Today we celebrate the designer of one of the most colorful apparel lines in our brick & mortar shop: Shannon Lea of People Like Art. We've been carrying PLA since the shop opened in 2011 and our Portlandians can't get enough of it! Shannon has been designing for a few years now working with playful prints, colors, and silhouettes that work for practically everyone and can spice up any outfit. 
Some of my favorite PLA pieces
Just a couple weeks ago Shannon opened up her very own retail space to sell her clothing (and our jewelry!). We are so proud of her and wanted to let you all know that if you're in the Nashville, TN, area to check her out! Now let's learn a little bit more about this sweet gem. 
Name Shannon Lea Describe your personal style Super comfy and casual. I tend to wear a different version of the same outfit for a month. Right now my uniform is gray jeans, a PLA top, wedge sandals, and a betsy & iya necklace. 
How did PLA come to be? Why did you decide to open up a store? I wanted to create my own textile prints. It never seemed right to me as a designer to use a textile with a print that someone else created. It felt like I was taking credit for their work. So I began experimenting with printing, and PLA grew from there. I had been thinking of opening a store/workshop combo space for a couple of years, and I finally found the perfect location. I wanted to create a calm and peaceful place to work and a place for PLA to evolve.
What inspires your designs? Color and shapes. I’m always looking for an interesting color combination and shapes that allow those colors to work together in a modern, fresh way. Most rewarding part of your job Receiving emails from customers around the world telling me how much they love their PLA pieces makes all the hard work worth it. And getting to work with amazing, supportive people like Betsy and her crew! 
Favorite section of store My favorite section of the store is the racks of PLA. I finally get to spend time with my product… I usually make it and it ship it out. Now I come in early some days and play dress up. I’m like a kid in a candy store in my shop. 
Favorite part about your job Gathering inspiration, researching, and sketching is a blast. The idea for a garment seems to go through an epic journey to get to the final product. Seeing the final product is exhilarating and gives me energy to keep going.
Shannon's work space... love that inspiration board!
This is where the magic happens.
Best stress reliever Yoga helps me calm my mind after a long day. A little wine helps too! Favorite getaway Any place with water and sun…beaches, lakes, pools.
