Designer Tidbits: Lauren & Jessi Jung

Big, bursting florals with a vintage flair, Chantilly by Lauren & Jessi Jung is full of energy and vibrancy to jump start your sewing. The mother-daughter duo is here today to give you a look at Chantilly, so get inspired and make something brilliant with this retro-inspired collection!

Q: Tell us a little about the Chantilly collection. What were you inspired by?
A:Chantilly is fun and playful line. It has a retro art feel combined with a slight vintage flair. We got our inspiration from 30’s handkerchief prints with large and small floral designs.

Q: What is your design process when beginning a new collection?
A:We begin by thinking of a theme. But as the line develops, the theme usually evolves, or even changes. I (Jessi) have sketchbooks with all of my drawings. They are random collections with no particular theme. I like to browse through them for inspiration. Inspiration also comes from fashion magazines, art books, or just things I might see, like floor tiles or mosaics. Lauren puts those sketches in her computer and tweaks them with added detail and shading. That usually leads to more designs. After that, we work on color choices.

Q: What design trends are you currently exploring?
A:We are playing around with a vintage look, but with updated colors and backgrounds. We’ve been studying old feed sack designs a lot too. We like the simplicity of their drawing styles and happy themes. And we always pay close attention to include contrasts in print sizes and complexities.

Q:What projects do you hope to see made with Chantilly?
A:I picture Chantilly in quilts, of course. The prints would look great in big block swatches – a current bohemian look. And kid’s quilts since the colors are so happy and playful. And then, I can see this line being used in children’s clothes. Or the large prints and stripes would make great skirts for women too! Anything, really!

Q:What projects have you made using Chantilly?
A:I’ve made 2 quilts, with patterns that can be purchased. Chantilly Stars is a 2-block traditional quilt consisting of stars and pinwheels. Spring Blossoms is a contemporary quilt of circle flowers with very easy construction. We also have a new pleated purse pattern created by Carrie. She used the mosaic print for one, and the floral fan print for another. The pleats give the fabrics a completely different look, so it’s fun to watch the transformation.

Q:How do you describe your style?
A:So far, we haven’t been completely uniform in our style. But what is consistent, is our attention to detail in the complexity of our prints. For instance, in each and every line, we include at least one spider web sketched in the print somewhere. Spider webs represent fortune and good luck. We also like to hide little unexpected surprises here and there, like a key, or a little tree frog, or a tiny garden snail. We do stay fairly consistent in our color schemes though with slight variations in each line. Our colors are always bright and lively.