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Meet Michelle Cable, the designer extraordinaire for the Michelle McDowell brand. Read on to learn how it all started for Michelle and what she has in store for us next season.

Give us a bio/background in how you got started as an artist. What made you become an artist?

A: Back in 2015 I was a stay-at-home mom with two young children.  Sadler, my son was 4 and my daughter, Charlotte was 3.  My days were filled with playdates, meal prepping, and other household tasks, but I craved a creative outlet.  I have always loved design, fashion, and home décor.  Decorating a room or planning an outfit with accessory pairings was where I found creative joy!  So, one day I decided to start making beaded bracelets.  I loaded the kids up in the car and drove to our local craft store and scoured the isles for jewelry making supplies.  I spend $30 on supplies and quickly returned home to start beading.  I made about 10 different beaded stretch bracelets, snapped a few photos, and sent them to my best friend, Kristin.  She owned a local boutique and we share a love of design and fashion.  She LOVED the bracelets and encouraged me to make it a real “thing.”  I was clueless in that department, but she helped me get started.  I decided to take to social media with my simple idea, and held weekly flash sales to sell my products.  Every Thursday evening at 8pm I posted about 6 new styles, with very limited quantities.  Customers competed to post the first “sold” comment on each post!  It was marketing genius that I still can’t believe took root.  My first sale brought in a whopping $400!  I was SHOCKED!  Needless to say, the little idea I had to help me with a creative outlet quickly became a real business.  I became an artist to serve my own desires to be creative, but it has turned into a desire to now serve others with quality fashion goods that help them look and feel their best.

Where do you find your inspiration?

A: I find inspiration in all sorts of places – home design and décor, nature, and travel to name a few.  Fashion trends are normally preceded by home design trends.  For example, we all know and love Joanna Gaines, who pioneered the modern farmhouse trend.  That simple and neutral color palette blended with natural fabrics like raffia and jute set the tone for the boho fashion trend.  I love researching what is in style in home décor and translating that into fashion and accessories.

What is your favorite color and why?

A: It’s hard to ask a creative question like this, but currently, one of my favorite colors is blue.  It’s calming and rich, and pairs well with other jewel tones like pinks and oranges.

From your most recent launch, what is your favorite item and why?

A: For our apparel launch, my favorite piece is the Harley dress in the Walk on the Wildside pattern.  I love the feminine silhouette with balloon sleeves and ruffle detail alone the neckline.  The rich colors and exotic ikat pattern take this dress to the next level.  You’d never believe it was a dress that cost under $100, which is what I LOVE about our line. 

Can you give us a glimpse into your upcoming launch? What can retailer expect to see? And what are you most excited about your new launch? Any new piece types?

A: My team and I love designing in all seasons, but spring and summer is where we come alive!  The bright, bold colors and rich patterns energize us.  This season, we’ve elevated the much-loved animal print theme to include safari scenes.  We’ve integrated more exotic animals, like birds, to create a feeling of freedom and possibility.  We’ve also expanded our color palette this season to mix our bright jewel tones that everyone knows and loves with calming pastels.  These colors play well together to achieve a dynamic palette.

In our jewelry collection, we’ve designed this season’s pieces within occasion-based collections and themes.  You can fill your stores and create stories on your jewelry tables for the bride, for the sweetheart (Valentine’s Day), and for the Mrs. Claus in us all (Christmas).  Another material that has made a welcomed comeback is acrylic.  We’ve elevated the traditional tortoise shell acrylic and combined it with bold colors in a blocked fashion.  This combination gives the classic acrylic material a whole new flair!

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