California native Sarah Liller started her line Sarah Liller San Francisco in 2012 after attending Parsons Design School in New York. Each piece is sewn in downtown San Francisco, and the fabric is milled in the USA. Sarah describes her line this way: Sarah Liller SF is meant to be the building blocks of every woman’s wardrobe. Made from the most buttery soft rayon/lycra jersey, the line is easy and flattering. Sarah Liller SF is meant for urbanites on the go, stylish moms, and low key fashionistas.
Sarah's pieces have been flying off the racks since we started carrying them a few months ago, so we are excited to get to know her a little better.
Where do you draw inspiration? Or who inspires you?
I watched a lot of old movies growing up, and I was always inspired by the easy elegance of the heroines in them. I like designing clothing that embodies that sense of easy elegance. I think that if you feel good in what you're wearing, your confidence and strength show through, so that's a huge part of my design philosophy, combining elegance, comfort, and style so that the woman wearing my clothes can really shine.
If you could eat at any food truck, what would it be? And what would you get?
I LOVE the Chai Cart...I'm obsessed with a good chai. The key is spicy and not too sweet!
What do you like most about the maker community?
Everyone is so eager to help each other in San Francisco. I also love how many female-owned businesses there are in the maker community at large. Women lifting other women up is my MO.
Where is your favorite place to travel?
I love traveling to places like New York and Paris for style inspiration and natural places like Costa Rica and Bali to ground myself. I'm a naturalist, I love seeing nature and wildlife in other countries, but I also like places where I can get a nice cocktail and wear a pair of heels!
What do you want for your next birthday?
I love traveling on my birthday, so I'd love to go on a trip somewhere exotic like Morocco. I also love anything spiritual, so a tarot card reading or some crystals would totally be my jam!
What does your work space look like?
My work space is in a building that used to be the Best Foods mayonnaise factory in SF. I have a bunch of machines that I use for making samples and also a couch/hang out section for thinking and designing in. When I'm designing a new line, I always sketch it out and put it up on the wall. I'll catch a glimpse of it every once in a while and get an idea about how to make something better or how something should be put together.
What music or podcast do you love right now?
When I'm sewing or using my hands, I love listening to podcasts. My favorite is called You Must Remember This, which tells juicy stories about Hollywood stars of the 20th century.
The music I listen to while designing always shifts season to season. For fall 17, I was listening to a lot of 1970's yacht rock. For spring 18, I'm listening to a lot of 60's French pop.
