Functional Whimsy
Stephanie Lee brings artful wardrobe to ArtWalk

ArtWalk encourages students to start the new school year off with handmade wearable art.

Stephanie Lee of La Mia Designs is just one of the many artists at ArtWalk specializing in textiles. Her work is an inspiring and fanciful look at how art can be a part of everyone’s wardrobe. From earrings to handbags, Lee has designed whimsical items to brighten up any outfit.
Lee was raised in upstate New York and currently resides in Boone. She has always been interested in the arts, but became a serious artist in college. Lee graduated from Appalachian State University with a bachelor’s degree in interior design. She has also had a full career in retail, including manager at the Boone Hallmark store for four years. Lee currently works at Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff in marketing.

Lee gets most of her motivation from her environment, color and flowers. Her studio is also a great place for inspiration with its variety of fabrics. She has always loved creating art and sewing. Her handmade creations are a great way to express the fun side of art. She was initially drawn to the textile medium because of its textures, colors and patterns. She also includes at least one vintage item in each of her pieces to add an interesting spin and uniqueness to her designs. Lee’s motto is “All for You.” It can be found on all of her pieces to serve as a reminder of how her art is an inspiration to all of us.

Lee’s strategy in her design process is to work on multiple pieces at once. She will cut out fifty of her designs and then do them all simultaneously in various stages. She always likes to draw a pattern first and do sketches before the product is made. Lee says as she creates and grows within her business, her designs get better in construction, as well as change in style. Lee uses three types of sewing machines: a serger, an industrial machine, and a regular home machine to complete her designs.

ArtWalk encourages folks to drop by for the First Friday Art Crawl on Sept. 5, where visitors will have the opportunity to meet the artist. Lee will be presenting a trunk show of handbags and other fabric works from 6-8 p.m. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served through out the evening.

Stephanie Lee’s work is located on ArtWalk’s main level. With three and a half floors and more than 300 local, regional and national artists, ArtWalk is located at 611 W. King St. (across from Mast General Store) Boone, N.C. 28607. Though ArtWalk is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m, customers may shop all the time at the gallery’s new online store. ArtWalk continually welcomes new artists of all media and ages to inquire about individual gallery booths for rent. For more information, call (828) 264-9998, email artwalkboone@yahoo.com or visit www.artwalkboone.com.