Did you always know you wanted to be in fashion?
"No. I have a degree in cultural geography from Berkeley! I didn’t know what I wanted to do. City planning, teaching...but I ultimately knew that I wanted to work for myself. I fell in love with making costumes for my dance department, and then started making clothes for myself. I decided to give it a real go after college. I've always loved fashion, so it wasn’t much of a stretch!"

Oh, that's right, you studied dance in college, too. How did that inspire the designs you create?
"Dance costumes really move with the body and flow and cling in the right places. I think that my collections are always a bit reminiscent of dance. I can’t say that I have been directly influenced by my geography degree, though. Ha!"

Can you still bust a move? What are your favorite dance floors in town?
"For sure! I love to salsa dance and I still take an African dance class from a Nigerian drum master named Francis Awe in Los Angeles. I dance, while my husband plays the drums! I also love Sweaty Sundays and Wet Wednesdays with Ryan Heffington! When I do it, it makes me so happy."

Vintage Turquoise Squash Blossom Necklace

Photographed by Hailley Howard