From Artwork to Outfit
I love my family, don’t get me wrong, but if I could pick one family to take me in that is not my own, it would be the Norton family.Despite going to the same church and being in Guatemala at the same as Penelope when she worked for The Highland Support Project, I didn’t really meet any of the Nortons until Penelope walked in my store two years ago after I hired her over text. Yes, a mutual friend told me the non-profit she was working for had lost funding and she might be willing to help me out for a few months. Despite never working in retail, she was really good at it. I always say some people just have the hospitality gene; it can’t really be taught, you have it or you don’t. Penelope has it. She is engaging, easy going, and just pleasant to be around.Penelope working at the stores led me to talk to her parents and also meet her three sisters with the worlds greatest names, Tallulah, Zipporah, and Isabelle. This is a tight knit group. If you follow them on Instagram or just get the pleasure to hang out with them, you realize that they always have fun and their family is their number one priority. Her parents are role models in parenting. They have let their daughters spread their wings and explore the world. Each has a unique talent and they have fostered these gifts and raised them to be independent and strong women.But really the star is their grandfather. He is funny, charming, and someone with whom you would want to drink a beer and listen to his stories...because he has a lot of good stories.So when Penelope’s sister Zipporah moved back to Alexandria after graduating from James Madison University (three of the sisters attended JMU) and started pursuing her art career, I thought it would be cool to feature some of her work and translate it into outfits from our stores. I know people roll their eyes when people say clothing is art, but I think it is. The way we dress is a way we can express ourselves. For me, when I get up and get “dressed” and don’t wear workout clothes, I have a much more productive day. When I have on an outfit I love, I feel like I can conquer the world.So here is a our version of art turned into outfits, thanks to the sister duo of Penelope and Zipporah.