Staying True To Your Brand
It is hard to believe that it has been over 20 years since I trademarked Lifestylist®. What a ride it has been. Lots of highs and lows, more adventures than I can count, and an ever-evolving brand mission statement that has changed with my personal interests as well as business opportunities.
Being a Lifestylist has always been about staying true to myself and what I wanted the brand to be - the hardest part was coming up with a concise way to share that message with others. When I was doing styling for Home Depot, the wonderful design manager there told me that I needed to come up with a better term to explain what I do. I was more than just an interior designer or a stylist - my focus has always been incorporating a person’s lifestyle into their homes, an advertising campaign that a company was creating, or helping someone live their best life. That is how I became a Lifestylist and how my brand was born.
Signature Kitchen Suite is the luxury appliance division of LG Appliances. It is fairly new, and I still remember when I saw the brand for the first time at the International Builders Show. The booth’s focus was on contemporary art and fashion - they were trying to set their brand apart, but instead, you couldn’t figure out what they were selling - the appliances weren’t as exciting as the art.
A few years later they made some changes, especially with how they were positioning the brand. The new advertising and media company came up with two brilliant, short, and sweet terms to get the message across: True to Food® and Technicurean®. Signature Kitchen Suite was to become more than a pretty face - these beautiful appliances helped consumers get excited about cooking in their own homes again, and I believe helped make sous vide and sous vide cooking a household name. The brand really has stayed True to Food, and the stunning True to Food videos that they shot that are available on their website helped you understand that passion and talent that was behind the name.
When they opened the Experience and Design Center in Napa, they asked this Lifestylist to curate art and accessories to bring their mission statement to life. After working all night before the opening, seeing the Technicureans who were in the videos see the space for the first time and to see how we tied them into the various kitchens was one of my biggest accomplishments.
I used my collection of rolling pins to create an installation on one wall - I never get tired of seeing people get excited about this unique way to showcase their collections and to take photos with it.
The Innocean team knew that I was working on building my Lifestylist brand, and have been very generous with their time mentoring me on how to improve what I am accomplishing. They also invited me to take part in some trend seminars that they held. Having access to the talent at one of the top ad agencies in the world has been a wonderful gift.
With their help, I have finally been able to come up with a way to describe what the Lifestylist Brand is all about: Wine Dine and Design. Sustainability and living a healthier lifestyle are very important to me, and we have now opened up two physical vintage shops in Dallas as well as having an expanding online presence on ebay and Poshmark. Finding items at nonprofit thrift shops and estate sales, then selling them in our shops has been the perfect way to recycle items that always have a story behind them, and lots of life left.
Staying true to my Lifestylist brand has become my priority, and my closet has gone from being filled with clothing from big box and mall stores to treasures that have a past. It feels good to know that I am keeping these items out of landfills while using them to develop my own unique style. Original art and American-made goods are some of my favorite items to buy and share. Supporting local artisans by purchasing their work and letting them know that their talents are appreciated helps everyone.
