Art to Heart: Sue Sartor
Sue Sartor and I first connected last March on a Zoom call with Southern Living for our 2021 Tastemaker meet & greet. I was so excited to see Sue’s face pop up on our call, as I was wearing one of her designs! After meeting in person in Charleston last December, we began discussing collaborating on some exclusive designs. As a longtime fan of Sue Sartor and her beautifully blockprinted dresses , I jumped at the chance to work with her on a capsule collection.
Sue and I collaborated on a shared moodboard with rich jewel tones, focusing on cranberry, navy, and sage, and fall florals and foliage. The designs incorporate a mix of antique botanicals and Sue’s traditional style of block print florals. Each dress features artwork from three original watercolor patterns I painted exclusively for our collaboration!
I am thrilled to share that the capsule is now live to shop on Sue’s website- the dresses are everything I love about Sue’s line, and I cannot wait to wear mine into this holiday season. To learn more about Sue and her incredible career so far, we asked her a few questions about how she got started, what inspires her, and what she is looking forward to in the coming year!
1. What is your elevator pitch for your business?
SUE SARTOR is a small batch luxury lifestyle brand. We create well-made beautiful pieces that exemplify joy, optimism & femininity. Our garments are made out of only the finest natural 100% cotton and silk textiles and are either hand-loomed, hand-dyed, or hand-stamped. Each dress, kaftan or tunic is designed thoughtfully so that you can feel like your best self, be comfortable, and go everywhere you want to go!
2. I know that you worked for Calvin Klein in your early career at an exciting time for the brand. What did you love about those years and what have you carried with you as a business owner today?
The early 90’s in New York and at Calvin Women's Collection were magic. I think the work ethic, the commitment to quality, and the focus on needing to set yourself apart with your brand really stuck with me. You can't be everything. But you have to BE your brand. Also, the importance of staying in my lane and being authentic is super important and essential for me.
3. How did you decide to start your business?
I had always wanted to have a line of clothing. It wasn't until my kids were in high school that I felt I could really go for it at the level I wanted. I got my husband and kids blessing and was off to the races.
4. I have three different styles of your dresses, and I am amazed at how I’ve felt great wearing all three styles through transitioning seasons (both weather and life seasons- I’ve worn your dresses before, during, and after my pregnancy with my daughter!). Fit is something you clearly have down- when you decided on the styles, what were the most important features that you wanted to include?
Thank you! That is so kind of you to share with me and makes me so happy! Fit is super important to me. Mainly I want my garments to be that “all play” favorite dress you go to again and again for multiple occasions and times of the year. I have never liked my clothes to be super close to my body or restrictive. I always want to feel feminine, relaxed and confident. By tailoring them to flatter everyone, and making them in breathable natural fabrics, I think we’ve struck a nice balance our clients love. Our clients are 60% repeat customers which is really wonderful.
Manali Sontakke Photography
5. Favorite style you sell?
The Sue Sartor Flounce ™ Dress is our brand’s hero and has a lovely following. It was originally called the Paloma Flounce Dress. As time went on, we decided to trade mark the dress as it is a very special part of the brand. I personally wear that style the most. I love how comfortable it is and that it is extremely versatile. The kaftans are a close second and are beloved as they are such easy go to pieces.
6. As someone who is both a creative and a business owner, how do you balance the two? What do you do to stay inspired in both areas?
I try to be super present wherever I am. If I am with family or friends I allow myself to engage and enjoy the people I hold dear. I am so focused as an entrepreneur and it has clearly bled into every area of my life. I am really enjoying making the brand the best it can be. I am really loving it. I am extremely visual and am inspired by everything around me but mainly the natural world & flora and fauna. Taking time to glean inspiration is important…and trying to get my mind to settle and get enough sleep is the hardest part! I think we are always trying to find balance. And, life always throws curve balls and can be messy. I think it's super important to keep it real and have perspective about the things that matter most.
7. You have collaborated with so many amazing brands- I am so honored to be among them! What is your favorite part about the collaborative process?
First of all, I am so honored to be collaborating with you and am a HUGE fan of yours. I love seeing your process and get inspired by your positive attitude and tremendous breath of talent. Working with other creatives who have been able to build businesses is incredible. We are all speaking the same language and can learn so much from one another. The collaborations are so win/win and become like an extension of family.
8. What is your favorite part of owning a small business?
Autonomy and independence. I love setting my own schedule and really like being driven and challenged. I really appreciate being able to trust in my decisions. Being able to see a vision through to completion is extremely fulfilling. The work is never over, days become nights and weekends aren’t the same, but it is so freeing to be my own boss and to be doing what I love.
9. What are you most excited about for your business in 2023?
We are opening our new showroom in New Orleans on Magazine Street next month, so, next year will be fun to host events and grow that side if the business. The location is amazing and it is a fantastic space and place to incubate new ideas, and have as a calling card. I’m really looking forward to a couple of surprises happening in Spring of 2023. The brand is scaling thoughtfully and carefully. I am traveling to India to visit my new workrooms so that I can work on designing more exclusive prints & styles. My goal is to bring all of the work in house so we can have even more control over quality, strive for sustainability, and get to know our team over there. I want our brand to keep getting more and more special, unique and high quality. It’s very important to me to be best in class.
Just for fun…
A traditional design and a new trend you love.
I adore a classic banded mandarin collar as it is universally elegant & sets off a face and is so pretty on everyone. A new trend that is such fun are the floor skimming hemlines…we LOVE this as it fits into our kaftan vibe. I am also very happy that even more COLOR is on trend. The post covid times brought the more optimistic fashion + the major emphasis on the continuation of joyous florals and blooms. I don’t want fashion to ever go dark & mundane again. We need joy & beauty now more than ever.
Favorite spot in New Orleans.
Galatoires has our heart. The Mosquito Supper Club is so unique and special. Audubon Park and walking on the levee. We have lots of fave spots. New Orleans is magic.
Favorite item in your home or closet.
I throw my black travel flounce dress on a lot! I recently bought some HOKA tennis shoes and they make me feel TALL ;) Can’t live without my quilted chanel dad sandals.
Can’t entertain without…
Fresh flowers, tons of candle light.
Favorite 5pm drink
I am a red wine lover…juicy blends or heavy cabs. I also love beautifully made signature cocktails with fresh herbs & elixirs. It’s very hard to resist a classic Old Fashioned.
Go-to hostess gift.
Fresh flowers in a vintage vase, or an atomiser or candle I make with a favorite scent I blend. It has a really relaxing spa like vibe.
Favorite Instagram accounts.
I love to be inspired by florals & colors so I follow a lot of flower, design and art accounts: @rileysheehey (of course!) @wildthingsflowers @leemillerdesign @swallowsanddampsons @degournay @helenfrankenthalerfoundation @guggenheim
Travel destination.
I love water. Eleuthera or Harbor Island is up there. Cape Cod and Nantucket are so special. I want to get over to Morocco soon and go back to Paris with my husband.
When it comes to inspiration, print or digital?
Always hand-made print techniques because they have more meaningful...the artisan look is less sterile. The prints you designed for the collaboration are so special. Our artisans used 6 hand cut screens for each print, so over 30 screens were used. Each color is mixed by hand and then the process is very much an art form in itself. Due to the detail in the artwork we decided to use the screen technique instead of the hand cut wood-blocks.