We recently connected with Lavonta Perez and have shared our conversation below.

Lavonta, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

When I first launched my business in 2015, the name was LPS Design Studio. I wanted to incorporate my initials while still highlighting it as a design company. I took a brief break from business and, in 2020, re-launched with the name Von Perez. This relaunch felt new and fresh and I wanted a name that encompassed how it felt. It’s still a play on my name but in a much more creative way.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

From as early as I can remember, I had a passion for sewing, but as an adult, I set it aside until about ten years ago. In 2014, while at my day job, I saw an ad for a sewing machine. Coincidentally, my best friend mentioned seeing the same ad and reminded me of my dream to learn sewing. It felt like a sign to pursue it.

Alongside my interest in sewing, I always had a strong desire for entrepreneurship, particularly in a creative field. Growing up, I watched my mom tackle DIY projects, and that spirit of creativity stayed with me. I knew I wanted to turn my love for creating into a career.

Following that conversation with my friend, I bought the sewing machine and dived into learning through YouTube and Pinterest tutorials. Initially, my goal was to design clothing, but after finding handbag tutorials, I was hooked. I started with lightweight cotton tote bags, which evolved into clutches and backpacks using heavy denim and waxed Ankara fabrics with leather accents.

For a few years, I thrived on the excitement of building something new and pursuing my passion. However, it also brought challenges. As an introvert, running a product-based business pushed me far out of my comfort zone. I realized that customers wanted to connect with a person, not just a product, which required me to engage in ways I typically avoided. Additionally, I hit a creative slump, and sales began to slow, leading me to take a two-year hiatus.

During that break, I came to understand the importance of stepping back. It was exactly what I needed. When I relaunched in 2020, it was with a new vision, a new name, and fresh designs. Taking that break allowed me to rejuvenate my creativity, rediscover my love for the craft, and gain the courage to embrace it fully. Previously, I was creating solely to make sales, which led to burnout. Now, designing from a place of genuine passion has pushed me to produce pieces I never would have imagined before. Sometimes, a break is necessary to do your best work.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

This is one that took a while for me to learn. As I mentioned before, I am very much an introvert, so it takes a concerted effort to keep in touch and foster brand loyalty. For me, providing exceptional customer service and consistent quality has been very important in establishing loyalty. I have designed custom bags for quite a few customers. 1 in particular has 6 custom bags. She, and many other repeat customers, have mentioned the ease of working together to create their pieces and how personalized the experience feels. I have also found it important to implement loyalty programs. I often send exclusive offers and discounts to repeat customers.

I always consider how I want my experience to be when I purchase from other brands and work to make my customers feel the same excitement and appreciation.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

My social media presence is small compared to other brands but very engaged. When I relaunched my business in 2020, my goal for social media was to connect with other like-minded people and creatives who understood and appreciated the workmanship of handmade items. Using this tailored approach over just “looking for customers” has been vital for my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.VonPerez.com
• Instagram: @VonPerez_Design
• Other: Email: [email protected]