The Story Behind The Lilley Line
I think the reason Alexandria Stylebook has been so popular is that it allows us to tell the stories behind the brands that we carry. I know, I love to read other store’s articles about how they find brands or the mission behind the label.I wanted to share more about the brand The Lilley Line. Sometimes, we find the brands that we carry, other times, they literally walk into our stores. That is what happened with Stephanie Lilley and her amazing handbag line! She dropped off a few samples, and we all fell in love with them. They were the perfect bag for an imperfect time. It was last summer, and nobody needed much when it came to a new handbag, but these amazing bags did fill a need. We were all headed outdoors, and we needed a bag that had both form and function while also looking good. I bought a few and took them to the river and hauled things from the dock to the house, and when something made a mess, I literally hosed them off. I can’t say enough good things about these bags.This weekend we are hosting a trunk show with the bags. Since Stephanie is local, she will be at the store Friday and Saturday from 10am to 4pm. So, stop by and meet Stephanie, learn more about this great line, and get 20 percent off her purses.
Stephanie tells her story here...How long have you lived in Washington D.C.?34 Years. I have lived in Washington, D.C. since 1987 when I moved here to work on the George Bush for President campaign. What is your favorite part of living in the DMV?My favorite part of Washington is my family. My husband, Justin, and I have three loving children. What else do we need to enjoy someplace? But, my favorite part of living here is getting to drive by and visit the monuments. I am in awe of their grandeur and the history that they represent. When did you start your line?I started The Lilley Line about a year ago when Covid-19 locked us down. I began to re-think my original business and how to curate this fabulously useful bag for the urban woman. I had been importing the bags from El Salvador for a year before that. But I wanted to create something that mixed the traditional bag with new styles, so I worked with weavers to produce bag colors and designs for a small boutique market that values quality products. I have found this to be wildly rewarding because it has grown so much in a year, and especially because it was a year where we all needed something positive to focus on. What has been the hardest part of starting a small business?Shipping. Every aspect is tricky. What has been the most rewarding part of starting your line?Helping the people in El Salvador. Everyone that I work with in El Salvador has been grateful that their traditional artisan craft is being appreciated by a larger market - which means they can maintain a life with their families, creating something beautiful. I love going to El Salvador, driving across their picturesque mountainous country, visiting lovely villages, discovering new artisan crafts, and meeting so many wonderful people. What has changed with your business during Covid - 19?Covid-19 gave me a rare opportunity to grow The Lilley Line. The first quiet months of quarantining, I spent creating a plan, website, and branding with the help of Patient Moon Web Developer and Lalie Tongour, a brilliant graphic designer. After spending that quiet time, Ann Mashburn and Lauren duPont were generous enough to teach me something about the retail business. Ann recommended some boutiques where she thought The Lilley Line would be popular - including The Shoe Hive. The Shoe Hive was my first call. And what started as a cold call became warm when Alicia answered the phone. She sent me directly to Elizabeth Todd with a message for Elizabeth that she loved the product. I couldn’t have been more fortunate. Elizabeth Todd and The Shoe Hive were my first boutique, and they continue to be supportive and loyal. I have expanded across the country in this last year, and I am so grateful that Elizabeth took a risk with me.Because the supply chain of wire and weaving was thwarted last year, boutiques had to be patient in waiting for their orders. Again, I couldn’t be more grateful for everyone’s patience. Any new designs or products you are introducing soon?I have some short-term and long-term ideas for new products.While I was in El Salvador last month, I visited the remote town of San Sebastian, known for its bright-colored handwoven fabrics. Watching the weavers create vibrant and sturdy fabrics created an allure that was too hard to resist, so I bought a pile of hammocks made from these fabrics directly from the weavers. I bought myself one of these hammocks last year from a market in San Salvador, and it is still bright and fresh even though I left it hanging outside through the winter.The two new products that I hope to roll out in 2022 (shhhhhh) are a bicycle basket and a crossbody bag with changeable straps. I need to return to El Salvador to perfect the prototypes that I have started developing.In the longer term, I may add some gorgeous linens from India. Covid-19 has halted my annual business trip with my husband to Asia. But just last December, I had started working with a line that is beautiful. What would you be doing if you weren’t doing The Lilley Line?For the past eleven years, my professional pursuit has been in helping D.C.’s inner-city children, through charter schools, after school programs, and special opportunities. These kids have so much to offer, and it breaks my heart to see how they are stymied from reaching their full potential. I really miss seeing and spending time with the people that I have gotten to know over the last decade, and I hope that my life’s journey leads me back. What bag do you personally use the most from the line? Of course, I love them all. I keep a set of the Large, Medium, Small, and Extra-Small nested together in the back of my car. I bring the entire set into the grocery on every visit, even when I intend to buy one missing ingredient. You never know, I could end up with a cart full of food and cleaning supplies. Bringing in every size basket is my preparation for the unknown.Berry season is about to hit us locally, so I will return to using my summer favorite, the Berry Basket. The Berry Basket protects those expensive farmer’s market berries from being crushed.My studio is filled with Picnic Poppers organizing my office supplies. The name Picnic Popper is just wrong, given all of its uses. I should have named it something else… one of the many mistakes I have learned from this year.
Come see us at The Shoe Hive this weekend for 20 percent off The Lilley Line bags.