Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Ursula and I live in a small town in the sierra foothills of California with my husband and our two kids, Marcello (7) and Giulietta (3). We moved here a few years ago from San Francisco to build a house and stretch out a bit. Modaspia was my husband’s idea, as I loved to sew whenever I could. I started the business in 2001. I knew basic pattern making and had good sewing skills from interning and living with some friends who made bespoke suits. When I had my son we talked about whether I should go back to work after a while or stay home. San Francisco is a terribly expensive place to live and mostly both parents have to work to make it. We decided I’d stay home all the same and I was just consumed with happiness. This feeling poured into designing clothes and I worked very hard at it. I design two collections a year for my wholesale business and sell to about 30 stores across the country. I started on Etsy in 2008 with a few women’s dresses and the clothes I’d begun making for my daughter. It grew exponentially, especially the women’s clothing. I recently separated the girl’s clothing into modaspiabambina. My little Etsy shops are easily the most gratifying part of my career so far as a designer.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

I read a lot and seem to learn a lot of personal things from books and films. I typically read every book by a writer if they’re good. It’s almost like a compulsive treasure hunt. We live in a beautiful area, very wooded and rural. It feels good to bask in nature finally. I take my kids for walks or we build a fort near the house. I spend most of my time with them and I’m glad for it. Designing can be a very solitary experience. It’s good to be pulled out of it although I love the experience of getting lost in one’s head while sewing. I do a lot of daydreaming, piecing things together.

What first made you want to become an artist?

I don’t know that I’ve ever considered myself an artist though I’ve always been a creative sort. A few years ago I started to recognize what I’m doing as a career finally. I have such esteem for people who can write or paint. Maybe I have an old-fashioned notion of what an artist is.

Please describe your creative process.

Lately the look of the clothes is driven by the materials themselves. I buy surplus fabrics from Italy, really gorgeous high-end stuff. I find the simpler the style the better the appeal. Each style seems to evolve organically from the previous idea. Last year I watched Michelangelo Antonioni’s L’avventura again and was just totally smitten with the idea of a sort of 60s yachting look. Sporty but very feminine. Film stars from that era really inspire me – Jean Seberg, Brigit Bardot, Anna Karina.

What handmade possession do you most cherish?

Two framed locks of hair.

Name your top five books, movies, musicians, and websites besides Etsy.

Books:

Ian Banks - The Bridge 
Denton Welch - In Youth is Pleasure 
Vladimir Nabokov - Laughter in the Dark 
Leonora Carrington - The Hearing Trumpet 
Dorothea Tanning – Between Lives


Movies:

Jean Luc Godard - Contempt 
Roman Polanski - Knife in the Water 
Jim Jarmusch - Stranger Than Paradise 
Michelangelo Antonioni - L’avventura
Wes Anderson - Bottle Rocket 

Bands:

The Go-Betweens
The Clean
Television Personalities
The Fall
Sonic Youth

Websites:

nearness of distance
nicomi nix turner
kristin rasmussen

What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?

Don’t give up right away (like I did). It takes a few months for people to come through and start to order. Edit what you are selling down to only the things that you would very much want to own. Nothing else. If no one is buying something you absolutely love and cherish don’t abandon it. Eventually they’ll come around to it. Taking pictures can be hard at first but it’s the key to open the door. I’m spoiled because my husband does this mostly but I’ve learned from him. Here’s one idea that’s worked well for me. Find a window in your house that gets good direct light. Cover the entire window with a piece of muslin and then take the pictures next to the window with a very neutral background. Avoid using flash. Take many pictures, at different angles, highlight important features and then edit those down to three or so of the best shots. Also, it helps to study how other Etsy sellers are presenting their work. You can clearly see when someone has thought about it and put in effort because you feel drawn in by a single picture above the others.

What are your favorite features on Etsy? What new features would you like to see?

The convo feature is very helpful in trying to locate some little piece of information, especially for me because I do so much made-to-order. I like to look at the favorites of other Etsy sellers who interest me. It’s amazing what they find. I don’t know if I’m the only one struggling with international shipping rates but it would be nice to have some sort of conversion table available across the board.

How do you promote your work?

I’m working on a catalog right now with my best friend, which will include clothing and unique things for the home. It’s another exciting baby step and a fun way to present the line to new people. Modaspia definitely entered the blog world once I started the Etsy. A nice write up in a well-read blog a few weeks ago resulted in a huge amount of orders coming through from all over the world. I credit Etsy with all this attention in the last year.

In ten years, where would you like to be?

Living in the house we eventually build, with a sun-drenched studio to work from and lots of open space for my menagerie of cats and bunnies and love birds. Driving on these country roads in our ’62 Volvo coupe once it’s fixed. Spending a month in Italy every spring and then being overwhelmed with inspiration. Coming home to my teenagers (yikes!) and starting work on a whole new set of ideas. Ideally, the night-blooming jasmine will be everywhere then and smell delicious.

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