81Poppies is in full bloom on design retail site, Fab.com, and you should really take a whiff! This feminine, flirty line from designer Michelle Weisman draws from vintage inspirations and has everything a girl could want – from figure-flattering dresses to tailored blazers in wide range of eye-popping colors and lovely prints. Named after Weisman’s birth year and her favorite Texan flowers, 81Poppies is a collection that’s truly ripe for the pickin’. Read our exclusive two + seven interview, and be sure to shop Weisman’s styles tonight at 7pm on Fab.com!
2+7: What made you decide to return to Texas to launch your business (as opposed to staying in New York)?
Michelle Weisman: My husband and I decided to make the big leap and move to Texas for a better quality of life. We were tired of the New York grind, and moving to Austin allowed us to be able to buy a house which we would not have been able to do in New York. It also allowed us to start 81 Poppies, which would not have been possible to do in NYC because the cost of living is so much higher and there is more competition. Starting 81 Poppies in Austin has been a lot more natural for me than starting it in New York, I think I just felt more comfortable because I was on my home turf so to speak.
2+7: You mention you’re inspired by vintage pieces. Is there a certain era, event, period of history etc. that really gets your creative juices flowing?
MW: I love the 60’s and 70’s, I think fashion just blossomed in that time period and so many amazing style icons came from that time period that set the pace for where fashion is today.
2+7: How has working for larger brands (Mint and Shoshanna) helped shape your own collection?
MW: Working for Mint and Shoshanna were both amazing experiences that taught me so much about the fashion industry. It gave me insight into every aspect of a fashion brand from shipping to sales to public relations. I made a ton of great connections and still to this day use a lot of the same sources I made while working at those companies. Both Mint and Shoshanna have such different aesthetics which definitely helped mold me into the designer I am today. 81 Poppies has a little of that girly feminine side that you get from Shoshanna and but it also has and edgy sophistication that Mint had.
2+7: Are there any brand extensions in the works?
MW: Yes, this spring I launched a jewelry collection which was a collaboration between myself and jewelry designer Micah Yancey of BonBon. The line is called Micah Yancey for 81 Poppies and it consists of semi precious stones and 14Karat and 24Karat gold filled metals.
2+7: Describe the 81Poppies girl in three words.
MW: She is worldly, confident, and young-at-heart.
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1 comment
81poppies.com - 81 Poppies says:
Apr 3, 2012
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