We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kayla Mantell a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kayla, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on has been building my textile and surface design business, First Day Creations. The name is a reference to the first day G-d created the world, and the idea behind the brand is creation itself: bringing beauty and meaning into everyday life through design.
My original goal was simple: create headscarves with my hand-painted artwork for women in my local community. In Judaism, married women cover their hair, and I found that many of the options on the market looked nearly identical. As someone who loves color, pattern, and storytelling through design, I felt there was room for something more personal.
I saw that a tichel (headscarf) could be more than something that simply checks a box. It could be wearable art, a way for women to express their personality, creativity, and individuality while still honoring tradition. As a textile designer and illustrator, I began hand-painting artwork and transforming those paintings into printed fabrics for headscarves.
What started as a personal creative exploration eventually grew into a larger vision. I realized that the same artwork could extend beyond fashion and into the home, so I began developing tablecloths from my original designs as well. In Jewish homes, the Shabbat table is the center of family spirituality, hospitality, and meaningful conversation. I wanted to create pieces that would elevate that experience, not just through decoration, but by giving families something beautiful and personal to gather around.
What makes this project so meaningful to me is that it sits at the intersection of my faith, my artistic practice, and entrepreneurship. Every design begins as a hand-painted sketch and ultimately becomes part of someone’s daily life, whether it’s worn as a tichel or spread across a Shabbat table. Seeing people connect with these pieces and make them part of their own traditions has shown me how design can strengthen identity, create beauty, and spark conversation.
More than anything, this project taught me that entrepreneurship isn’t just about selling a product. It’s about recognizing a need within a community, creating something meaningful, and using creativity to make people’s lives a little more beautiful.
Kayla, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m a textile surface designer, illustrator, and entrepreneur based in New Jersey.
My path into textile design wasn’t planned. In fact, when I first applied to the Fashion Institute of Technology, I applied as a Fashion Design major and was rejected. The following year, I was accepted into the Illustration program instead. At the time, I imagined myself creating magazine illustrations, book covers, and editorial artwork, and I was excited to pursue that path.
While I loved drawing and painting, halfway through my academic career I realized something was missing. I missed fashion. I also found myself becoming increasingly interested in how artwork could live beyond a frame or a page.
I became fascinated by seeing designs interact with products and people. I wanted to see my artwork printed on a flowing skirt as it moved in the wind, wrapped around someone’s head as a statement piece, or incorporated into objects that people use every day. That curiosity led me to discover Textile Surface Design at FIT, and immediately I felt like I had found my place. Looking back, being rejected from Fashion Design may have been one of the best things that happened to me. Textile Surface Design allowed me to combine everything I loved about fashion, illustration, and storytelling into one discipline. By switching majors, I found my creative direction.
Because I am an Orthodox Jew, Judaism naturally became a central source of inspiration in my work. My community values beauty, craftsmanship, and bringing meaning into the home. Throughout my career, I’ve been inspired by the way art can elevate Jewish traditions and everyday rituals.
While I was still a student, I began taking on freelance work for local families and organizations. What started as a way to earn extra income quickly became one of the most rewarding parts of my creative journey. I designed logos for weddings and bar and bat mitzvahs, created custom prayer books and yarmulkes, painted commissioned artwork, and developed visual identities for celebrations and events. Through this work, I learned how to market myself, communicate with clients, and build a personal brand.
Today, I specialize in original textile designs, Judaica artwork, custom commissions, and products that blend art, tradition, and storytelling.
What sets my work apart is that it grows directly from the community I serve. I understand the traditions, values, and experiences behind the products I create because I live them myself. Whether I’m designing a textile collection, painting a commissioned piece, or creating a custom ketubah (marraige contract) I approach every project with the belief that art should feel personal.
Of all the work I do, custom ketubahs are probably what I am most proud of. Creating a ketubah is an incredibly collaborative process. I spend time listening to each couple’s story, learning about their personalities, values, and vision for their future together. Then I translate those ideas into a piece of artwork that will remain part of their home and marriage for decades. It has taught me how to be a better listener, a better designer, and a better collaborator.
More than anything, I want people to know that my work is about creating meaningful connections through art. Whether it’s a headscarf, a tablecloth, a painting, or a ketubah, I hope each piece feels deeply personal and becomes part of someone’s story.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I’ve always loved fine art, but what excites me most is seeing art become part of someone’s life. As much as I appreciate a gallery, I get far more excited seeing my designs worn, used, displayed, and loved every day. Whether it’s a textile, a painting, a ketubah, or a tablecloth, I want my work to have a purpose beyond being looked at.
A lot of my inspiration comes from Judaism and the belief that beauty is inherently part of everyday life. We don’t just reserve beauty for special occasions; it’s everywhere. We bring it into our homes, our celebrations, our holidays, and our traditions. There’s something really powerful about taking an ordinary object and elevating it into something meaningful.
That idea influences everything I create. When I design a tichel, I’m not just designing a head covering. I’m creating something that allows a woman to express her personality and creativity while fulfilling a commandment. When I design a tablecloth, I’m imagining the meals that will take place around it, the guests who will sit there, and the conversations it might inspire. When I paint a ketubah, I’m creating a piece that will hang in a couple’s home long after their wedding day and become part of their family’s story.
At the end of the day, my goal is simple: to create artwork that helps people connect more deeply to the things that matter most to them. If my work can bring a little more beauty, meaning, and joy into someone’s home or daily life, then I’ve accomplished what I set out to do.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I’ve never been someone who approaches social media with a strict strategy. For me, it’s always been more of a place to share what I’m working on and connect with people who are interested in the same things I am. As an artist and designer, platforms like Instagram became an online portfolio where people could see what I was creating in real time.
When I was in school, I started posting class projects, paintings, and textile designs. Over time, that evolved into sharing freelance projects, commissions, and eventually my own products. Looking back, social media became a visual diary of my creative journey. It’s interesting to scroll back and see how much my work has changed over the years.
Many of my opportunities have come from genuine relationships rather than algorithms. Someone will follow me for years and then reach out about a ketubah. A friend of a friend will see a painting I posted and ask for a commission. Someone will share one of my designs with a family member who’s planning a wedding. Those connections have been far more valuable to me than follower counts.
I also think people connect with authenticity. Some of my favorite posts aren’t polished product photos. They’re sketches, works in progress, behind-the-scenes moments, or me sharing something I’m excited about.
If I could give advice to someone just beginning, it would be to focus less on numbers and more on authenticity. Don’t be afraid to share your process and growth, while also letting people see the person behind the work.
At the end of the day, I see social media as a tool for building relationships. It’s allowed me to stay connected to my community, share my work with a wider audience, and meet people I never would have met otherwise. That’s been the most rewarding part for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kaylamantell.com
- Instagram: FirstDayCreations
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayla-mantell-738b63274?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios
