{From left to right: Christina Coniglio, Kathi Rich, & Ariel Lilly}
I planned to have this post up yesterday, but my weekend was jam-packed and Monday was in fact “just-another-manic-Monday”. But right before the weekend, I attended the Rae Francis trunk show hosted at Kathi Rich boutique in Savannah. Rae Francis is a contemporary women’s line boasting versatile bohemian pieces founded by SCAD Fashion alumnae; Ariel Lilly and Christina Coniglio. I read an interview of Ariel + Christina on The Fashion Spot after receiving my invite to the trunk show, and immediately loved the brand. In this interview, the designers talk about the meaning of Rae Francis (Ariel’s middle name is Rae and Christina’s father’s name is Francis), their inspirations and their “Made in America” mentality. From this interview and the description of Rae Francis being “boho and light”, I got the impression that these two SCAD grads were personable and well, just very “cool”… and they were exactly this in person!
I talked with Ariel + Christina about the fact that Rae Francis is “Made in New York City” and I was immediately impressed with the fact that while it may be cheaper to produce clothing in a foreign country, Rae Francis has a strong belief for supporting American economy and being more “local”. I don’t want to be a hyprocrite and say I only buy brands made in the U.S. – but this is starting to influence my purchase decisions and some of my favorite brands are made in the US, including Rag & Bone, J Brand, & Tucker by Gaby Basora. The pictures below highlight a shirt I bought at the Rae Francis trunk show (and love). This shirt will hold a special meaning from meeting these awesome designers and sharing something we all had in common: Savannah and a love for fashion.
Shop the Rae Francis Summer Collection on Pink Mascara & The Hip Chick. I loved this dress that Christina was wearing, don’t you?
