We were lucky to catch up with Catherine Clark recently and have shared our conversation below.

Catherine, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I’ve always been more of a problem solver rather than a creative person. Love, Ceil was born truly out of trying to find a solution to a problem that we had been faced with time and time again. When we couldn’t find the solution, we made it ourselves! My daughter has always had a tough time finding clothes that suit her body shape well. Being a college athlete, she has a small waist and muscular legs, which makes shopping for her a bit of a challenge. Every time we would go shopping together, she struggled to find items that fit her properly. To add to that, we could never seem to find a cute belt that she actually liked and that helped her clothes fit better. The problem wasn’t just her clothes not fitting, but the lack of options we had for a cute belt at a reasonable price point. My daughter then asked, “Well, what would you wear growing up?” From there, an idea was born and our belts were created – inspired by 80’s fashion trends catered to the modern day woman, featuring adjustable straps that fit every body type as well as hand-beaded buckles that pull together any outfit.

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?

The story behind Love, Ceil is one of recognizing a problem and finding a solution. It all started with belts. My daughter, a college athlete, has a small waist and strong legs, making it hard to find clothes that fit well off the rack. We realized there was a lack of cute belts that not only she liked but also helped her clothes fit properly. That’s when Love, Ceil came into being – not only did we need a belt that fit a variety of body types, it also needed to meet our fashion standards. When we couldn’t find any belts that fit our needs of fashion and function, we created them ourselves!

What sets us apart from other brands in our industry? Simply put, we’re unique. While there are other belt lines similar to ours, none have modernized a classic quite like us. We also welcome honest feedback from our customers and can easily make changes to any of our designs – a flexibility not commonly found elsewhere. Beyond our products, our culture stands out. We prioritize mental health, stemming from personal experiences that motivated us to create a supportive workplace. Our team members are encouraged to prioritize themselves, fostering a loving and positive environment that hones in on our brand’s message.

Brand-wise, I’m most proud of how Love, Ceil honors my mom in a way that would make her proud. When faced with tough decisions, I often find myself asking, “What would Mom do?” — a testament to her influence. Additionally, I take pride in the products we create – high quality, beautiful belts. Lastly, I’m proud of the dedicated team that works tirelessly behind the scenes to make Love, Ceil a reality.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When we first started out, we had our very first trunk show at a boutique in Charleston on Kings Street. We were so excited for this trunk show – King Street had been closed off that day so there would be lots of foot traffic. We envisioned a big ordeal and had meticulously prepared everything – yet when we walked in to set up, we were completely ignored by the entire staff. It was humiliating – I even resorted to checking the calendar in their stockroom to make sure I had the correct date! That’s your worst fear as a small business owner just starting out – and it’s hard not to take it personally. You’re putting yourself and your business out there, and to be treated like that, it’s difficult. On the bright side, it made everything else seem much more manageable. Suddenly, going to big markets in Atlanta didn’t seem so scary after that first Charleston trunk show.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Yes, there is. Mental health awareness is very important to me – my family has been personally impacted by mental health struggles, and it is our daily mission to end the stigma regarding mental health. I lost my nephew to mental illness in 2018, and I’m determined to prevent another family from feeling the pain we felt. That’s our “why” behind our brand – to normalize the importance of those conversations, remove the stigma behind it, and ask the right questions. We contribute a portion of sales to two mental health organizations – the Jed Foundation and Shatterproof – both of which do hands-on work with teens and young adults battling mental illness and addiction.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.loveceil.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/love.ceil
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoveCeil