Where are you from? Toronto
What do you do? I am the jewelry designer, co-creative director, co-founder and co-owner of Beaufille, a Toronto-based womenswear and jewelry brand.
Do you consider yourself a freshman, sophomore or senior in your field? I consider myself in the transition from freshman to sophomore.
What needs to happen before you can "graduate"? Our business has grown a lot in the past year but we need to be able to scale the business further and manage the growth season after season, year after year to be steady and sustainable. We need the success we've seen to not just be one season or one year, but the level at which our brand maintains and eventually grows past. We need to be occupying a good chunk the buying budget for major retailers and niche boutiques season after season, year after year.
Is there one person or opportunity you can attribute a large amount of your success to? Lady Gaga walking out of her apartment in head to toe SS'16 was the good omen that came before our first big year. I would have to attribute the success more so to Yasmin Sewell wearing a coat from our FW16 collection to the Gucci show in Milan as the single moment because it caused our biggest retailer, Net-A-Porter to instantly DM us and book a buying appointment. Without that kind of a sales account our business is really just growing in press not sales which are necessary to sustain the business.
What is your dream creative project? And what's stopping you from it? What do you need? Well I've always wanted to be a rockstar/in a band but art school and eventually starting our business took up all my time! I also probably need a better singing voice.
What's your strategy for creative block? Keep working - whenever I'm in a rut I remind myself that the more I work the more the ideas will flow and develop into the end product I'm looking to create. The only way you won't get something done is if you don't work at it!
Who are three people whose thought process you'd like to learn more about?Lauryn Hill, Anna Wintour, Courtney Love
If your life was a movie what would be on the soundtrack? Off the top of my head and in no particular order:
Spanish Bombs - The Clash
Honey & I - Haim
Baby Let Me Follow You Down - Bob Dylan
Don't Look Back in Anger - Oasis
Boys on The Radio - Hole
Please, Please, Please - James Brown
How Do U Want It - 2pac
Honey - Mariah Carey
Me & Mr Jones - Amy Winehouse
Cameras - Drake
Black Tongue - The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
I Wanna Prove To You - The Lemon Twigs
Love in A Trashcan - The Raveonettes
When you are 65 where are you and what are you doing? I hope to be living in Paris or Los Angeles, designing jewelry & accessories for both my brand and maybe another big house additionally. My kids have grown up and I have a lot of freedom in what I do because I will have spent the past few decades proving myself as a designer and finessing my point of view, talent and skill.
Until then, where could we find you on a Friday night? Either at home enjoying dinner and a relaxing evening with my man or having a dinner party with some close friends, red wine and great food! I'm loosing my cool factor I think ... ! The odd night you'll catch me at a bar or restaurant in the west end.