From the Desk of: Clare V Designer Clare Vivier
Jul 08, 2015
Bag designer Clare V is known for her signature Francophile style-- her simple leather handbags and accessories are every LA woman’s not-so-secret staples, and her Silver Lake studio is a haven for creatives and consumers alike.
We partnered with Clare V. to create a set of postcard notepads for our Paper Cuts collaboration, featuring 12 double-thick cards with red colored edges in the bag designer's signature hand-drawn style. Scroll on for a look at what drives the designer’s creative forces, the best advice she’s ever heard, and the vices she’ll never give up.
How do you get your creative juices flowing?
“I love flipping through international editions of magazines and talking about what I find with my design team. Also, I love being around the materials we use. I'd say that that is the best way to get creative juices flowing - playing around with the leather or fabric, cutting it and folding it in different ways to find the shapes most suited for that material.”
How do you start and/or end your day?
“Espresso and red wine.”
The vice you’ll never give up is:
“See above.”
In your pocket/purse/backpack, we’d find:
“Too much – my iPhone, Macbook Air, moleskin notebook, and a couple of clutches (one with makeup and another separate one with credit cards, money and my card case), travel toothbrush/paste, probably an eye mask & eye plugs leftover from recent travel.”
How does your brand convey its unique personality?
“I've always known exactly what the personality of the brand was, which I showed through the designs, but how I conveyed that to a larger population was through social media. I started that with my blog and then through Instagram even Pinterest, insofar as it portrays idealized elements of design and fashion worlds we identify with. Now that we're slightly more established, we have to think about how to convey who we are through all of our collateral as well.”
Describe your personal aesthetic in three words:
“Tomboy, chic, mood-based…”
What career moves and/or aspirations brought you to your current role? ”
Being ambitious and believing wholeheartedly in what I was making and the need there was for it.”
Describe the creative space at your company:
“Not austere, not all white space, filled with good energy and inspiring finds on my mood board, my desk, my design table. It is a colorful space.”
Describe a typical day at work:
”The best part is that there is no typical day. It’s always punctuated by different meetings (in the studio and about town), calls, design meetings, sourcing and other planning around launches and events. No two days are the same.”
When do you feel like you’re at your best?
”When I’m at the office for a full day, able to work uninterrupted on next steps and new designs.”
Share an insight on your life or life in general that you’ve discovered:
“Loyalty is so critical in this business and the ability to support others will always come back to you in the best possible way.”
What is the best advice you’ve received recently?
“To stick with my vision.”
What is the best professional lesson you’ve ever learned?
“To not be distracted by the competition. You have to stay true to who you are and what you want to be designing, without being influenced by others.”
What are your design inspirations?
“The things that inspire me are constantly evolving. I look to the environment around me, from the art and architecture to the neighborhoods to the community, and I go from there. My travels are always a great starting point and each trip that takes me to a new location always brings new perspectives and inspirations.”
What are the most exciting developments in your industry?
“That there are more and more women running their own companies and more women investing in women-run companies.”
What do you love about what your company brings to its customers?
“I love that we satisfy a need that the modern girl has.”
make your own
Postcard Notepads
10 notepads for $20 each
Flat Cards
10 cards for $20