Ten Minutes with Victoria Koupparis of Lavender Field

Remember those doilies your grandmother endlessly crocheted when you were a kid? Well, to borrow a popular advertising slogan–crochet’s come a long way baby. Don’t believe me? Just  check out Lavender Field, the Etsy shop of Cyprus-based crochet maven Victoria Koupparis. What I love most about Victoria’s colorful, crochet-and-glass bead necklaces is how the geometric structures seem to riff off everything from those molecular diagrams you used to have to draw in high school science class to coral branches to Italian millefiori glass. I keep imagining myself sporting one of her necklaces with my favorite sundresses this summer. Victoria is just starting to make a name for herself stateside, but I’m thinking it’s only a matter of time before her work ends up on the wish list of our favorite “It” girls. Keep reading to learn more . . .

Oligoville: How would you describe your ideal customer?

Victoria: I already have a few ideal customers.  We have become friends and they come back for more because they love my work and they trust that they will get something beautiful from me.

Oligoville: How’d you end up as a designer?

Victoria: I think this is something I’ve always had inside me, even though I could not afford to admit it. But there comes a time in your life when you need to show to your world what you really are capable of creating.

Oligoville: How/when did you launch your brand?

Victoria: I launched my brand about a year ago but it only developed into what it has become today about six months ago.

Oligoville: How’d you come up with the name for your company?

Victoria: I love the aroma of lavender as well as the deep purple color of some of them, but other than that the only philosophy I have is to listen to my heart and create with passion.  Do what feels right to you and people will accept you and admire you for that.

Oligoville: Who and/or what inspires you?

Victoria: I’d say that colors are one of my biggest inspirations.  Beautiful and neat things and places also inspire me a lot, and whenever I look at something beautiful that someone has created it just makes me want to go and create some more of my stuff!

Oligoville: What’s 24 hours like in your life?

Victoria: Always busy!  I thrive on being busy at all times.  I’m never ever bored. I might feel lonely at times or even exhausted, but never bored.  If I’m not creating, then I’m either cooking or tending to my house, kids, dogs, garden, restaurant, etc!

Oligoville: What’s in your closet? What are you wearing right now?

Victoria: I’m a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl.  I love being comfortable but trendy at the same time.  I’m in my pj’s right now though [because in Cyprus] it’s time to go to sleep!

Oligoville: What’s in your bag right now?

Victoria: I carry a small, trendy leather backpack with me because it’s very practical and doesn’t fall off my shoulders every time I move my arms (I have very small shoulders by the way).  In there I carry my wallet (full of cash…I wish ), chapstick and lipstick, keys, cell phone, pictures of my loved ones, tissues, the usual stuff, but not anything I don’t need.  I’m very practical that way.

Oligoville: Tell us about some unexpected setbacks you have faced since starting your business and what you learned.

Victoria: My biggest setback has been promoting my work.  I have no experience in marketing or advertising so I find it very challenging trying to promote my work without being spammy.

Oligoville: What has been the most rewarding part of your career?

Victoria: The creative part, of course.  Creating what comes from my heart, and not having to listen to a boss telling me whether it’s right or wrong!  If I feel it’s right, then it’s right!

Oligoville: Tell us where you expect to see your business in the next five years.

Victoria: I’d really like to grow my business and be successful, but for now I’m taking baby steps and see where it takes me.

Oligoville: Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Victoria: Yes, but this is advice I’d give to just anybody: Follow your heart!  You’ll never be wrong if you do!

Oligoville: Any last words?

Victoria: I’d like to give you a big THANKS for this interview.  This is a great opportunity for me to show my work to a lot of people, who will hopefully fall in love with it!

Great for any Season

There are only a few remaining weeks left of summer. Stores have already begun transitioning into fall fashions and most people have ceased adding clothes to their summer wardrobes. But, what is the one thing a woman needs year round? Jewelry.

Robynn Molino’s Jewelry is a great find. Not only can these unique pieces be worn all four seasons but they can also be the accessory at an event that every other woman envies. This Los Angeles jeweler has conjured up a new ring design. The letters located at the top of the rings are touch tone keypad buttons. Ranging in color from jet black to mint green, these rings are anything but unnoticeable.

While Molino’s rings offer more of the “Wow” factor, the earrings have a more subtle approach about grabbing people’s attention. At first glance each earring looks like a simple, feminine earring, but take a closer look and you notice its intricate design. Some of the delicate earrings in this line resemble flowers in bloom or a sea shells found on the beach.

No matter which style you prefer, Robynn Molino’s jewelry line has something for everyone, for every event and, of course, for every season.

Terry Graziano Makes Beautiful Hats

Terry Graziano makes “beautiful multifunctional hats for women using eco-friendly mill-end surplus fabrics.” A 15-year veteran hat designer, Graziano personally handcrafts each hat with individualized care and attention in her New York City studio. Each hat is purposefully designed to be worn in many different ways allowing its wearer to custom-create her hat to fit her mood and outfit. Eclectic and eco-savvy, Terry uses only surplus fabrics. Every hat is silk-lined for comfort and adjustable for big heads to small heads. “For me, it’s all about flexibility. A shirt, a skirt, a pair of pants: these can be worn many ways— why should hats be any different?” They shouldn’t! Thank you for artistically and eco-friendlily teaching us that, Ms. Graziano!

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