A CONVERSATION WITH FUGGIAMO
As part of an ongoing series of conversations with friends, collaborators, and creatives to explore a dialogue on inspiration, passion, community, travel, and life in general, my friend and collaborator Jackie of L.A. based shop Fuggiamo, asked me to check in and talk about my life before and during (and a little bit after) the pandemic.
Fuggiamo carries some of my favorite sustainable and independent designers like Paloma Wool, Ajaie Alaie, and Ali Golden.
You can also find my interview on her blog here.
Hey Jackie! Can you tell us more about how you get started with Fuggiamo? Was it always what you wanted to do?
Hi! Long story short: I’m from Texas and LA, studied history and gemology in school, worked in fashion buying including a few years at Saks in NY, and took some time off to travel before starting FUGGIAMO. I always dreamt of having a shop but didn’t have the confidence or life experience when I was younger. As is the case for so many, my career path followed a non-linear narrative, but all the opportunities led me closer to my dreams in reinforcing a growing desire to share the beauty I was discovering and live more aligned.
How has sheltering at home affected your business and your life in general? How are you navigating this shift and creating some sense of normalcy?
It’s been challenging. The wide spectrum of emotions can be really overwhelming and destabilizing at times. Naturally, my business has been negatively impacted, and it’s definitely frightening to navigate the financial insecurity of running a small business right now. With the safer at home mandate, I’m no longer going to my studio and am a one and a half woman operation working from home. Knowing I can’t control what’s happening, I’m focusing on maintaining my spirits and finding ways to show up for and help others. I'm incredibly grateful to have a roof over my head, loved ones in good health, and a beautiful community of support and customers.
What does your new daily routine look like? How do you balance your work, creative pursuits, and family?
I struggle with balancing the work hustle with self-care. Some days, I’m better at it than others. Besides work, I’m filling my daily routine with more intentional breaks to move my body, spend time outside, check in on loved ones, and disconnect from the internet and social media.
Where do you find yourself seeking inspiration of late? What's something that made you smile recently?
Cooking. I typically do the cooking in the house, so that hasn’t changed. But lately I’ve been drawn to easy, nourishing foods like soups/stews or Chinese recipes my mom and grandmother used to make. Overall, this idea of simplifying to what’s essential has been really inspiring.
Something that makes me smile are texts from my mom. She sends me pictures of what she cooks and lots and lots of memes. She’s only just discovered the world of internet memes and is loving it.
How do you keep yourself centered and nurtured?
Exercise. I’m trying out a mix of yoga and strength training. Getting out of my head and working up a sweat has helped immensely.
Favorites?
Easy, go-to recipe: broth from saved veggie scraps. I've been ordering produce boxes (mostly from Kong Thao) and making soups from the scraps!
Shows: Insecure on HBO and European New Wave films on Kanopy. I highly recommend checking out Kanopy…it’s free with a library card!
Song: “It Never Entered My Mind” by Miles Davis for when I feel anxious and anything by Bad Bunny for when I want to let loose and dance
New daily ritual: Eating lunch in the backyard
Indulgence: a generous chunk of dark chocolate and cheese
How would you describe your personal style?
Comfortable, unexpected, a mix of minimal and maximal. I like playing with pops of color, especially lately. The spring collections in the shop are filled with bright hues like pink and citron, and I feel like they add a little slice of joy and optimism.
How do you go about selecting the brands/items in your shop? Has that changed since the pandemic? What kind of values do you look for in the partners that you work with?
I look for design with a clear, identifiable point of view, authenticity, a similar ethos in terms of sustainability and representation, and quality. And quite honestly, kind people to work with because ultimately, a shop is a partnership. In looking at the assortment as a whole, I also try to maintain a balanced range of price points. None of these values have or will change, but I'm thinking about sustainability from a different perspective. As important as how something is made is why something is made.
