It's the second day of the "
25 Days of Handmade Gifts" and I have a two-in-one for you! The lovely Kat from
Santore Company AND
Petite Santore is sharing her wonderful goods with us. I am totally in love with her reversible headbands for myself, and I knew I had to share these unique little creations for babies and little girls. They're adorable! She was so, so nice at the
Patchwork Show last week and has given us a lot of info about her company.
Not only that, she has given the chance for one of my lucky readers to
win a beautiful leather bow AND a
discount code for all of you, perfect for your holiday shopping! But first, find out all about Santore Company with a bunch of interesting tidbits, including how she came up with her shop name!
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Tell me a little bit about yourself!
I am a so-cal native and have always been interested in detail, design, and fashion. I grew up reading fashion magazines with my girlfriends every day and thrifting to find unique things to wear and accessorize with. My mom had a fairly successful clothing line, and was also a manufactures sales rep. My dad worked finance for the Broadway department stores and was a store manager. So, I was constantly around the garment industry, market centers, and retail stores. Previous to this venture, I worked 12+ years with a small artistic clothing and accessory line. I assisted in the development and growth of this line, creating products that are sold in boutiques across the country. After the birth of my daughter it was important that I switch gears to be able to work while be at home with her. In my personal time (like I have much of that with a 2 year old!) I love to snowboard, practice yoga, cook, garden, and design.
Where did the name of your store come from?
This is a twofold answer for me....When deciding on names I came across a beautiful random post on Etsy. This crafter said something to the effect of, if she made something herself she should be proud to put her name on it. This made me think of the story of my grandfather and grandmother immigrating to America. My grandfather changed his last name from "Santoro" to "Santore" to be more lets say "Americanized". So, when I was in my business development and thinking of names, both of these stories influenced my decision on Santore Company. It felt like a nice decision to honor to my heritage and use the family name for quality, American made products.
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| There's Kat on the left! |
Why did you start making goods for Santore Company?
I really wanted to figure out a way to be home with my daughter while fulfilling my creative needs and supplying an income. With experience in the garment/accessory industry it seemed natural to develop a product line.
Petite Santore came first… A collection of clothing and accessories for babies and kids. This clothing line takes my multi-media artwork and translates it into wearable art. The collection includes items with an image/art patch which has been designed, created, and carefully sewn onto each of the garments. This process was developed at my former job. As a parting gift, my employer graciously gave me the rights to create a children's line in the process we developed.
Santore Company happened because I had a personal desire for quality hair accessories. I have always been a hair jewelry kind of gal, and being a new mom I honestly needed help in the hair department. I had a hard time finding great accessories on the market for hair that were easy to wear, modern, and fun. I wear nice jewelry, carry a nice bag, and want my hair accessories to be just as unique and quality made. I became excited to develop products just for this. I wear all of my products and it is essential that all the headbands are super comfortable to wear all day. I also develop the styles to be very versatile because most are reversible!
What is your favorite item?
