Tropical Dreams: Meet Artist Jana Lam
Tropical Dreams: Meet Artist Jana Lam
Textile designer Jana Lam's new collection for Wrappily is the stuff Tropical Dreams are made of: sweet pineapples, intricate beach shells, rainbow blossoms, and jungle-sized leaves. Clearly, the Hawaii native is influenced by her surroundings. And color—lots of bright, infectiously happy color. To see more of the Tropical Dreams collection and how we styled it, check this post out.
This is Jana's second collection for us, and we couldn't miss the opportunity to give you a peek into her eponymous textile business and why we love working with her so much.
Statement Pieces - With their playful color and bold graphics, handmade Jana Lam bags do more than compliment an outfit, they express a mood.
If you'd imagine Jana drawing under a coconut palm as waves lap at her toes, you'd be partially correct. Sketching is what happens (or doesn't happen) in between being a very hands-on mom to two of the cutest littles east of Waikiki and running her in-home design studio—a bustling creative hub that's equal parts screen printing workshop, sewing studio, and wholesale/ marketing office.
Jana's studio is set up in an old family home, where salty breezes, sunshine, and the sparkling ocean just beyond the generous glass sliders infuse the workspace—and arguably the work, itself.
That Tropical Touch - Jana Lam thrown pillows, all handmade in Hawaii, are much like potato chips, it's hard to stop at just one.
As much as place, process is integral to the appeal of her handmade fashion and home accessories. Though she stumbled upon textile design quite by accident, it's fit for her creative zeal is of no question. Starting with her hand drawn botanical patterns, Jana and her team of artists screen print their own fabrics, mixing colors together on a whim. The fabrics are sun-dried in the oceanfront lawn then, with utmost attention to detail, cut and sewn into handmade works of art: throw pillows, clutches, tote bags, and more. So many hands and hearts touch each item, all one-of-a-kind, all made on a beach in Hawaii (as the song goes.)
More recently, in an effort to quench the growing appetite for her work, Jana expanded her product line by partnering with manufacturers like us to translate her signature patterns to items like gift wrap and stationery, pareau (some say sarong), baby swaddle blankets and much more. I mean, what wouldn't you want her swoon-worthy patterns on? Check out her shop at janalam.com, and we highly recommend following her on Instagram to get the scoop on her new goodies—the daily healthy jolt of color is a bonus.
As a business woman and creative, Jana's ability to maintain the integrity of her handmade line while simultaneously pursuing collaborations to bring her work to scale attracted the judges, a group of investors and business executives, at Honolulu Fashion Week's Pitch Panel. She won, and it was arguably a win for us all. Expect to be seeing more from Jana Lam, this energized, creative, business-minded artist is just getting started.
Flux Hawaii magazine interviews Jana in advance of their recent collaboration, Flux Shop, a Hawaii-themed international pop-up.
Shop more Jana Lam on Wrappily:
Leave a comment
Comments will be approved before showing up.