Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Holst.
Hi Natalie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I began the line almost 10 years ago. I was living and working in New York City. I worked in Fashion during the day and at night I was the Maitre’D at hot spots around the city. In the summers, I would go to Montauk to run The Surf Lodge. I always had to dress up and started making necklaces and bracelets to wear at night while working. People would buy them off my neck and arms and I realized I was onto something. Shortly after that, a very famous stylist asked if I wanted to do a runway show with Mara Hoffman for Fashion Week. I jumped at the opportunity! And that is where it all started.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not a smooth road which is something I think all small business owners can relate to. The thing I’ve learned about business over the years is that it’s never linear. There are extreme highs and some lows, and mentally preparing yourself for those is what sustains you as a business owner. I would say the biggest challenge for me was the balance between having children and sustaining a business. When you’re the main employee of your company and you have to take time from work to raise your children it obviously presents many challenges. As a woman business owner, I feel like this is something that we don’t have a lot of resources for yet and something that I’m very interested in. Another real challenge is the nature of our product. Everything we make is made by hand and takes time and intricacies that require great skill. It’s very different than fast fashion, so the quality of the product is very high. Sourcing materials and finding skilled workers are all part of the pieces of the puzzle.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I started making jewelry because I loved fashion and art. I was a student of art in art history at the College of Charleston and then attended post-graduate classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. I worked for amazing lines like Marc Jacobs, Proenza Schouler, and Adam Lippes while living in the city. A huge influence on my style was working at the restaurant Pastis in the meatpacking district and its heyday. I would study everyone who walked in and their style and what they were wearing and how they were pairing it and it really was probably the best education in fashion I could have. It was all street style. I was never a metalsmith and have never touched a jewelry bench in my life when I started the company. I kind of approached it organically and used unexpected materials like rope and hardware from the hardware store. I think it kind of accidentally created a signature style by being different than everything that was out there. I also love the idea of working with color which is where my signature design of wrapping thread came from. I make things that I love and want to wear and hope that that translates to other people’s desires as well.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I think the biggest challenge for me during the Covid crisis was once again the balance of being a mother and running a business. Because I have an online presence, I was very busy during the lockdowns. But I was also very busy being a mom to two little boys who were at home 24/7. There was very little downtime and keeping up with the demand was probably the biggest challenge. I felt very fortunate that people were still shopping and even maybe more online during that time. I also really tried to make and design things that were very happy and whimsical to create some levity for everyone stuck in their houses.
Pricing:
- Our products range from $25 to $225
Contact Info:
- Email: Natalie@holstandlee.com
- Website: www.holstandlee.com
- Instagram: @holstandlee
- Facebook: Holst and Lee
