ways to give back to the indigenous communities of women that both contribute to and inspire their designs.
Since art is my passion, I'm pretty much guaranteed to be smitten with any designer who collaborates with artists as much Maria Brito does. Beautiful paintings don't only have to be on your walls after all! With her stunning clutches, you can carry a piece of your art collection with you everywhere you go. I also thoroughly enjoyed Maria's talk on collecting art. The takeaway? Buy art you love and support young artists.
As a new mom myself, I loved learning all about Morgan Hutchinson’s site, Buru. Buru makes it easy for women to shop an amazing curation of high-fashion pieces (from the likes Rachel Comey, Ace & Jig, and SUNO, to name just a few) that are forgiving when it comes to your changing post-baby body, yet so stylish that you’ll want to keep wearing them for years to come.
Since I tend to run around all day long, I can never have to many comfy, sneaker-inspired shoes. JIBS are so stylish, and their luxe perforated leather makes them perfect for the summer months—no wonder they’re so popular in Brazil!
I’m obsessed with finding the perfect classic striped tee, and Nikki Kule makes some of the best. Kule uses the softest cottons, has tons of options to choose from, and their t-shirts are all made right here in the USA. My husband is definitely sick of seeing me in my Kule T-shirt. 'Nuff said.
Be sure to follow @thebrndshop on Instagram to stay tuned for the next inspiring event.
All photographs by Randy Schmidt.
