BIZ CRUSH: Nine56 Studio

I met Meg at a pop up event last year where her enthusiasm & passion shined crazy bright. We quickly discovered some similarities- our alma mater, favorite professors & love of sewing. Her sister squealed with delight when I was the first person who responded "yes" to the question she'd been asking everyone all day, "Are you familiar with slow fashion?"

Since then, a lot of things have rocked Meg's world, but through it all her positivity shines through the darkness. Read on to hear more about Meg's story & how she's working hard to create epic change.

What kind of kid were you growing up? I was totally bossy as a little kid and very loud. I was always painting or singing or making up games to play with the neighborhood kids. I definitely suffered from FOMO and wanted to be a part of what every one was doing all the time. Luckily, I’ve learned to curb a bit of that in adulthood but I still lean into creativity as much as I can!

How did that affect your path towards working in the fashion industry? I always wanted to be creating something. I did play with paper fashion dolls when I was a kid but that was only one of my very many projects. I continue to be so curious about fashion because of how it is both so personal and essential for life while also being a form of play and self expression. I know that there is so much potential for how we dress to impact how we live our lives and that makes me endlessly excited.

What fueled your desire to create slow fashion? In the beginning, it was about social and environmental justice. I had an education in fashion design but I didn’t want to join the industry that was so harmful to the world. That’s why I took a job as a seamstress for a slow fashion brand in Minneapolis and eventually started Nine56 Studio. As my brand developed though, and I leaned into what styles of clothes I really wanted to be making, I realized the huge potential for our clothing to serve us in a way that it’s not for most women. Slow fashion creates an opportunity for women to be more intentional about their clothing purchases and build wardrobes that will serve them and their lifestyle needs. Investing in better but fewer pieces so that we love everything we own is more that just a strategy for a clean closest, it becomes a lifestyle where we only buy what we need and love. When we understand and are proud of how our products are made, I think that’s where the big, world changing magic can happen.

If your story could fit into a 30 second commercial, how would it unfold? My story might not fit into a 30 second commercial! It starts with my dad’s terminal cancer diagnosis which really changed my perspective on what was most important to me. During the time that he was sick switched to a plant based diet and became very focused about what we were putting into our bodies. I also married my husband and my dad walked me down the aisle and then moved to small town WI with my husband. I spent most weeks driving back and forth from MN to WI to be with my family. After my dad passed away, I found myself as a new wife, in a new home, working from home all day and I realized that to maintain my focus on my health and my family’s health, I was going to have to become very mindful about my everyday routines…….

What ultimately made you decide to do the lovely thing you do? I saw a huge opportunity in fashion to make the world a better place.

Who’s positively influenced your path the most? My parents, my college professors, and my former boss.

Favorite part about working for yourself? Creating my own schedule!

Most challenging thing about working for yourself? Accepting that it’s good enough and believing in myself! I’m a perfectionist and very critical of my own work and that can be tough when building a business.

How do you get your creative juices flowing? I have a morning routine of reading, meditating, and journaling and that really sets me up for creativity every day!

Fill us in on your design process. I start with lifestyle when I’m designing clothes. Although Nine56 pieces can serve so many different lifestyles, we design for homebodies. These are women who might work from home, prefer creative or cozy weekends in, or are stay at home moms. And although their lifestyle revolves around their home, they still want to have great style. To serve these women, we design elevated loungewear that is comfortable to lounge in but can also be worn to run errands, to the office (in-home or otherwise), and for weekend get aways. This is the mindset that I start with when I design. I focus on clean lines, a relaxed fit, and soft fabrics with easy care. I keep all of these elements in mind to design a garment I think she’ll love.

If you could be a fly on the wall to anyone’s creative space {dead or alive} who would it be? Ooh this is a tough one! I think Adrienne Antonsson of State the Label. She has such a beautiful space and sweet kiddos! I love playful her design style is!

How did you land on the name “Nine 56 Studio”? The name Nine56 represents the time 9:56am and my passion to support women in building routines that makes 9:56am look different for each one of them. I believe so strongly in creating a life that serves us. That looks not only like routines that serve us, but also clothing, food, beauty products, self-care products, every single thing we use to build our lives.

Talk about a failure you’ve learned from. Man, so many failures to choose from haha! I think I am going to pick a really unglamorous one that’s really important to growing a business and that’s costing your products correctly. It’s something that I continue to struggle with and after having a launch where I met my sales goals and ended up losing money, it’s something that I need to dig into even more! I’m really trying to be mindful about what goes into my products from a money standpoint which can be tedious and horrible but so necessary!

What’s one of your proudest accomplishments in business? I feel the most proud when someone reaches out to me and says that one of our garments or something I’ve written really served her. It’s the best feeling. It’s why I’m doing all of this! What do you wish you knew when you first started that you know now? The power of growing an audience to launch products to. I kind of had the build the product and figure it out as you go mentality. After learning more about marketing, I realize the power of getting people interested in what you’re doing before you invest all the money and time into actually doing it!

What has been your favorite project to date & how did it come to fruition? My favorite project is always the one that I’m working on! I think our product keeps getting better and better and more inline with our mission of serving women by giving them tools to show up as their best selves.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen or experienced thanks to your career path? Honestly, the coolest thing I’ve experienced is the change in myself. I used to be someone who had serious FOMO and always needed to be busy and never wanted to be alone. Now, I’m still busy! But because I work from home, I’ve had to learn to create daily routines where I feel nurtured, productive, and joyful (and you can bet that my wardrobe played no small role in finding my work-from-home stride). I spend almost every day alone in my home and I actually love it, which truly speaks the the personal development that has happened within me because of my work. Not the answer you were expecting from a fashion designer? Haha!

What’s next / What are you most excited about? I can’t wait to finally be launching new product for 2019! Our first launch is on April 1st for our Austin Tie Top. This will be our first launch using our new model of launching products one at a time, via pre-sale. I’m so excited about this model because it encourages mindfulness and attention to lifestyle when women choose one of our pieces to support their daily routines.

Time of the day you are most productive: 8am-11am

The app you couldn’t live without: Headspace

Social media outlet you love most:

Instagram

Favorite account to follow on this outlet:

@erinloechner

Favorite podcast/internet radio station at the moment:

Rise Podcast by Rachel Hollis

Go to piece in your wardrobe:

My Anna Mock-Neck Tee from our last collection (still up online by the way!)

Favorite Netflix binge:

Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Weirdest piece of equipment you use:

Probably a Hip Curve??? Haha I don’t know!

Favorite designer:

Elizabeth Suzann

The best “hidden gem” in the community:

Diamonds Coffee Shoppe

Favorite sustainability hack:

Capsule wardrobe

See more from Nine56 Studio here: Online | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

& visit her at Art-A-Whirl at the Thorp Building on May 17-19

#wordsofwisdom #bizcrush #entrepreneurship #nine56studio

Babies & Showers

Let it be known that if I’m throwing a party there WILL be fringe. But you probably already knew that.

My bestie is having a baby & we showered her with love, gifts, diapers, fake rain drops, food and tassels. Clearly, lots of tassels.

Shout out to Pinterest for most of these ideas + friends and family who helped it all come together. And of course the baby mama, herself!

These Meri Meri plates, cups & napkins inspired the theme + color scheme.

We included your typical shower games & allowed guests to partake in activities at their own leisure like a rain cloud guest book, build a baby from old photos of Mom & Dad, plus a place to write a sweet or funny message on a diaper.

This balloon cloud was another Pinterest hack and the "oh baby" banner was up-cycled from a Target One Spot find.

Tissue tassels hung just about everywhere, including little baby tassels on the cake. (Learn how to make your own here!)

Can't wait to meet this little one! And can't wait to teach her how to craft ;)

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For more fringey party tutorials, check out my Skillshare class! For more party inspo, follow me on Pinterest.

#party #tassels #decor #fringe

BIZ CRUSH: Alanna Stapleton

Alanna is part badass illustrator, part embroiderer extraordinaire & has a sixth sense for color like you wouldn't believe, oh, and she's making part of her new wardrobe. As in sewing her own clothes, not building a wooden transport to Narnia.

Her style is undeniably recognizable & it's sure to charm you as it has me. Keep scrolling to find out more about Alanna Stapleton, her work, her process and her keen pencil balancing skills.

What kind of kid were you growing up?

Is “involved kid” a category? Much of my childhood was shaped by being involved in 4-H and Girl Scouts, which meant that I had a ton of opportunities to learn a variety of useful skills like cooking and sewing, and indulge in my interests in a wide range of topics, from riding horses to juggling. I did so many activities and had so many hobbies, it seems ridiculous now! I played at least 4 instruments and 2 sports. I remember being just as happy reading or drawing inside as I was playing outside.

How did that affect your path towards working in design?

Looking back, it seems pretty clear that I was drawn to variety. And not in the “fleeting whimsy” way-when I decided to do something, I was all in. I think that working in illustration and design, especially as a freelancer, allows me to wear lots of different hats at once. Maybe I’ll get to work on an illustration about a topic I’m unfamiliar with, and I’ll get to spend time researching something fascinating that I’d otherwise never have had a chance to immerse myself in. Maybe I’ll spend my morning thinking about contracts and how to run a business, and then think about color and shape and line and form all afternoon.

If your story could fit into a 30 second commercial, how would it unfold?

Little girl drawing lots of horses → college art student in a figure study class → middle-aged woman traveling the world and drawing everything → old woman drawing lots of horses.

What ultimately made you decide to do the lovely thing you do?

Trusting my gut.

Who’s positively influenced your path the most?

Other than my supportive family and friends, definitely my mentor from grad school, Allegra Lockstadt!

Favorite part about working for yourself?

The ability to try new things all the time.

Most challenging thing about working for yourself?

Figuring out what I want and how to go get it! I’m a person that loves the process, but working for yourself is one of those things that in no way comes with an instructional manual. If there was one I’d throw it aside anyway, but having a guide would be nice sometimes.

How do you get your creative juices flowing?

Travel is my favorite way to get inspiration. Taking a trip isn’t always possible when I’m feeling uninspired, so I just do whatever I can to switch up my routine: listen to a new podcast or explore a corner of the Twin Cities that I rarely go to. It also helps me to recharge and restart the creative parts of my brain to make something with my hands that carries a lot less pressure, like cooking from a favorite recipe.

If you could be a fly on the wall to anyone’s creative space {dead or alive} who would it be?

Currently it’s chef/food writer Samin Nosrat, comedian/actor/illustrator Abbi Jacobson, and writer/podcast host Aminatou Sow. Lately I’ve been dreaming about planning a Frida Kahlo themed trip to Mexico City and Casa Azul.

Talk about a failure you’ve learned from.

This doesn’t really refer to a specific failure, but I’ve learned that it’s so important for me to remember that saying no, walking away, and pivoting in another direction are always valid options.

What’s one of your proudest accomplishments in business?

Doing the cover illustration for The Growler last August.

What do you wish you knew when you first started that you know now?

Just start doing it. Nobody else knows what they’re doing either.

Also, just to be clear, I still have to remind myself this at least once a day. It’s a lesson I’m constantly learning.

Expand upon the idea of Sisters & Seams!

I was finishing grad school and feeling the need for a long-term future project to look forward to. My sister, Brianna, and I have casually mentioned for years that we might want to start a craft/sewing/fabric business together someday (not a professional artist, but Brianna is an avid quilter/maker/sewist). I sent Brianna a quick e-mail proposing that we collaborate on some art quilts together, starting with an unfinished embroidery piece I’d made as a color study and creative respite from my grad school work. Turns out she’d also been feeling a need for a new creative challenge and was totally on board. I sent her the piece I didn’t know how to finish and we outlined the simple parameters of what we now call Sisters & Seams, a year-long collaboration where we explore the boundaries of fabric, thread, and our sisterly bond.

What’s next / What are you most excited about?

I’m teaching a class at the Textile Center and I’m looking to develop more workshops that I could potentially take on the road. I’m also looking to devote more time and energy this year towards designing more products for my online shop.

Time of the day you are most productive:

Mid-morning for business stuff/writing/planning/ideating, but probably early evening for creative output/production type things.

The app you couldn’t live without:

Spotify and Instagram

Social media outlet you love most:

Instagram!

Favorite account to follow on this outlet:

I follow so many incredible illustrators and designers, sewists/makers/embroiderers, interior decorators, chefs, writers, etc. but a few favorites that come to mind right away: @joooheeeyooon, @designsponge, and @joythebaker.

Favorite internet radio station or podcast at the moment:

A recent favorite podcast binge was No Man’s Land with Alexis Coe.

Go to piece in your wardrobe:

I’m working on creating and curating a mostly handmade wardrobe this year, so I’m hoping my go-to pieces will soon change! Black jeans will always be important, and I rarely leave the house without sunglasses.

Favorite Netflix binge:

Most recently Schitt’s Creek.

Favorite Adobe tool:

The repeat pattern function, and Kyle Webster brushes.

Coolest place you’ve been and/or seen:

I got to explore the Snæfellsnes Peninsula this summer while on an artist residency in Iceland with Light Grey Art Lab.

Favorite hidden gem in the Twin Cities area:

I’m relatively new to the Twin Cities so I’m still searching for my very own hidden gem (it’s a fun quest, I don’t mind!), but I’ve had some of my favorite meals in Minneapolis at Hai Hai.

See more from Alanna Stapleton here: Instagram | Online

#wordsofwisdom #bizcrush #entrepreneurship #embroidery #alannastapleton