Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Getting to Know Our Designers :: The Podolls


In their own words, the story goes something like this: boy meets girl, boy makes tees to impress girl, sparks fly, they launch a dream, boy and girl fall madly and deeply, boy needs girl's partnership, girl commits to loving and living the dream with boy, boy and girl run off together with wild abandon.
Thus is the beginning of the local, sustainable, and superbly chic line called The Podolls. Started in 2003 when abstract painter Josh Podoll met with, and later married, boutique buyer Lauren Berdell to discuss a line of graphic tees, The Podolls grew from t-shirts to a full collection of versatile, sustainable clothing for women.
With a focus on local production and using organic, responsibly grown materials, The Podolls create easy to wear, stylish clothes with a conscience. We love The Podolls because of the emphasis they place on keeping production, from the fibers in their textiles to the finished product, within the U.S.A. The Podolls combines comfort and style into versatile pieces that can be effortlessly mixed and matched for any occasion.
Check out an interview below with Josh and Lauren Podoll, as well as a link to their collection available at McMullen!


Q. The Podolls started as graphic tees. How did you move from t-shirts to an entire collection?

A. We started out designing tees and silk screening our drawings onto them. Making t-shirts to our specifications taught us so much about the process of creating patterns,
 scaling them to fit and how various fabrics affect the look and feel of the piece. Within a few seasons of starting the collection of tees, we wanted to challenge ourselves and started making other silhouettes like button down shirts and skirts. The evolution of our line felt very natural to us and we tried to keep learning and pushing our boundaries. Our experience drawing designs to silkscreen on tops has informed our current process of creating exclusive prints each season-- we still start with our drawings and water colors and translate them into silk prints for our blouses, dresses, and pants. Both of us love textiles and enjoy dreaming up new ways to drape and execute our ideas to make beautiful, wearable garments. 

Q. What are you favorite fall indulgences?

A. Fall is such a cozy time of year. At home we start making soups, roasted applesauce, homemade chai and slow rise breads. We love hosting friends and family so we cultivate a warm environment for entertaining. Our climate here in San Francisco is perfect sweater weather so it's easy to justify adding some new pieces to our wardrobes come fall! 

Q. What is your favorite style tip for women (of any age)?

3. The best style advice we follow is that comfort is key. You'll look your best when you feel good in your skin and comfortable in your clothing. Trust your first reaction when you try on clothes and choose what contributes to a sense of ease and confidence.  And besides that-- enjoy getting dressed! Life can be tough so choose to be playful with fashion-- take some risks, try something new and have fun!
Stop by McMullen to see the fall/winter 2012 Podolls collection!
xo
McMullen

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