ME & Blue
Since 2000, ME & Blue has been at the core of my creative and professional life. What started as a vision to create a boutique with a warm and inviting atmosphere grew to so much more. The boutique and clothing line are on a fashion hiatus while I focus on creating fine art and surface pattern designs. ME & Blue is alive in spirit and is a perpetual muse for my current work. Here’s a look at the journey...
2000 - 2001
M.E. opens a retail store named after herself and her sister, Blue. ME & Blue is born. It’s the era of boutique shops and a 2nd floor loft style space in the heart of the Old City section of Philadelphia is the perfect setting. The year is 2000 and it’s time to make some history. Initially established on a shoestring budget, M.E. evolves from mostly vintage and resale clothing to a full fledged offering of chic women’s clothing, fun accessories, and hand picked vintage pieces.
2002 - 2003
Travel & Leisure magazine makes a visit to the boutique. ME & Blue introduces its signature collection of A-Line skirts and the ME & Blue clothing brand is officially launched.
2004 - 2008
Old City is quickly becomes a boutique destination and ME & Blue is named one of the top 10 boutiques in the U.S. by Citysearch.com. The highlight of the year is showing off her designer wares to the leader of the fashion industry, WWD – Women’s Wear Daily.
Los Angeles, California is calling. Sunshine, cool fashion, and a ready for the west coast lifestyle, M.E. decides to put ME & Blue on its first fashion hiatus in 20016. M.E. closes her beloved boutique, sells all of her stuff, and hauls herself and her sidekick boxer dog, Angie-Mae out to the west coast. She spends the next couple of years soaking up the sunshine and preparing herself for round two of ME & Blue.
2009 - 2010
M.E. is all settled into the LA lifestyle and is teaching at FIDM, the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. But her heart is ready to open another boutique. She spies a cute bungalow for rent on a sketchy strip of Venice, California. It’s just what she imagined. The business is rebranded with a fun, 70’s inspired flower power theme with a lovely garden outside, perfect for the Venice locale.
Despite the downfall of the economy, ME & Blue is off and running, offering its own line of locally made, original clothing designs at an affordable price. Celebrities like Angelica Huston, Pink, Jennifer Beals, Melanie Griffith, Nastassja Kinski, and Laura Dern come in and shop.
2011 - 2012
Bonnie-Blue is born. A new muse! Google moves into Venice Beach. Sketchy Rose Avenue is becoming part of the Silicon Beach movement. Rents are rising, and business is better than ever. M.E. continues to develop the ME & Blue clothing line, sourcing fabrics in downtown Los Angeles and producing them locally for a quick turnaround.
2013 - 2014
It’s the height of bohemian chic, festival style, and flower crowns and ME & Blue is riding the 70’s flower child wave. Bonnnie-Blue learns colors by visiting the fabric wholesalers in downtown Los Angeles. Sunset Magazine pays a visit to the boutique and Travel and Leisure Magazine comes back to do another interview…
2015 - 2016
2015 -Time to go. It’s time to reinvent and M.E. is given the signal by her landlord that the bohemian block of Rose Avenue is officially chic. The rent is rising to almost triple what it was when she first moved in. OK, then. Time to pack up! And yes, time to rest. M.E. and her family move to the bohemian mountain town of Asheville, North Carolina. It’s time to step back, reevaluate & for a bit of self care and world travels. A trip in the fall to Morocco is the highlight of a pinnacle year. Volunteer work at Project Soar in Marrakesh confirms her need to expand into new horizons.
2016 - M.E. begins a daily art habit, #ArtjournalDuJour, and shares it with her followers on Instagram. It’s the beginning of a new creative endeavor. Art becomes the primary focus. Arrangements are made to move to London...the family moves across the pond at the end of the year.
2017...
With a new life (and studio space) in London, M.E. launches her art collections to the world. ME & Blue continues to be on a fashion hiatus. Stay tuned!