Today we’d like to introduce you to Jillian Ericson-Pelton.
Jillian, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve worked for small businesses since I was fourteen so starting my own business seemed inevitable. When I went to university at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago it was with the intention to study fashion design but I instead focused primarily on headwear design. This focus earned me a grant in 2006 and a leadership award. After graduation I went on to make headwear on commission for ten years. I did three small fashion shows and in 2016 I applied to be part of an exhibition in London during London Hat Week. My hats were accepted as the only headwear that would be featured from the United States. While attending the exhibit I met a lovely lady who asked me what my plans were for my business and I told her that I wasn’t really sure and she said, “don’t you think you aught to figure that out?” And those words were a turning point for me. I decided shortly after that encounter that I wanted to focus on making costume headwear as that was what gave me the most enjoyment. And from there it did not take long for me to shift my focus to making headwear for our nearby Renaissance Festival and online. Since 2018 I’ve been making flower crowns, wire-wrapped tiaras with semi-precious stones, and other accessories and the work genuinely brings me joy.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Every journey has its struggles. We lost our tent in a freak storm one year and had to make due with a cheap fifty dollar tent from target for most of the season one year, but we learned so much about how to innovate that year. We have of course hit minor bumps in the road along the way and I don’t think I could have managed any of it without my husband being by my side.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Plum & Lotus ?
Because I come from a background in fashion I know the many flaws of fast fashion and I was determined to build my business in an ethical way. I wanted to avoid products that were made in sweatshops as much as possible. I turned to second-hand products to source more flowers for my flower crowns, finding resources in the community where I could ensure clean products was a must. Using second-hand products helped us stay economically and ecologically ethical where it was possible. We reuse what we can to cut down on waste. I found I was throwing out a lot of parts of the flowers and so I started thinking of ways to reuse these parts be creating new products to sell in our shop and creating some of the displays in our shop.
Next I wanted to make sure we had the most comfortable products on the market. So, I created the base of our flower crowns from scratch, making them durable and flexible so that they could flex and shape to any head shape or size of any hairstyle. I wanted anyone to be able to wear one of our crowns comfortably. Our bases are always made from products made 100% here in the United States.
The next thing that was important to me was the people. And to make sure that the interactions with the customers were fantastic we had to make sure the people working in the shop were fantastic. It took a few years but the team we have working in our shop are truly amazing humans. I believe they are some of the best people on the planet, but I may be a bit partial.
All of these things combine to build the brand of Plum & Lotus and it is my hope that my products help people to form memories that will last a lifetime.
What are your plans for the future?
I have been taking on more commissions in the past year and I hope to continue to take on more commission throughout the year when I’m not working the Kansas City Renaissance Festival. Eventually I would like to set up an online store through my website but that is a long term goal.
Pricing:
- Our flower crowns start at $40 and go to $75
- For the wire work crowns the prices are $90-$275
- Wire tiaras are $35-$85
- I still make hats, prices vary depending on the job
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.plumandlotus.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plumandlotus
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BGbJAkJ9o/?mibextid=wwXIfr
