Need a sweet treat? Zoe Pearn, designer for Riley Blake, is here to help. Her collection, The Sweetest Thing, is full of birds, florals, dots and chevrons. Her happy red, pink, yellow and blue hues will add a bit of cheer to any project. Zoe is on the Jolly Jabber today to chat about her sweet collection and to give us a glimpse inside of her life.
Q:
What inspired this collection?
A:
My sweet little daughter, Lola Joy, was about nine months old when I designed this collection and she was my main inspiration for this line. I really wanted to make something that was sweet and fun, like her, but also reminiscent of prints and patterns that were around when I was a girl. I also absolutely adore designing floral patterns, so I guess you could say that Mother Nature is always my muse!
Q:
What is your favorite project using this collection?
A:
Unfortunately I haven't gotten my hot little hands on this collection yet (living on the other side of the world has its drawbacks) but I am dying to see it in person and use it to make a quilt for my daughter!
Q:
What would be your collection’s theme song?
A:
Of course it would be "The Sweetest Thing" by U2. That song was running through my head the whole time I was working on the collection and is still the first thing that pops into my head when I look at it!
Q4:
If you could live in a movie, what movie would it be?
A:
I'm not sure that I'd want to be a seven foot tall alien, but the last movie that really took my breath away was Avatar. That was the most magical, awe-inspiring place I have ever seen. I'm sure I could get used to living in an unspoilt and colourful paradise like that!
Q:
What do you get nostalgic over?
A:
As a child, I used to spend all of my holidays in a little caravan by the beach with my family so summertime always makes me reminisce on those happy times. My own family recently made a sea-change ourselves, and moved from the city of Brisbane (Australia) to a small beachside town so that we could give our kids the kind of happy and carefree days we had ourselves as children. And it has the added bonus of taking me back to those days as well!
Q:
What is your favorite TV show of all time?
A:
My favourite TV show is an Australian drama called "Offspring". The main character, Nina, is completely neurotic, has a crazy family life, is easily distracted and collects owls. In other words, you could say she is just like me, except she is a doctor! I love how well it captures the Australian way of life and our unique sense of humour - it always makes me laugh. And secretly I love that there is another person out there who collects owl statues, even if she is fictional!
Q:
If you could be a modern day fictional character, who would you be?
A:
I am a bit of a bookworm, so every time I get lost in a book I wish I could be the main character of whatever book I'm reading at the time. But the one character that sticks in my mind would have to be Anne of Green Gables. She was so feisty and brave. I’m sure all young girls couldn't help but admire her and secretly hope to be like her one day! Plus I think there would be something so lovely about living in simpler times!
Q:
What’s the strangest compliment you’ve ever received?
A:
My five-year-old son, Josh, is the king of funny compliments! He quite often compliments me on my "ugly" hair (surprisingly he doesn't mean it in a nasty way - that is his way of saying messy), and tells me I look beautiful in my pajamas. Bless his cotton socks! My favourite one though is when he calls me a "genius" for cooking his dinner, and according to him I am more of a genius than McDonalds!
Labels: Designer Tidbits, Riley Blake Designs
