Online boutique Sister Golden is one of my exciting recent finds. Their flower prints are cheerful and inspirational and their global home decor has a great, boho-chic vibe. I've interviewed the mother-daughter duo operating Sister Golden for today's feature, Vicki and Brooke Rawlins. Vicki Rawlins is the creative artist behind these fun floral prints! Learn more about this duo below.
Jacquin: How did Sister Golden come about? What inspired your brand's name?
Brooke:
My goal has always been to own a small boutique of my own where I
could decorate the bare walls with my mom’s (Vicki's) art and
represent other up and coming artists and makers. About 2 years ago
we came to the conclusion that there’s really no time like the
present, but because we lived in different states, whatever we did
needed to start in cyberspace. So, I took the domain name from my old
blog, “Sister Golden”, and we started working out the details.
Looking back, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment we said “let’s
do it”. The inspiration was really just the urge that we needed to
make it happen in whatever way we could. What SG has naturally
evolved into is a great representation of what we both bring to the
table in terms of interests and abilities.
The
name Sister Golden was inspired by America's Song "Sister Golden
Hair". My dad has called both myself and my mom that for years,
so we just kind of naturally gravitated to it.
(Left) Palm Boob Pot (Right) Cool Dots Senegal Basket
(Left) Azila Boucherouite Pillow (Right) Cusco Manta Pillow
Jacquin: You
sell such beautiful artwork and home accessories! I love your vintage
kilim throw pillows. Has sourcing these vintage items led to any
exciting excursions or flea market visits?
Brooke: It's
crazy how much business can be handled online - from sourcing items
to running an entire shop. We have relationships with families across
the world who help us source things like our vintage pillows. Most of
that is done by looking through hundreds of images and carefully
choosing the pieces we'd like. We also try to get to as many handmade
fairs, trade shows, and antique shops as we can. We would love to
eventually take a trip to Turkey or Morocco ourselves to source in
person. That would be incredible and is definitely a goal of ours.
Jacquin: One
of my favorite items you sell are your Flower Prints! I actually just
decorated a space in a client's home using your "Pink Frida"
print. The client loved it! How did you begin creating your flower
prints? What inspired you? What do you enjoy most about creating with
flowers?
Vicki: I've
been a professional artist for over 35 years, but just started
working with foliage a year and a half ago! I had seen some foliage
art floating around Instagram and told Brooke, I had to try it. I'm a
"master gardener wanna be" as a hobby, so it wasn't a real
stretch to start working flowers into my art as a medium! We put my
first piece up on our Instagram feed and it got a wonderful response!
But truly it didn't matter, I was addicted from my first piece!
I
fell in love with foliage art for its sustainable and therapeutic
qualities. Every piece is foraged from Mother Nature. No glue, tape
or anything else is ever used to adhere the foliage to a surface, so
the pieces of foliage and flowers are just delicately balancing on
one another until I get the look I want. Once photographed it all
goes back into Mother Nature or sometimes I'll keep little bits for
future pieces!
"Pineapple" Flower Print by Vicki Rawlins
Jacquin: What would you like to learn to create next, Vicki?
Vicki: Painting
and drawing have always been my first love. But I would love to learn
more about ceramics and metal work! I love working with textiles
and have always wanted to design my own tiles and make my own metal
garden sculptures. Someday, there's just not enough hours in a day!!
"She Wore White" Flower Print by Vicki Rawlins
Jacquin: What's
in store for Sister Golden as your business grows? What are you most
looking forward to as a creative company?
Brooke: A
brick and mortar has always been a goal, with a gallery-type space to
feature Vicki's flower art prints in person. Each day, we can see
that dream a little bit clearer. I know Vicki is constantly pushing
herself with flowers and when I think her creations just can't get
any better, I'm always reminded to think again. All in all, we're
excited to keep challenging each other to see how our unique
strengths ultimately manifest!
Owners of Sister Golden: Vicki Rawlins (left) and daughter Brooke Rawlins.
