Meet the Jigsaw Woman of the Month: Ary of Stella Industries!

We are so excited to begin a new series here on Jigsaw Says called The Jigsaw Woman of the Month.  Each month, we’ll highlight one woman who embodies the values we hold dear at Jigsaw London – She is smart, effortlessly chic, strong, feminine, creative and loves the life she lives!  We couldn’t have picked a better lady to be our first example of these ideals.  She is a designer, business owner, mother and friend!

Meet Ary Park – Jigsaw-London’s Woman of the Month of July

ABOUT ARY

I’m a fashion designer and the founder of Stella Industries.  We make high end  apparel for girls from age 1 to 16 years and operate out of my studio in Downtown Los Angeles.  I’ve loved sewing since I was a kid, but studied graphic design and photography in art school and then got a degree in video production. This led to my long-running career as a TV producer.  I’m still interested in all kinds of visual media, but fashion is now my full time passion.  As such, I keep a close eye on women’s fashion trends, especially the really out-there experimental stuff.  However, Stella is not about “mini me” styles (No matter how often moms ask me to duplicate pieces in their sizes!)  I definitely want the company to grow and I envision Stella as a resource that provides little girls with everything they need to get through life, always feeling and looking like stars.

I started my business in my living room, working on my dining table, hand sewing hand-cut felt animal shapes onto baby T-shirts and onesies.   I started selling to shops directly and one of my first orders was from Fred Segal.  Pretty soon, more orders came pouring in!   My business has since grown over the last 8 years to include full collections for girls.

I’m inspired mainly by my muse, my daughter, Sophia Kay.  Her world gives me a window into a girl’s everyday life.  I experience her needs, wants and fantasies by observing her and her friends.  But I also take inspiration from costume design in film and television.  My taste runs the gamete -  from the Von Trapp family to Edward Scissorhands!  I studied Photography in college, so I love looking at photos by artists such as Sally Mann, and Catherine Opie.  My favorite artists are, Yoshitomo Nara, Barbara Kruger, and Jenny Holtzer, and again, I think all of my likes and inspirations influence the pieces I design.

Beyond my work, I actually have so many hobbies!  I love cultivating my eatable backyard garden, and I recently started raising chickens to get “home-laid”  eggs.  I think all endeavors are artistic.  It just depends on how one approaches it.

I’d say my personal style is eclectic.  I love everything from avant garde, conceptual, outrageous designers such as Comme des Garcons, Opening Ceremony and British designer Vivian Westwood to the Jigsaw London for easy, chic, elegant pieces.  But my personal style definitely influences my work.  There is a little girl in me that is still looking for a perfect dress to show my personal style.  I actually started sewing myself dresses when turned 12 – So it’s been an ongoing challenge!  My work influences my fashion choices too, I recently purchased a shirt from The Muppets for Opening Ceremony.  It has the character Animal’s face all over the shirt.  It’s my favorite recent acquisition.

See more of Ary’s designs and snag some beautiful pieces for the little girl in your life by visiting the Stella website: www.stellaindustries.com.  But you can also follow Stella Industries and stay up to date with Ary’s designs on Facebook, Pinterest, and their very own blog!  Just check out the links below…

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/stellaind
Blog: http://stellaindustries.wordpress.com/
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/stellaind/
Stella Website: http://www.stellaindustries.com/

Thanks so much to Ary for being our very first Jigsaw Woman of the Month!  Do you or someone you know embody the Jigsaw aesthetic and want to share your story?   Contact us and you could be considered a Jigsaw Woman of the Month!