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

Hi Lauren, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I traveled many paths before founding LES Collection, never finding the right one. So many projects were started without completion or completed only to move on to something else. I was an anthropology major in college; I thought I wanted to be a winemaker; I did a brief stint in international public health; I graduated from law school; I spent a year surfing throughout the world. Instead of feeling embarrassed by a trail of abandoned paths, I embraced my journey. Once I had children, I understood my need to build something with thought and intention that provides community, connection, and beauty in this world. Throughout everything, one thing remained consistent, my love for art and collecting. My passion grew over a long time; it came naturally and with force.

I have been collecting art for over a decade, and the most rewarding aspect is the relationships I forged with the artists. These relationships provide a deep sense of satisfaction and energy. LES Collection grew out of the desire to harness this energy. Before founding LES Collection, I spent some time developing my own artistic practice. I painted and honed my style and technique but felt something was missing. I yearned for collaboration, and my practice was not providing it. I longed for a link to other artists, to other collectors, to other artistic mediums. My world was too small, and I wanted to crack it open.

Initially, I created an Instagram account to showcase my work. Then, I began to use the platform to highlight other artists, designers, and design periods. To my surprise, people loved my aesthetic and creative vision, the community, started to expand quickly. LES Collection grew organically from my passion and desire to strengthen my relationship with the artists I had collected for years and forge new relationships with artists I discovered along the way. I sought to curate an eclectic and cohesive collection of art and vintage and to provide a historical and design context around the work. I was determined not to just open another shop or gallery. I wanted to create a brand that provided a more meaningful and intentional relationship between artist and collector.

At its heart, LES Collection is a place to find truly unique art and vintage that will make your home feel like a more beautiful, memorable, and meaningfully curated space.

What should our readers know about your business?
LES Collection is more than a shop and not just an art gallery. We sit at the intersection between art and design. At LES, we curate a collection of unique and one-of-a-kind pieces that will instill beauty and meaning into any home. We encourage our community to think about shopping for the home as a way to support artists and makers.

Content is a massive part of what we do and what sets us apart from other e-commerce sites. Through our printed journal, digital journal, and social channels, we create content meant to educate, inspire and foster connection. We want to feed our community’s visual desires with original photography while providing thoughtful insights into our artists’ lives and processes. We seek to create a historical perspective around design with weekly art and design history stories. In addition, our content touches on areas of entertaining at home, fashion, and beauty because we have a holistic view of living a more thoughtful, meaningful, and beautiful life.

Of all that we do at LES I am most proud of our printed journal. When I founded LES Collection, I didn’t intend to create a printed publication, but one early summer afternoon, while I was painting, I realized that a print publication featuring our artists was the perfect way to spread the word about our launch. We had strong visuals on our website and social, but something about showcasing work in print is just unmatched. What transpired was unexpected and exhilarating. The collaboration between our incredibly talented creative team and our artists led to results beyond what I imagined. I was thrilled, and I loved the process. There is a special joy in creating a printed publication, something you can hold and run your hands through. I pictured people around the world learning about LES for the first time, lying in bed on a bright morning, sipping tea or coffee and leafing through the journal, falling in love with our artists in the same way I had.

Founding LES Collection has not been easy. So much of what we do is new to me. My law school education provides an excellent background for certain business-related tasks as well as a foundation for how to think and problem solve. But other areas like shipping, logistics, paid marketing, product photography, etc., were a complete mystery. The process of figuring everything out is ongoing, and I could not have done it alone. Building a small but dynamic team has been crucial.

Additionally, figuring out how to balance a business, motherhood, self-care, my marriage, and a social life has been daunting. I am not sure I have figured it out yet, but it is improving. Organization and understanding the priorities for myself and the business has been vital. It is absolutely impossible to get everything done, so a framework for understanding what to do when and how much time to spend on it has been essential.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My Husband. We talked it over for months when I thought about founding LES Collection. I had such a hard time envisioning how I could manage our children, homes, and life while running a start-up. He encouraged me endlessly, assuring me that I would have his support even though he was running his own (much larger) business. He truly does 50% (sometimes more) of the work with our children and homes while constantly providing me with emotional support. I couldn’t do this without him.

Website: https://lescollection.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/les.collection/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-sands-05711585

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

Other: tik tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lescollection?_t=8UrAPTt5l6I&_r=1

Image Credits
Lacie Hansen (Portrait shot horizontal)
Natalie Black (Portrait shot vertical)
Max Burkhalter Eve Singer and some photographs by me Lauren Sands

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.