We were lucky to catch up with Hannah Soule Powderly recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hannah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea
During the pandemic, a lot of artists I knew-including myself-had shows cancelled and finding work was tough. I decided to seek out an empty storefront, rent it and produce a 3 day pop-up art show showcasing my photography and 12 other artists’ paintings. It was a hit which then led to more pop-ups and eventually curating for a local Brooklyn gallery. The art I was working with every day was so inspirational. It was vibrant, original and reflected the true spirit of New York City. The artists I worked with were thrilled to be showing (and selling) their work and I was struck by how beautifully graphic the paintings were. In my former retail career, I managed The Registry at Bloomingdale’s and Home Store and I knew there was an opportunity to not only infuse something unique into the home decor marketplace, but give a new life to these artists’ works. I began photographing the paintings and found a local fabric printing house to create the textiles I would use for the pieces. I also created a licensing agreement with all of the artists to ensure a percentage of the sales would go back to them. It was a way to support living artists while designing something entirely new for the home. When my husband and I took our yearly trip to Italy, the dots began to connect as I realized my home decor should sit in the luxury market. What better way to elevate than to incorporate Italian fabrics with my original art print textiles? Over the course of a year, I designed all of the limited edition pieces, found a seamstress who could help me create the couture collections by hand. My line, Fili New York, made its debut at New York Fashion Week 2023 as part of a gifting suite and I haven’t looked back since. Fili (“threads” in Italian) is all about the connective threads that bind us together. This entire business is a result of the relationships that I made and maintained throughout my career and I now have something real that is out there in the world.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
When I began designing the first capsule collections for Fili, my mission was to fuse my 20 years working in the luxury Home industry with my artistic vision as a working painter and photographer in New York City. I always keep in mind my mantra when it comes to Fili. It is: Art for Your Home, Not for Your Walls. I love taking a piece of vintage suede trim from a market in Florence and adding it to the organic cotton canvas art print textiles. And I love even more that a percentage of every sale goes back to the living New York City artist whose work inspired the print. Every detail is designed with the classic luxury of Italy blended with the creative force that is the Big Apple. I try to use every bit of fabric I buy, frequently taking the fabric scraps and sewing our coaster sets, so we are not adding to the landfills. With the 2nd capsule collections due out later this year, I have pledged to use 99% natural fabrics to help reduce the impact of chemicals in our homes and on the environment. Even our down pillow inserts are RDS certified and Made in the USA so you can be sure all ducks and geese have been treated humanely in the sourcing of the feathers and down.Fili New York is a labor of love, and one that I hope will continue spreading joy for many years to come.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I have always felt that my job when working with a client, a fellow vendor or an employee is to find out how I can make life better for them. I want to bring something to the table that is unexpected so I can exceed their expectations. I still have clients that I worked with in retail 20 years ago that send me a Christmas card every year. I have vendors whom I have worked with for more than 10 years who still answer my texts within minutes. Even when my job changed or my path shifted, I never stopped keeping the connective threads on those relationships tight. I always follow-through on my promises and lift others up whenever I get a chance. There is nothing more that I love than connecting two people who can help each other’s businesses flourish. I have found that this relationship karma ends up circling back to you tenfold.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
There was a book that was introduced to me many years ago called “Mandela’s Way” by Richard Stengel. I still quote from the pages to this day. Chapters like, “It is a Long Game” and “Be Measured,” are so entrenched in my mind that I find myself passing on this guidance to others in situations outside of the business world. I know what it means to have patience and to set goals, but this book helped me put things into action. I believe what I am doing now in launching my own home decor business has been germinating for years in the back of my mind after reading Mandela’s Way. It was the final chapter that has stuck with me the most and perhaps guided me on many of my professional and personal decisions over the last 20 years. “Grow Your Own Garden” is exactly what I am doing and I I can’t wait to see it fully bloom.
Contact Info:
- Website: filinewyork.com
- Instagram: @filinewyorkcity
- Twitter: @HannahSoule
- Other: [email protected]
Image Credits
All photos by Fili New York, 2023