2008 Woodie Awards
(UN)COMMON THREADS
Ben Penn
Issue date: 7/24/08 Section: News
"We'll take [a project] independently and then we'll both talk about it," Towles said.
While Arrisueño finds this collaboration mostly beneficial - "It's great to have two pairs of eyes" - she said going to work with her fiancé every day can have its difficulties.
"It's frustrating at times," she said pensively, as Towles jokingly interrupted.
"I'm always right," he deadpanned - proving Arrisueño's point.
The playful ribbing continued when the topic of expanding De*Nada's staff came up.
"I can't wait until we can hire a sales rep," Arrisueño mused optimistically.
"I can't wait to fire someone," countered the far more cynical - but still kidding - Towles.
But the tone took a serious turn when the couple discussed their wedding date. Arrisueño insisted the wedding would be imminent, before Towles gave an explanation for the delay.
"We've got a long engagement, because honestly, we're knee-deep in this stuff," he said. "[Running De*Nada] is like five jobs rolled into one. … Sometimes we forget we're engaged."
For the time being, the pair's primary focus remains expanding De*Nada's business, whether it be from selling their products at the huge Baltimore arts festival, Artscape, last weekend or from plans to display their line at a Las Vegas trade show next month.
"We're really happy with how things progressed compared to last year," Arrisueño said. "Now our studio is filled with orders. We're hopeful things will continue this way."
Towles added that focusing their lives almost entirely on De*Nada gives them a competitive edge over other fledgling fashion designers.
"We've done the circuits of craft fairs, and sometimes people can get stuck in that niche. You end up working a nine-to-five to support your craft habit," Towles said, years removed from his Whole Foods gig.
It has also been nearly a decade since Arrisueño first caught Towles' eye as a pupil in his wood-sculpting class, a day neither of them expected would lead to the birth of their careers.
"And you got A's in my class, right?" Towles asked his partner in life and business.
"A-plus," corrected Arrisueño.
penndbk@gmail.com
While Arrisueño finds this collaboration mostly beneficial - "It's great to have two pairs of eyes" - she said going to work with her fiancé every day can have its difficulties.
"It's frustrating at times," she said pensively, as Towles jokingly interrupted.
"I'm always right," he deadpanned - proving Arrisueño's point.
The playful ribbing continued when the topic of expanding De*Nada's staff came up.
"I can't wait until we can hire a sales rep," Arrisueño mused optimistically.
"I can't wait to fire someone," countered the far more cynical - but still kidding - Towles.
But the tone took a serious turn when the couple discussed their wedding date. Arrisueño insisted the wedding would be imminent, before Towles gave an explanation for the delay.
"We've got a long engagement, because honestly, we're knee-deep in this stuff," he said. "[Running De*Nada] is like five jobs rolled into one. … Sometimes we forget we're engaged."
For the time being, the pair's primary focus remains expanding De*Nada's business, whether it be from selling their products at the huge Baltimore arts festival, Artscape, last weekend or from plans to display their line at a Las Vegas trade show next month.
"We're really happy with how things progressed compared to last year," Arrisueño said. "Now our studio is filled with orders. We're hopeful things will continue this way."
Towles added that focusing their lives almost entirely on De*Nada gives them a competitive edge over other fledgling fashion designers.
"We've done the circuits of craft fairs, and sometimes people can get stuck in that niche. You end up working a nine-to-five to support your craft habit," Towles said, years removed from his Whole Foods gig.
It has also been nearly a decade since Arrisueño first caught Towles' eye as a pupil in his wood-sculpting class, a day neither of them expected would lead to the birth of their careers.
"And you got A's in my class, right?" Towles asked his partner in life and business.
"A-plus," corrected Arrisueño.
penndbk@gmail.com
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Wanda Towles
posted 7/24/08 @ 1:54 PM EST
Congratulations to Kelly and Virginia!! Both Virginia and Kelly's families are so proud of the way they truly love and support each other and always with good humor. (Continued…)
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