We recently connected with Jennifer Horton and have shared our conversation below.

Jennifer, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Our family of 5 lives in Mt Pleasant, South Carolina- just a 7 minute bridge ride over from Charleston-and we love it here! We are always bouncing from one sun-filled activity to the next: tennis matches, football games, pool parties, family picnics, the Volvo Car (now Credit One) Open, outdoor social gatherings, boat rides to barrier islands, beach and lake days- you name it! When my youngest was around 3 and our family was returning from a hot, sunburned boating trip to our favorite barrier island, Caper’s Island, I realized how desperately wonderful and convenient a blanket that could protect my little ones (and me) from harmful UV rays would be! I returned home to surf the internet to purchase one. There was no such product to be found. That was what I would say was my “a-hah moment.”
When asked about what this product would be called, the name ZAGS flew from my heart and out of my mouth. My children were the inspiration for my brand and product line. It seemed fitting to honor them with the name, their initials: ZAGS. (Zella-Anne Gregory- Sam) We all adore this!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am the daughter of an artist…I have always been surrounded by creativity and encouraged to be creative. I received a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) with a concentration in painting from Clemson University. Afterwards, I went on to graduate with an MAT (Masters of Art in Teaching). My designs are all coastal inspired from our life in the lowcountry of SC and trips we take to fabulous sun-shiny places around the world like my favorite, the Mediterannean! The paintings/graphic designs are made into a digital file that is printed via sublimation on high quality microfiber. Created in Charleston, SC and made in the USA! The individually printed designs will not crack or fade, are UPF 50+, wicking, cooling, quick-drying, stain and odor resistant and easy to pack!
The original product line
included 3 sizes: the Surf Square (40”x40″), the Sunny Shawl (24″x65”), and the Be Anything Blanket (40”x80”). Because they are all sun-protecting wraps (UPF 50+) in different sizes, the word “Sunwrap” to describe them seemed a natural, easy fit. We now have ponchos, tops, dresses, caftans, pants, cardigans and bandeaus along with loads of fun accessories perfect for a day in the sun! My goal has always been to find a beautiful and simple solution to wearing UV clothing and accessories-something a person would actually be excited to wear that would compliment one’s style. Sun-savvy chic is what we aspire to be!
The entire collection is available online at zagslife.com. ZAGS are available at many fine boutiques and resorts in the southeast. The entire line is available on zagslife.com. Our target customer is typically female – conscious about skincare- one that likes to be stylish and sunsafe when she is enjoying fun in the sun!
https://zagslife.com

Have you ever had to pivot?

Navigating through 2020 and the pandemic, we definitely all had to pivot in one way or another.. For ZAGS, we ended up relying on our website and social media more than ever. Since no one was shopping in person, this became our sole connection to our customers. Because of this and the fact that so many were spending more time than ever outdoors, we gained many, many new customers and followers.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

ZAGS is a national vendor for Wine Women and Shoes, a philanthropic platform for many different charities and non-profits around the US. Participating in these events has provided ZAGS a great resource for cultivating new customers in many different areas around the country. It’s wonderful because we can showcase our product line and customers can see and feel the products in person. It’s almost like a living magazine ad.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zagslife.com
• Instagram: @zagslife
• Facebook: ZAGS