The Women Behind the Name

The Women Behind the Name

Before Laura Vivian was a business, it was two women whose influence was already part of my everyday life.

My grandmother Laura was a seamstress. I watched her make things, and through her, I began learning about fashion and sewing. Making was an outlet for her. Years later, I understand that in a different way, because working with my hands has become an outlet for me, too.

My other grandmother, Helen Vivian, later known as Dorothy, taught me to cook. She helped shape my interest in food and the pleasure of exploring different flavors. What she taught me in the kitchen belongs to this story just as much as what Laura taught me about sewing.

Dorothy also dressed her own way. She wasn’t concerned with making everything match. That part of her stays with me: the freedom to put things together because they feel right to you.

When I say “Classic. Unscripted. Heritage.” these are the women I’m thinking about.

Classic is the character they carried and the things they taught me to appreciate.

Unscripted is the freedom to have your own point of view, even when it doesn’t follow the expected formula.

Heritage is our family history, our Black and Brown cultural heritage, and the ways those influences continue to show up in what I make.

Vintage style, the Harlem Renaissance, and the familiarity of the ’90s are part of my creative references. But my grandmothers are personal. Their influence isn’t something I had to research. It came through watching, listening, cooking, and making alongside them.

That is why Laura Vivian can hold more than one kind of creation. A bag, something for the home, or an experience around a table may take different forms, but the connection is there.

As I prepare to share the next chapter on November 27, I want you to know more than the finished pieces. I want you to know something about the women whose names they carry.

Shantae
Classic. Unscripted. Heritage.