Tell us a little bit about the collection and the inspiration.
"The inspiration was Palm Springs poolside. I was working with Simon Kneen, Banana Republic's creative director, and we were inspired by vintage photographs by Slim Aarons of ladies lunching in Palm Springs — a turquoise-blue pool, modern architecture in the background, and these ladies in great outfits hanging out by the pool. When Simon approached my company about doing the collaboration it was really about creating prints and color. That was the goal."
How was it working with such an influential label like Banana Republic and how did it come to fruition?
“It was actually really easy and a very concentrated six-week process. Once the crazy botanical print was established as the color story, we sort of worked it out so that the other prints would carry through some of the colors.”
We know you’re a NorCal native! Can you tell us more about your history with the Bay?
"I was born at Kaiser Hospital in San Francisco and I grew up in San Jose. I remember coming into the city a lot as a little kid. San Francisco is really the first true city I knew as a child and that’s kind of what made me a city dweller at heart."
What are your fave spots to frequent when you come to San Francisco?
"I always seem to end up at Boulette’s Larder, it’s that little restaurant in the Ferry Building that I love. I come up a couple times for the vintage clothing show. There’s a few vintage modern furniture showrooms and stores that I love, too."
S.F. is the tech capital. Do you consider yourself to be tech savvy?
"I would consider myself to be an interested learner. I do not consider myself to be tech savvy. Although, of course, I’m in love with my iPhone like everybody else.”
What’s up next for you?
"What I really would like to do is complete this lifestyle that we've started. We have the women’s ready-to-wear, we have the swimwear, but at the moment we’re not really doing shoes, handbags, or even sunglasses. I think that in order to really complete the lifestyle for this woman, we need to be doing all of those things."
What is your ultimate dream collaboration?
“I would love to do a little boutique hotel and decorate the whole thing using all our prints and colors. I’m not an interior designer, so it would be a huge undertaking, but that’s why I say boutique hotel.”
Photo: Via Trina Turk