This time I have the extreme pleasure of bringing you a Camp Comfort exclusive (haha, that's in my journalistic voice) interview with Julia of Rennes! It's hard not to be a huge fan of Rennes, with it's beautifully simple designs and super soft leathers. So, without further adieu, here's what Julia had to say about Rennes:
Roberta Jane: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Julia: Hi! My name is Julia and I make leather goods and accessories under the label Rennes. Since I can remember, I've always been very busy with my hands, whether that would be sewing, drawing, or playing softball. I grew up in the country in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and moved to Boston six years ago for college. In school I studied art history and painting, which I loved; but in my off time I was always knitting and making jewelry. When I have time, I play the piano and bagpipes, though it doesn't happen often.
Roberta Jane: When and Why did you start your line Rennes?
Julia: I started Rennes as a hobby in 2008, the summer after I graduated school. At the time I was working a retail job, so I would sew on my days off or at night when I got home. At first I tried making clothes, but that didn't take off. On a whim I bought leather and made a few bags, and to my astonishment they started to sell! The idea of quitting my job and doing this full time kept coming into my head until I finally gave my two weeks notice and took the plunge. In the beginning I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't know anything about starting a business, and within three months I had ruined three different sewing machines - there was a different crisis every week. These days I tend to break things at a more normal rate.
Roberta Jane: What are the 3 biggest inspirations for your collections?
Julia: One thing that has inspired me is simplicity, which has roots in a few different places. In high school most of my friends were foreign exchange students, and I was obsessed with the things they wore. The clothes were funky and cool, like I liked, but they were understated and classy at the same time, which I had never seen. I had never been into fashion before, but this opened up a door for me as I was trying to define myself. Another thing that has influenced me is having lived in a Quaker community for four years. The experience taught me a lot about necessities and how we define what is important to us everyday, and how we live simply. When I work I try to make designs functional with high attention to detail so they last a long time. I think it is the small details that make a quality piece.
Roberta Jane: As a blogger yourself, what are you top 5 favorite blogs to read?
Julia: Only five? Here are a few I read, in no particular order: Scout & Catalogue, Vain and Vapid, Commas and Clauses, Bekvam, and Evaforeva. There's about a hundred more that follow - blogs can be very distracting when you are trying to work during the day!
Roberta Jane: Random Bonus Question: What is your favorite color of nail polish?
Julia: I really like painting my toenails white in the summer. I think there's something kind of fun about white toes, but I'm not sure why!
Special thanks to Julia!
(Would love to hear from you - Do you like the Designer Bios? Any small designers you are just dying to read about? - Let me know!)
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