Hey, you.
This is Monica, founder of Belvele. I've been putting off writing a Blog post for a while, because I want us to get to know each other, but I feel a little strange talking about myself. Instead, I've decided to talk to you about the things and people that energize and inspire me.
One of my favorite things in the world is travel. This last week, I was fortunate to be able to attend Market Week in New York City. The main goal was to find exciting new sustainable pieces to bring in for our Fall assortment (so much pretty coming your way!) The second goal was to take in the beauty of the Big Apple and its denizens.
One of those shining stars was Sam Emrich of Catching Dragonfly, a health and wellness blog which I have been stalking furiously with admiration. My friend Marcia introduced us online about a year ago because of our shared interest in sustainable fashion. This was our first time meeting in person. The three of us met up Saturday morning for a coffee, followed by an intense yoga session at Laughing Lotus. At least, we thought it was intense, until Sam busted out a couple of moves for us after.
Clearly, after this work-out, we were ready to eat all of the things. Sharing a few stories from fashion, to love, to purpose, we could have stayed and talked for hours. If you don't already follow Sam on every form of social media, you must change that immediately. I am smitten.
My next inspiring encounter was with Elise Ballegeer herself, the incredible designer whose minimalist garments make me want to squeeze baby animals a little too hard (this girl gets it). We spilled secrets while getting caffeinated in a magical indoor garden in Williamsburg. I learned that Elise is a true adventurer, the type of person who decides to move to Berlin (not knowing any German), and lands at the airport a few weeks later with nothing but an address on a piece of paper and a talent that exudes from her pores. This is the type of attitude you need to design a line whose subtlety makes the statement.
You can read more about Elise in her Designer Profile. Stay tuned for more fascinating stories from her and our other designers!
In the meantime, if you're in the San Francisco Bay area, you can come celebrate Belvele's launch with us at SF Green Drinks Happy Hour on Tuesday, March 1st. Check our Facebook Page for details!