Mi Golondrina
Cristina Lynch
Cristina Lynch started Mi Golondrina in 2013 after working in the fashion industry. Having been raised by a Mexican-born mother, she wanted to showcase the artistry of the country’s hand embroidery by incorporating it into timeless yet modern clothing designs. Her holiday collection includes table runners, Christmas tree skirts, ornaments, and gifts. “With more of the holiday being spent at home for so many, I really wanted this year’s collection of pieces to be filled with meaning and warmth,” Lynch says. “Our table runners and Christmas tree skirts are handmade, as they always have been, but this year the focus was on color and celebration. We want to bring more life and energy indoors, since many people will not be traveling and able to see different parts of the world, as they might have in the past.”
La Vie Style House
Lindsey McClain and Jamie Coulter
After Lindsey McClain and Jamie Coulter met during a Pilates class in 2013 and discovered a shared love for fashion, they decided to open La Vie Style House as a styling company. By 2017, they were creating their own one-size-fits-all caftans, kimono dresses, button-downs, and dusters to flatter all shapes and sizes. The brand was represented by Barneys, but, since that company’s demise, they are now working with the London-based global luxury retailer MatchesFashion. You can also see their designs in person at their new storefront in Highland Park Village (McClain is seated in the photo above taken at the store). Their winter collection caters to the demand for holiday party dresses with garments embellished with sequins and ostrich feathers, and they also offer their classic, colorfully patterned pieces for those planning to get away to a more tropical destination. “A sequined caftan or metallic brocade kimono is the essential holiday party outfit,” McClain says. “It’s festive and comfortable and can be worn from a casual girls dinner to a cocktail party.”
Gia Rodriguez
By the time she was in high school, Gia Rodriguez was designing evening- wear for clients in her hometown of Houston. After a successful career in digital marketing and advertising, she decided to recommit to her passion for design. In 2014, Rodriguez moved to Florence, Italy, to work alongside master craftsmen, learning innovative leather techniques and skills. “There is just something about that material that I really love,” she says. “You can mold and shape it into anything you want it to be, almost like sculpting.” Her luggage tags, passport holders, and wine carriers are popular with corporate clients and boutique hotels that order custom versions as gifts, and her Weekender bags (as pictured, $995) continue to be big sellers for men and women alike. “Apart from design, travel is my other passion,” she says. “The past couple of months have been really difficult, because travel is my escape. I do have a group of friends that are planning to head out to Puerto Vallarta for New Year’s, so that’s a possibility. I’m definitely ready for my next adventure.”
