Ten Minutes with Courtney & Christina of White Owl

Lace can be many things: sweet, girly, naughty, and—surprisingly—sculptural. Well, at least it is in the hands of sisters Courtney & Christina Spivak who sell jewelry made from reclaimed lace, chain, and tulle under the White Owl by Spivak and Spivak brand. Take a look at the Clementine earrings, which echo the notched fluting of gingko leaves, or the Rennes necklace, two paisley-ish lace fragments strung on a cascade of coppery chain. The collection is the perfect balance of substance with lightness, and each piece will work just as well framing a tanned clavicle, or adding just enough “girl”  to that perfect tank you keep borrowing from your boyfriend.  Here’s more from Courtney & Christina . . .

Oligoville: Fill in the blanks: In five words or less, White Owl is . . .

Courtney & Christina: . . .  reclaimed, vintage, tulle, chain, lace

Oligoville: How would you describe your ideal customer?

Courtney & Christina: Our ideal customer is someone who enjoys our product! We try to make everyone’s experience as good as possible, so hopefully everyone becomes our ideal customer!

Oligoville: How’d you end up as designers?

Courtney & Christina: We’ve both made jewelry for ourselves on and off over the years, but only started selling online last year.

Oligoville: How/when did you launch your brand?

Courtney & Christina: We started in craft shows a couple of years ago and started our Etsy shop in 2008, but we didn’t really get the Etsy shop going until April 2009.

Oligoville: Why lace?

Courtney & Christina: We work with different materials that we find inspiring, but the intricate patterns of lace are always intriguing to us.

Oligoville: Who and/or what inspires you?

Courtney & Christina: Thrift shops, street fashion, old movies—everything really.

Oligoville: What’s 24 hours like in each of your lives?

Courtney: Wake up, work (I teach at a local college), come home, grab a drink with friends, and make jewelry!

Christina: Answer emails, process orders, go the post office, then swing by the thrift shop or flea market, then maybe some time with friends and back to making jewelry.

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

Courtney: Tulle ! For Spring 2010 I have bought tons of tulle skirts and tulle embellished tops! I have also been using tons of tulle in the new necklaces I have been making.

Christina: Lots of neutrals, and of course lace!

Oligoville: What’s in your bags right now?

Courtney: Makeup, money, my new Droid cellphone, granola bar (for snack emergencies!)

Christina: Pretty much everything but the kitchen sink!

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

Courtney & Christina: It’s hard to keep a balance between work and play when you run your own business, but time off is important. We try to enjoy our time off so we can be inspired and still excited about what we do.

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

Courtney & Christina: Making things! Being creative is its own reward.

Oligoville: Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Courtney & Christina: Work, work, work! Having your own business means lots of work.

Oligoville: What’s on your playlists right now?

Courtney & Christina: David Bowie, MGMT, Deerhoof, France Gall

Oligoville: Any last words?

Courtney & Christina: Au revoir?

FASHION BY THE RULES: Str8 Laced

Once upon a time, lace was reserved for wedding dresses, lingerie and even liturgical garments for the church. In the 21st century, lace has been democratized and transformed into a fabrication that transcends all ages and all levels of fashion. In fact, lace can be found in almost every classification of fashion and at every price level from Walmart to haute couture.

Having spent much of my life in the fashion business, I can honestly say that I was conditioned to think lace was dowdy or reserved for intimate occasions such as marriage or bed. Today we can find lace at every price on almost every age group, thanks to everyone from Madonna (think the beginning Material Girl) to Haute Couture to Rodarte at Target, we see lace in almost unimaginable classifications such as eye wear and handbags.

Lace was once a handmade product which was produced in just a few different fibers whereas today we can find in every possible fabrication at the cheapest prices as well as handmade at stratospheric prices. Lace has withstood the test of time and the whims of fashion to become what we might consider a staple for women of every age from children to adult.

As is my practice to research my topics online, you will be amazed at the versatility and stylishness of lace when used in any category of fashion. Thanks to Netaporter, Shopestyle and Bloomingdales and don’t forget to stay tuned in to http://jeffybruce.blogspot.com/