The LOVE Scarf Story
A robbery on a beautiful spring day sparks idea for scarves….
In May of 2019, I spent a weekend in Atlanta (my home town) to celebrate my mother’s 80th birthday, and attend my niece’s college graduation. I was looking forward to a really great weekend! Landed at 8am, rented a car, zipped off to meet my best friend for lunch. Looking forward to a GREAT day!
I discovered, post lunch, (in a very public parking lot) my rental car window was smashed… a carefully curated weekend suitcase gone.
No valuables inside my bag, except my very favorite clothes, including my very favorite SCARF, which was a big splurge when I had purchased it years ago. I knew at that moment I would not be able to replace the clothes, or the scarf, there were too many other more important financial priorities. Feeling violated and sad, in the end it was only a scarf, no one was hurt. I was calm and grateful to see my family, and that my best friend could lend my daughter and me clothes to get through the weekend.
Back to the stolen suitcase. The lost scarf, possibly in a dumpster somewhere. Once home after the weekend activities I started googling ‘how to make a scarf’, ‘how to print your own scarf’, ‘printable scarf fabric’. At this point all I wanted to do was to have my special scarf back. In the back of my head something kept telling me, try your LOVE art on a scarf.
I had all of this LOVE art I had been creating for a year and a half now. It had all been photographed, and was waiting for a purpose.
I found a business online and sent a few of the images of LOVE paintings to be printed on material. It would take a few weeks. Now it was summer so I forgot about it.
One afternoon in late June the scarf samples arrived. In fact the process had been so easy I kind of thought they have to be low quality. I have no background in textile design so really didn’t even know the process. I had ZERO expectations.
I opened the package and had this feeling of WOW, what?? This is awesome, wait … Is this awesome? It was that feeling of not believing that you had a part in making something so special. The scarves were really pretty and even better you felt literally wrapped in love when you put them on! A home run on the first swing.
I immediately went online and ordered more samples in various colors using the LOVE art that was patiently for its purpose.
A friend suggested I post them on Instagram to test the waters. I sold 58 in two days. This was all the affirmation I needed to trust this idea and keep going. I had NOTHING to lose.
I started thinking about a new business, using LOVE art. I knew I wanted to create a business with a purpose. Here was the business. LOVEVOLVE® was created. Three weeks later the purpose presented itself in a four day period. I realized I am a channel for this work, this message. Those robbers had no idea that they played a part in something so good.
How did I realize that The ONE LOVE Foundation would be the give back??
Stay tuned for the next chapter, because this is another part of The STORY.
- xo/sunny