When I need style inspiration, I like to get up-close-and-personal. I like to visit a store and see something in person, like a fabric, for example; to feel it's texture, to hold it up against my outfit and twirl in girlish circles. It is because I have such a need that I've come to love a creative sanctuary in my own backyard: the .
Home to glamorous mannequins, crackled slightly with time; books that smell exotic in their musk of eras past; costume jewelry in mounds; and furniture that always has me mentally decorating my (still imaginary) dream home, the mart is a refuge from the mundane and the cookie cutter.
While strolling these aisles, I've always wondered about the people behind the booths. How do they find their items? Where did they develop their sense of style? Why do they choose to tell their story here, in this little booth in the sleepy town of Agoura Hills?
This week, I decided to find out. I caught up with the talented Leslie Devillez, an in-house merchandiser at the Antique Mart, who also manages two of her own booths in the store.
Devillez has had her booths at the mart for ten years, following a career that took her through fashion and the gift-ware business.
She’s developed unique aesthetics for her booths-one housing her more feminine and subdued pieces; the other, displaying her more masculine and eclectic items.
Her personality is effervescent, and the passion she has for her profession is both inspiring and refreshing. To listen to Devillez’s take on the artistic process of interior design, check out my video, and to see more of her work, take a peek at her blog.
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