Designer Scoop
Online Boutiquing Chic
CAPITOL
Founder and designer, Katie Schmidt, is a global traveler, philanthropists and experienced
The boutique that is all Katie holds a B.A. in Drama from the University of California, Irvine,
designer. A California native,about your Life
your Style. Lola is the destination store
and M.S. in Luxury and Fashion Management from SKEMA Business School in Sophia Antipolis,
for the has extensive experience working as a costume designer as well as working in the
France. She woman who wants to look and
feel fabulous
fair trade industry. in every part of her busy
lifestyle. At Lola, it is a fair trade to
In 2012, as the Director of our missionorganization, she visited India and helped a small workshop
provide our certified. with a positive
become fair tradecustomersAfter seeing first hand the many benefits of fair trade, Katie decided to
create her own women’s fair trade clothing line.
In the Summer of 2012 I visited a small group of female artisans living in a village on the outskirts
of Bhopal, India who do hand embroidery work for a local workshop. The women did not have
much by means of materialistic items, so when I asked a struggling single mother what she would
choose if she could have anything in the world, her answer surprisedReid grew up Amite,
William “Billy” me.
The woman very modestly answered, “Happiness and Louisiana, justmy children”. My heart was
prosperity for south of the
truly touched and so I asked the workshop owner if it was appropriate to give herhis
Mississippi line, where, in money. He said,
“No, they don’t want charity. They want jobs.” At that moment,
grandmother’s onetime home, his
I realized what was to be my mission in life. I went back to New
mother operated a women’s clothing
Orleans, put the pieces of the puzzle together and by January The shop would later
boutique.
of 2013, Passion Lilie started to bloom.
influence his interest and pursuits in
From a design perspective, I am inspired by ancient Indian
design. Reid’s first foray into the world
artisanal techniques of dyeing and weaving. The print of designer fashion came in 1998 with
and
color patterns allow for a plethora of design possibilities. launch of William Reid. Reid rethe
I believe that by wearing colorful, happy prints and patterns,
launched under the name Billy Reid
it will brighten your mood. I use streamlined silhouettes that of a new business model: to
by way
eature the prints and flatter everybody type. You will be thea designer brand around his
build
center of all compliments when you wear a Passion Lilie dress. lifestyle and establish retail
authentic
shops that reflect his upbringing, his
“My mission in life is to improve the world I live in, and personality, his aesthetic.
because
of my love for design, I have chosen to do this through fashion.”
Washington, D.C.
–Katie Schmidt
Billy Reid Boutique
http://passionlilie.com/
https://www.facebook.com/passionlilie
http://instagram.com/passionlilie
33
3211 M STREET NW
WASHINGTON, DC 20007
202 499 6765
M-T 11-7, F-SAT 11-8, SUN 11-7
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