Like most women I'm always on the search for that perfect finishing accessory for an outfit. I found some really great handbags that are made by a member of my local EtsyDallas street team. Lolafalk make beautifully unique handbags, just looking through her shop I found 3 that would match perfectly with some of my favorite outfits.
Here's a little about Lolafalk:
How long have you been crafting?
From a production standpoint, I've been sewing for nearly a year and a half. This may not seem like a long time, but when you consider that I sew almost every day, anywhere from 4-10 hours, then you can see how I've become pretty adept at it! From a design standpoint (and when the Lolafalk brand was officially "born"), I started selling my handbags on Etsy about 7 months ago.
What inspires your art?
So many things inspire me, I have a huge collage in my studio consisting of magazine pictures, photographs and found objects - just looking at it is like creative fuel for my mind. Throughout my life I've always had the desire and passion in me to create and make a statement, what's nice is finally finding the most perfect outlet for it - and being able to make a living doing what I love! Here are a few examples of what I look to for inspiration:
- Fashion designers who take a funky, intrepid approach to their designs (John Galliano, Betsy Johnson, John Fluevog); who are sophisticated yet quirky (LaCroix, Prada); and who truly show their personality through their designs (Gwen Stefani's LAMB, Chloe).
- Great architecture. It can run the gamut from the beautiful buildings in Valledolid (Mexico), Madrid and Brooklyn!
- Eclectic interior designers: Ruthie Sommers, Anna Spiro and Miles Redd to name a few. I also turn to the designsponge* blog for regular inspiration.
What are your favorite methods/ materials to use in your artwork?
While I do work from established patterns that I create for each product in my line, I really work best in a "free-form" fashion. By this I mean that I make no decisions on fabric selection, colors or textures until the very moment I'm about to start a new bag. The true essence of the style of my brand lies in eclectic pattern combinations and striving for the unexpected - if a color or fabric combination seems too predictable or makes too much sense to me, then that is an immediate "red flag" that I am heading in the wrong direction with a bag. Regarding my favorite types of materials - since what I do primarily revolved around fabric selection, I would classify my selection criteria as follows: if it's bright, shiny, funky, odd and makes you feel the slightest bit uneasy about whether or not it's a "workable" fabric - then as far as I'm concerned, it is perfect for the Lolafalk line!
What sets you apart from other artist?
I think my design process is really what sets me apart. There are so many cute handbags, totes and clutches being crafted by other designers, but I'm not striving for cute so much as I'm (by nature) selecting fabrics and creating patterns that are just...unexpected. I like juxtapositions - a shiny pink taffeta zipper pouch lined with a "granny-pattern" cotton fabric; neutral-toned, conservative plaid fabric combined with a seductive midnight blue satin, accented with a bright red rooster-printed cotton; houndstooth fabric mixed with a funky fruit-pattern cotton blend. This is the design chaos swirling around in my head, and somehow I'm able to bring it all together to create the subtly eclectic and understatedly quirky essence of the Lolafalk brand.
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