Live Boldly Blog

Meet the woman behind the amazing illustrations on our lightweight base layers and new bags coming out this Fall. Hillary G. is based in Boulder, CO just down the street from the Krimson Klover office. Hillary has a natural talent when it comes to art and design. She has vast experience in apparel design starting with Diane von Furstenberg and ranging from Macy’s to Neve Designs and now Krimson Klover. I had the pleasure of meeting up with her to ask a few questions about her artwork and her lifestyle and how each influences the other.

When it comes to what inspires her artwork, her base layer designs are motivated by vintage ski posters and retro ski fashion ranging from the 1920’s through the 1970’s. She aims to modernize the vintage ski look into a new, fun, yet relatable image. For her folkloric prints, she focuses on different themes each season. Hillary explained, “If you stick with the same traditional Nordic motifs and patterns they tend to look a little repetitive and can be overdone. Each new collection is inspired by traditional art motifs from different cultures to keep it fresh and interesting.”

Some of her Fall ’18 inspiration came from the Ukrainian Psyanka designs (traditional Easter eggs) with intricate line work, whereas her upcoming Fall ’19 designs are influenced by Romanian embroidery motifs and Peruvian floral designs. She gives her vintage fashion girl designs a modern retro vibe in fun après ski scenes.  Adding bright pops of color makes this artwork come off as modernized and fresh pieces that are highly sought after.

North Star Base Layer

After touching on her inspiration from different places around the world, I wanted to know where she likes to travel and how much of an influence that has on her work. Immediately after asking her, she responded with “Everywhere inspires me”. Wherever Hillary goes she is searching for and aware of her surroundings that inspire her. “The more you travel, the more knowledge and inspiration you gather”, she told me, so she tries to travel any chance she can. Hillary went to Morocco last year and found herself drawn to the beautiful tile work, natural dye colors and architecture around her. On her honeymoon in Italy she was surrounded by gorgeous ceramics with ornate patterns and bright colors.  Just a few months ago she traveled throughout Scotland and was inspired by all the rich plaid tartans and elegant wool and cashmere knitwear.  Hillary is hoping to explore Peru next, and I’m sure many more places in the future.

Hillary started illustrating custom prints at Neve Designs in 2012.  Rhonda, founder of Krimson Klover, founded Neve designs back in 2010.  When she started designing at Krimson Klover, Hillary and Rhonda wanted to transition those dynamic prints into something a little more modern and fresh, and still reflect the retro flair of the European ski heritage.

Hillary was fascinated with art from the moment she was able to hold a crayon. Her mom saw the talent and potential that she possessed and signed her up for many art classes as she grew up. Hillary’s mom and sister are both designers as well, so the passion clearly runs in the family. She attended CSU for fashion design and was admitted into the competitive fashion program as a freshman where at the time only 25 students were accepted. As her apparel design career developed, “It was a nice surprise falling into print design”, she told me as she talked about her life after graduating from CSU. Hillary has designed prints in previous roles and learned how to design knitwear when she was hired as an Assistant Sweater Designer at Macy’s in New York.

With two offices, one at home and one on swanky Pearl Street in Boulder, Hillary likes to switch up her location of work to keep ideas flowing and fresh. “Staying in one place for too long creates a bit of a road-block for me, so I like to change up my surroundings.” She shares her office in Boulder with her older sister, Jillian, who works as a contract Art Director. The two are actually starting their own apparel brand called Glenn + Glenn, launching in the Spring of 2019. Glenn + Glenn will feature women’s woven contemporary apparel such as tanks, dresses, skirts, blouses and items of the sort. They are aiming to achieve a minimalistic, clean and modern look. “This line will be very different from what I currently design for other clients, but will still have that same modern, fresh look.  It has been a lot of work in the making, but we are very excited to create this together.” Be sure to look out for Glenn + Glenn coming out next spring!

Adrenaline Base Layer

Lots of artists and designers have a ritual or routine they do before getting into their work. Hillary likes to take a couple of days after she gets her design brief to begin looking for inspirations and motivations. She likes to go through her daily routine with the idea in the back of her mind, seeing what might pop out to her. Like most of us creatives, she likes to look through Pinterest, magazines, and books to spark ideas. “Inspiration takes the longest time, for sure, but it is the most fun”, Hillary said while talking about the process. “Once you know what your client is looking for, it’s helpful to keep that idea rolling around in the back of your head for even several weeks before putting anything on paper.” On that note, I was curious to see if she found herself creating several drafts before presenting her final idea. Since she takes her time curating the idea in her head, she is able to come up with several options once she begins her sketches to present. Rarely does she completely throw away an idea, rather just narrows down and makes changes when presenting them to her clients.

Hillary’s favorite thing about illustrating is seeing her sketches evolve into actual garments. Usually the initial print idea and the final product evolve quite a bit along the way as tiny details emerge in the design, so she loves to see how the final design compares to her original vision. “Seeing my rough black and white sketch turn into colored vector art on the base layers is a really fun experience. Typically, the original design ideas are done in pen and ink because the color palette has not been finalized yet.  “This makes the process very exciting as the design kind of jumps to life when we add in the color,” she told me when talking about her sketches. If she ever gets stuck on a design or idea, she tries to switch gears, work on something else and then goes back to it. It usually just takes reworking the design until it flows– whether it’s moving motifs around or re-doing spatial patterns. Attached at the end are a few examples of her sketches moving through the process.

North Star Base Layer

When it comes to working with Krimson Klover, Hillary likes the fact that we are easy and fun to work with. “Rhonda gives me a lot of creative leeway, which is nice because it allows me to add in my personal creativity and come up with a few different ideas that maybe weren’t initially included on the design brief.” She said that Rhonda likes to push the envelope as much as she can with ideas and imagination, which creates a productive working environment. “Rhonda is so great to work with because she can look at my initial designs and can see the vision and potential. After working together for several seasons, we both have an understanding in the process.  Rhonda shows confidence in my initial ideas and they usually turn out better than we originally expected. It makes it a lot easier to work with someone who is creative in that way and can see my vision from the beginning.” Hillary also mentioned how important Krimson Klover’s new “slow-fashion” movement is and how Rhonda really stands by that. “Rhonda understands that creating detailed prints takes time. She wants to get it right for the customer and doesn’t rush the process which is very helpful for a designer.” Something Hillary really notices about Rhonda is that she is very in-tune with the Krimson Klover customers; “If there is a piece they really loved from last season, we will be sure to include a new update in the next season to serve those customers wants and needs.”

Back Country Base Layer

Hillary has a few people that really inspire her and that she would love to do a co-lab with if she ever got the chance. “Print-wise, Diane von Furstenberg has always really inspired me because I was able to go behind the scenes of their design process.  Every print is done in house and created by their designers. They also resurrect a lot of DVF’s classic vintage prints and rework them in a fresh way.  Mara Hoffman is another fabulous designer I would love to do a co-lab with. Her use of color and variation of print work is always exciting to look at.”

When it comes to how Hillary Lives Boldly, she is very active and loves to take advantage of living so close to the mountains and being outside as much as she can. “I love to snowboard and travel.  That is the benefit from being a contractor – you can work from almost anywhere!”  Tennis is a big love of hers and she also attempts to keep up with her husband mountain biking. Whenever she has the extra time, Hillary loves to be a part of the community and participate in any social events happening in the Denver and Boulder area.

Submitted by:  Emma Feeney, Krimson Klover Intern

If you've read last month's post, we made a tribute to our mom's for Mother's Day.  We know without mom, we may not have survived childhood.  However, there is a special place in our hearts for dads too.  Being strong, dynamic, independent women, we owe our dads a debt of gratitude for treating us like we can (and will!) do anything we dream up.  Our dads taught us how to camp, fix things, to throw and catch, and how to stay out of trouble.  No matter what you call him (pops, dad, pa, paps) his job is just as important as mom's.  Here are a few stories about our KK dads:

My Dad was a huge outdoor enthusiast. He loved to swim, fish, ski, ice-skate, sail and hunt -- which he passed along to his 6 kids. We spent a lot of time in the woods, fishing and camping.   I ended up with a career in the outdoor industry because of his influence.  For some reason every time we went camping it would pour down rain. It was never just a little bit of rain -- but a full on big rain. We had a big old canvas tent that was held up by 4 iron poles with a square set of iron poles in the peak. When it rained, the tent got really, really heavy and you couldn’t touch the canvas sides, or it would leak. On every camping trip that I can remember the tent would come down on us in the middle of the night from the weight of the water and somehow we managed to not get beaned in the head by the iron poles! Thank goodness tent technology and fabrics have come a long way.  I miss my pop every day, and I am so thankful for all the time and fun we had in the outdoors. -- Gail, Chief Operations Officer

My Dad is always active and we both find it difficult to sit still. His pride and joy is his spectacular English garden, complete with orchard, greenhouse and incredible vegetable patch. I miss shelling (and eating) peas together, picking raspberries and helping him dig up potatoes. I enjoyed being outside in my wellies “being helpful”.   He encouraged my love for sports by taking me to English football matches.

Luisa being "helpful" in the garden with her dad

We went on many bike rides around the stunning Cotswolds region, and I still am at my happiest when cruising along on a bike.  We spent summers hiking and adventuring in France and the Scottish Highlands. It didn’t matter what the weather, we were almost always playing outside. I truly believe my decision to make Colorado my home away from home stems from these experiences. When my parents first visited me out here they fell in love with Colorado too.  Our next adventure is a trip to Japan. I’m excited to hike post roads, ride bikes around Kyoto and enjoy Japanese whiskey together. -- Luisa, Sales Director

Mike, a.k.a. "Mike the Bike", a.k.a. "Mingo", a.k.a. "Dad" is soon to take on a new moniker, GrandDAD! And I'm so very excited to give him his first grandbaby. My kid will have a lot to learn from this dear ol' dad of mine. Here are just a few of the lessons that he taught me:

To love the outdoors, the flora and fauna and to protect and preserve it. From a young age, I watched him hunt, fish, and cultivate the land with reverence. As a marine biologist, Dad loves the ocean and would even teach me the scientific names of all the seashells we would find on trips to the coast of Maine. To this day, I can still recall that the slipper shell in Latin is Crepidula fornicata.

He taught me to throw like a girl. I always loved sports and I learned from him that being an athlete was more about hustle and dedication than physical ability. "You throw like a girl" was a tease, but it was also a compliment. Eye on the target, point your elbow, step, release and follow through...he was my coach and my cheerleader and throwing like a girl came to mean hard, fast and accurate. Plus, learning to keep your eye on the ball and focus on the target is just a great metaphor for life.

He taught me to explore, and that it's never too late to learn a new skill or hobby. Dad taught himself to play guitar in his thirties and took up singing with two different choral groups just a few years ago. I've watched him pursue his many passions throughout the years and it's taught me that at any age, it's okay to be open and vulnerable to new challenges and adventures. It's this same inquisitiveness that I embrace in my life and hope to instill in my kids.  Love you Dad! -- Alison, Customer Service Maven

When I was little, my dad would organize canoe trips. We would venture a week at a time to upcountry Maine, paddle down beautiful rivers, camp out and enjoy nature.  My dad constantly gives great advice on all life's obstacles.  I can't think of one piece of advice that is better than the rest. Lately, we've been having great chats about the similarities and differences in our values and opinions. I've been really grateful to be able to listen, learn and share during these talks.  A few years ago, just the two of us went rappelling down a waterfall in New Hampshire's White Mountains. It was a really fun day and experience that I'm glad I was able to share with him. When my dad visits Colorado, I love to take him into the mountains and show him all the beautiful landscapes and secret places I've discovered. When I travel back to Boston, he does the same by taking me up in his Cessna to enjoy aerial views of the Atlantic coast and flying over the old seaside cities I miss. -- Ellen, Product Development Manager

I'm pretty sure my dad was hoping to have a boy and disappointingly ended up with me.  This actually became an advantage for me because my dad has treated me like a boy -- which is to say, he thought of me as capable to do anything.  Since before I can remember, he used to give my mom a break and I would sit on his lap and watch football with him on the weekends.  We still talk football and when something big happens in the NFL or our favorite teams, I can't wait to talk to him about it. My dad at the beach where his heart is full.

When I was young, he definitely supported (and maybe sometimes forced) me into all kinds of athletic and outdoor endeavors.  My first sport was soccer, I played on a co-ed team (thank you Title IX) his company sponsored our team and provided our uniform shorts.  I ended up playing soccer through college and in high school I ran track and was the shortstop on our softball team.  I am so thankful to have participated in team sports, I gained so many great skills and confidence that I have used throughout my life.

My dad was born and grew up in Hawaii and learned to live, love and respect the outdoors from a young age.  He learned to fish and hunt from his uncles and spent most of his free time in the ocean swimming and surfing.  He shared all of that with us, (mostly to give my mom a break and get us all out of the house) we'd go fishing, camping and on hunting trips.  I now live in Colorado, and I didn't know until I moved here, how much I need water in my life.  I know both of us find being near the ocean and in the water the best remedy for any problem, second best is being outside and getting a good sweat on.  -- Emelie, Marketing Maven

Mark's dad, Sam.

"My supervising pastor in seminary was a seasoned Southern parson named Sam Stanely.  Sam pastored a little chapel in Arlington, Virginia, and people packed it to the gills every Sunday.  You could easily underestimate Sam because of his laid-back style and bone-deep gentility.  He wore his considerable clout like an undershirt, unconcious of it.  Yet Sam was both the strongest and most subtle pastor I have ever known.  Despite his determined opinions, he seldom spoke at meetings.  He made himself available for appointments or counseling or coffee.  He was an ace preacher; worship was memorable and moving.  He and his wife Ruth ate lunch together every day." -- Excerpt from a book published by his student Kendra, about Mark's Dad. Mark, Operations Manager

We hope all the dads out there have a great Father's day and get a big squeeze from your mini-me.

One of the best holidays on the planet is Mother's Day...quickly followed by Father's Day of course!  (sorry Dad!)  Moms come in different sizes, colors, you might have two moms, and she may not even be exactly 'related' to you -- but no matter we celebrate them all, without them we wouldn't be here and life wouldn't be the same.

The KK team wanted to share a little bit about why our moms are so wow-worthy, please share yours with us in the comments below.

Ellen's mom and mommom during their first visit to Colorado.

I'd just moved to Colorado and my Mom, Mommom (Grandma) and myself on Mother's Day 2015; a.k.a. Denver gets wrecked by a freak ice storm. They luckily made their flights out just before the storm hit and we spent the day stepping over frozen branches, touring the Molly Brown house and brunching at Denver Biscuit Co. It was a blessing to share the special weekend with them and show them around my new city. -- Ellen, Product Development Manager

Alison, with her mom (in a handmade cape!) and younger sister Emily

My favorite memory of my mom is her sewing in our basement growing up. She made wool capes and ponchos as a side business and I have always admired her creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. She worked nights as a nurse and would come home, get my sister and me off to school and sew in her off time so that we could have nice things. Thanks, Mom!  Besides looking a lot like her, I've inherited my mom's design style. I love the story behind the things I collect and that eclectic style is apparent in how I dress myself and my home.  -- Alison, Customer Service & Showroom Manager

Rhonda's Mom out in the wild

My favorite memories of my mom are of the two of us out searching for wildlife. She always had me out searching for Bullfrogs, birds and snakes. Climbing steep hills to search for baby owls. Sometimes to be attacked by the momma birds. She has such a large curiosity around wild life. All animals were always incredibly curious about her.  In another generation she would have been an animal whisperer.  I inherited her creative side which has helped me in every aspect of my life she also instilled the belief that I could do anything, and I thank her for that. -- Rhonda, Founder and Creative Director

I love this photo of me and mom, with my sister glaring at us in the background.

One day out of the blue, my mom says to me "I wish I had named you Emma".  Me: "What!?!"  I happen to love my name but I thought it was funny, so I started signing all of my cards and notes to my mom "Love, Emma".  Now, my mom, sister, nieces and nephew all call me Emma or "Auntie Emma".  The rest of my family and friends call me Eme or Em and have no idea who this Emma person is.  My mom is an amazing seamstress and made all of our Halloween costumes and special occasion outfits for years.  I can't remember how old I was when she started the tradition of me making homemade Christmas ornaments for the whole extended family, now I have a big box full of ornaments made by me from several years of her mini-sweatshop (haha).  I've maintained my crafty/creative side she gave to me and I appreciate the value of hand-made goods because I know how much love goes into them. -- Emelie, Marketing & Communications Director

Emma and her mom

My favorite memory of my mom is when she surprised me at Windy City Smokeout, a country music festival in Chicago, by spontaneously showing up with my dad. I was there already there with a friend and had no idea that they were thinking of coming, so when my mom texted me a picture of the stage and talking about the song that was just performed I was so excited that she was there and I instantly started searching for her and my dad! We have gone to many country music festivals together and every time it’s such a blast. She’s always down to throw on a pair of cowboy boots and have a great time - I’ve got a pretty cool mom.  I am like my mom because as stubborn as I can be sometimes, I always put others first and try to make my loved ones happy and I get that directly from my mom. I also luckily got her sense of style and creativity! -- Emma, Public Relations Intern

Mark & His Angel

My Mom is an angel.  I know this because, for the last 4 years of my Dad's life, she took care of him morning, noon and evening in the nursing home he was in.  He had Alzheimer's, Parkinsons and blood cancer. In 4 years, she did not miss even a handful of days. She never made a big deal about it or complained even once. My Mom the angel. -- Mark, Operations Manager

Luisa at 3 mos with her mum

I inherited my Mum’s competitiveness when it comes to quizzes and puzzles, and this was also instilled in my sister. We make quite the team at pub trivia night! -- Luisa, Director of Sales

 Gail's mom, a consummate cheese head.

One of the things that I love and admire about my mom is her wonderful sense of humor. She is quite mischievous and as a child, I loved to listen to her stories about all the crazy things she did with her friends growing up. One of my favorite stories was when she and her best friend Rut, who both attended Catholic school, were on their way to summer camp at the age of 17. They decided it would be a hoot to dress up as nuns, so they tracked down the appropriate costumes and accessories, boarded a train in Milwaukee, and stayed in character for the 3 hours it took to get to their station in Northern Wisconsin. Her camp buddies who were also on the train did not suspect that the two young nuns in the back (one with nail polish, both sneaking cigarettes) were their old friends. 60 years later my Mom still makes me laugh! I only hope that I have instilled in my two boys my mom’s wonderful sense of humor and adventure.  -- Gail, Chief Operations Officer (currently the only actual mom in the office, but only for a few more weeks, Alison is about to become a mom soon!)

 Cooper, Gail's oldest son

 Miles, Gail's youngest son

We wish all the moms out there an awesome mother's day, and thank you for all you do for us!

There is nothing better than a girls ski weekend, and lucky me I had a great one in Steamboat Springs, Colorado this past weekend.  Steamboat Springs is home to 89 Olympians and known for it's "Champagne Powder".  Colorado is so dry (meaning little to no humidity), most days our snow is dry and fluffy powder.  This time of year, however, the sun will melt the snow a bit and refreeze overnight giving you super fast corduroy on the groomed runs.

The first thing I always make sure to pack is stuff for our hot springs visit.  Steamboat Springs lies against the western ridge of the Continental Divide and is surrounded by national forest and wilderness area.  Evidently, there are 150 natural mineral springs in the area!  There are two popular soaking hot springs one in downtown with a water slide and then there is Strawberry Hot Springs just out of town.  I've been to both and a nice soak in the hot springs is always so welcomed at the end of a great ski day.  For this trip, I've packed my new Krimson Klover Leia Sweater, shorts, bikini and flip-flops.  If going to the Strawberry Hot Springs, you'll also want to bring a headlamp (as there is no electricity after dark) and if it's been warm and melty maybe footwear that you're OK getting muddy...and don't forget your towel! (p.s. the Leia sweater is sold out on krimsonklover.com but you can find it at our Boulder Showroom and local retailers!  A great back-up online is our Harbor Hoody)

Strawberry Hot Springs

The steam is so inviting in cold temperatures!

Old Town Hot Springs, perfect if you want to get in a workout too!

A few of my essentials I pack for any weekend away is this new Sherpani bag and MyChelle skin care.

The Sonora Sherpani bag is large enough to carry my iPad mini, Kindle, toiletries and an extra bottle of water.  It's made from a coated cotton which looks like leather and has great pockets everywhere to stash all your important things.  It's super sturdy and the coating on the cotton makes it stain resistant, perfect for whatever you throw at it.  The tassels are a cute bonus.  I love that Sherpani is a local Boulder company, and I usually fall for their new bags every season.

Another Boulder (well, Louisville) Colorado company, MyChelle Dermaceuticals, they make my most favorite skincare.  Not only does their stuff keep my Colorado skin moisturized -- but their sun care line is perfect for all of the sunny days here.  My favorites are the sun shield stick, this little stick is perfect for throwing into your ski jacket and keeping your face protected while skiing, shopping or enjoying some sunny après ski cocktails.  The sun shield stick has a great consistency and is easy to blend and doesn't leave you with zinc-y white marks on your face.  I always have one of these sticks on me -- in my cycling jersey, my purse, and my SUP dry bag!  The sun shield stick now comes in a tinted version, I've not tried it yet, but I'm guessing I'm going to love it.  Also on my must-have list is the liquid tint in nude, the sugar scrub and the lip hint in berry.  Bonus:  This little blue zip pack is TSA approved!

Après Anyone? Base Layer and Socks

Krimson Klover Lightweight Base Layers and the girls at Four Points Lodge

 The view from Four Points Lodge

Of course, you have to bring your ski gear.  I love the Krimson Klover lightweight base layers for spring skiing.  They are so soft and the perfect weight to keep you warm on the ski lift and so adorable to show off at lunch.  I love hanging out on the Adirondack chairs at Four Points lodge on our lunch break.  With 3,000 skiable acres, there is something for everyone and the mountain is big enough that it never seems crowded.  You can even see on Saturday, we basically had the mountain to ourselves.  Bonus:  These base layers are printed with original artwork that have a fun retro ski vibe.

Our friend Amy, skinned up the mountain (hiked up the mountain in her AT skis) and met us at the top of the gondola for a day of skiing.  Let me tell you -- she's definitely a bad a$$.  Steamboat Springs Ski resort lets you hike up anytime, some resorts have rules or restrictions around skinning, so make sure to check them out before you head up.  Don't worry, I took the gondy up so I could get to skiing down faster. Après Cocktails! With the ski resort in the background.

After a full day of skiing and before we hit the hot springs, it's time for a little après cocktails and dinner.  Our favorite places for happy hour in town are Laundry and Salt and Lime.  Both have a great happy hour, great food and delicious cocktails!

We don't dress up often, but on a girls weekend, it's a must.  In this photo, we've all got on our Krimson Klover favorites.  From left to right:  Jen is wearing our Rita dress made from a beautiful blend of cotton/silk and carrying the Sonora bag, I've got on a Fall 18 sample, it's a little too big for me and the wrong colors, but too cute to pass up --it's called the Pearl dress and I'm carrying the Vibe bag, Amy is wearing our Marta sweater made with 100% ultrafine merino wool (one of our best-sellers) and carrying the Tempest.  Bonus: the Tempest turns into a backpack and can also be worn cross-body!  Double Bonus: 5% of the sales from the Marta sweater are donated to First Descents.

My other outfit was the Krimson Klover Classical Beauty dress -- it's made from a plant-based viscose yarn that is super yummy and flattering.

Included in my outfit is Bronwen Jewelry -- their cascade earrings in long and cascade necklace.  These are staples in my waredrobe, I love all of my Bronwen peices because they can be casual or dressy.  Bronwen is based in Bend, Oregon and their jewelry is made to withstand sweat and activity.  I wear my necklaces running, swimming and for happy hour.  They add a feminine touch to all of my outfits...even when I'm feeling super tom-boy-ish.

Ski Lift Selfie

View of the Continental Divide

Lunch!

The Pearl Dress coming out this fall, fits Jen way better! Look how cute she is!

Good Friends

On our way out of town, we had breakfast at Winona's...only so we could order a cinnamon roll as big as our head!

My other favorite eateries in town are Mountain Tap, Rootz, Johnny B. Goods Diner and of course the business fries at Carl's Tavern.

This weekend was a fun get-away, so thankful I have some great friends that help me #liveboldly.

Photo cred goes to Amy's husband Matt, we let him join us from time to time mostly because he takes teasing well and a good photo.

Submitted by:  Emelie, marketing maven