Meet Jessy Burris | Fashion Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessy Burris and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessy, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Running a small business and being employed full time in fashion nearly burns the candle at both ends. As far as balance, it’s all about pacing yourself to the dance of the responsibilities. I used to be such a bad procrastinator in school! But good art takes time, and knowing my artistic side needs that meander, I know to give myself that time in order to keep the procrastination monsters at bay. I find that structuring your hours and certain days of the week to give yourself permission to be the artist will allow for the best, uninterrupted creativity. For me, I find it helpful unplugging from devices to see the magic in nature to spark new ideas. That meditation unlocks areas of our mind that want to get off the linear monotony of digital. There is a great Ted Talk by Tim Urban that illustrates this well.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Candy Lagoon Apparel is a colorful collection of unisex jackets, ponchos, blankets and handbags that celebrate the free spirit in each of us. Bright colors combined with a statement of Southwestern prints provide a touch of drama to the wardrobe. I draw creative inspiration from my Cherokee Heritage, and source from mills that responsibly work with First Nation peoples in designing their prints. I’ve re-imagined Persian rugs in a special collection of limited-edition handbags featured at our retail location at Le Pop Up in Venice Beach, LA. Each garment, blanket and bag are small batch made, right here in Los Angeles by myself and my team in the studio.

Please join us for a fashion open house at Le Pop Up (1108 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice Beach, LA) on Saturday, October 9th from 12-3pm. All new styles will be featured from Candy Lagoon, and kicking it off will be the Water Tower Bluegrass band out of Silverlake! Come join the fun and dust off your dancing shoes.

I learned the ropes of apparel working as a Senior Designer for brands Adidas, Nike, Yeezy, and PXG. As much as I love athletic apparel, my passion is bringing kaleidoscopes of color and cozy comfort to homes, festivals, or your car. Ethical sustainability is important to uphold in fashion, and I source the finest faux furs to give you that luxurious fur look while being 100% cruelty free, keeping our furry friends safe.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’d start with a great brunch at Raffi’s Place for a Kabob and Moroccan mint tea. I’d head over to DTLA fashion district for a fun scavenger hunt of curiosities from flowers to apparel to Fu-Getsu Do Mochi from little Tokyo. I would highly recommend relaxing at Cosmic Creations Skin Sanctuary and Day Spa. I’d definitely head out to Venice and rollerblade the boardwalk into the sunset. They next day might switch it up with a little surfing, sunbathing and shopping, finished off with some dancing. Taking in the colors and sights of the city would be a great sunny weekend on the Gold Coast.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I started my design line, Candy Lagoon Apparel, right after graduating from fashion school in 2012. Here in LA I am proud to be opening up our first retail store presence in Venice Beach at Le Pop Up boutique, on Abbot Kinney road. Le Pop Up features a curated collection of Los Angeles designed collections. They provide a shopping experience to discover new trends fresh from the heartbeat of the city, featuring brands with social outreach. For a great place to shop and explore up and coming designers in the city, I highly recommend swinging by! Tina, Anthony and Eloise are amazing stylists and will make you feel right at home. I’d love to also shout out to Sharon Blair and the Portland Fashion Institute for teaching the nuts and bolts of the industry, making the dream come alive for my fashion education. Every brand starts somewhere, and the team there shares knowledge and tools to make the dream come alive for me.

Website: http://candylagoonapparel.com/

Instagram: @candylagoonadventures

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-e-burris-28b33917/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/candylagoon

Other: Come visit our retail shop at Le Pop Up, 1108 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA, 90291

Image Credits
Candy Lagoon Apparel, Iryna Glavnyk Photography, LA.