Ok y’all… I am so excited about this post I could pop!! I’d like to start off by saying how thankful I am to have such creative and gifted friends who share ideas with me and inspire me so deeply!
Meet Helen
One of these super inspiring and just plain awesome friends is my girl Helen Geary. You see, Helen has an eye for art, which she gets naturally. Her mama, who I also love and adore and am super inspired by, is Phyllis Geary, owner of View Gallery! It is, hands down, the most wonderful place to shop for art next time you’re in the market. I’m telling y’all… Phyllis has such an incredible eye, which she so sweetly passed down to her little one, Helen!
Helen’s love for art is expressed in a rather non-conventional way. Through DENIM. She, as I like to say, “upcycles” old jeans and makes them into fabulous wearable masterpieces! Before I flap my gums any longer, I’ll let Helen take over! Here’s a quick Q&A between her and me about her lovely business, Dover Road Denim 🙂
Here we go…
Laurel: Thank you so much for answering these querstions! 🙂 I’m excited about this blog post!
Helen: Thank you thank you so much for the love! I am so excited for DRD to make a its debut on The Hive!
For those of us who are not as familiar with Dover Road Denim, tell us a little about this business!
Dover Road Denim is my “businessette” as I like to call it. The name comes from our family farm in Dover, MS, where my love obsession with denim probably started. DRD is in the beginning stages, but I really like where it’s going. I’ve always had a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit, and over the past year I have become really interested in clothing, trends, fashion icons and the likes; so DRD is my outlet for this creative energy. I get to put my spin on old clothes, specifically the world’s best fabric – DENIM!
Where would one go to buy some Dover Road Denim?
Right now, the best way to buy is by checking out Dover Road Denim’s Facebook page and contacting me through that. All the merch is posted on the page and regularly updated. Most of my customers are local (Starkville during school, Jackson during holidays) so I will gladly meet a customer somewhere, but I can also ship.
Tell us about the models in your pictures. Did each one get to style their own look? I’m in love with all the different personalities that a pair of denim can take!
I’m glad you noticed the different feel from each model. What I really wanted to showcase in this photo shoot was that no matter the style, anyone can wear denim. All of the models are wearing pieces from their own closet. I have fab friends, so I asked them to pick their favourite pair of DRD shorts and put together an outfit according to their own style. Each outfit is as unique as my model-friends, but the looks are all pulled together by the shorts.
Being a full time college gal, how do you find time to create all these lovelies?!
Sleep? What’s that? Coffee? – But on the real… I love flying solo on a slow Saturday, working for hours at a time. I will be driven by an idea I get stuck in my head and won’t stop until I’m happy with the product.
Getting a little off topic for a minute…
What song inspires you most right now?
I can never pick just one song because I like listening to albums as a whole, especially while I work. Lately I’ve been digging Bob Dylan (shout out to my pops who raised me on Dyl). Tomorrow Is A Long Time and All Over You, both from the Witmark Demos, are two of my favourites now. I love the lessons you can learn from the truth in the lyrics. Local Natives and Young Buffalo, an Oxford MS band, are two recent bands I’ve fallen in love with.
What’s your favorite thing about Christmas?
To be honest, I am a bit of a Scrooge until mid-December… But some of the things that manage to pull out the Yuletide within are the Home Alone movie + soundtrack and tacky, grandma-esque Christmas sweaters.
Tell us about your family’s dogs real quick 🙂 (You know how I love me some dogs…)
I’m glad you ask! I love dogs, too! There’s my mom’s dog, Teenie Weenie. She’s a 14 (ish) year old dachshund, rescued from a puppy mill. Decrepit and crotchety, she keeps us laughing with her sass toward the other dogs. Fletcher and Oliver are the brother wiener dogs. They sleep in a baby crib in our garage. (Yes, that is 3 total wiener dogs. Bad decision on my mom’s part…;)) Finally, there’s Sudi (pronounced soo-dee), who is my little angel. I brought her home two years ago from a family who found her on the street. She loves to help Mommy with Dover Road Denim, sometimes even modeling for me!
Reigning it back in…
What else do we need to know about Dover Road Denim that hasn’t been covered yet?
I guess the only thing left is to give a huge shout out to my wonderful friends and family. I honestly couldn’t do this without them. Whether it’s chic, beautiful friends to model, talented friends to take photographs, or loving family and friends who constantly encourage, I am beyond blessed by the people in my life. They influence me in so many different ways; I know Dover Road Denim wouldn’t be what it is without them!
Thank you, Helen, for taking the time to chat about DRD!
To keep up with what all is new at Dover Road Denim, be sure to like the facebook page! Lastly, big shout out to Jackson Donald, the photographer who took, and allowed me to use, all of these fantabulous photos!
oh, my goodness!! that was an excellent interview….on both sides!! if i had not known anything about DRD already, i would now have a perfect visual . well done to my daughter, helen, and to my sweet laurel, who can be my daughter for a day anytime you want!!! xoxo
Aw thank you Phyllis!!! Lurze you!! 🙂