Today in New York: Meghan Willis

Meghan Willis grew up in Toronto, Ontario, where she went to school for fashion design.

Then, six years ago, she came to the US where she met, then married, Aaron Driggers. With him, slowly but surely Meghan is trying to start a Tsuru Nation – filled with art, creations, music, and bicycles. Tsuru Bride is her very own creature: a line of cute and funny animal shaped clutches and pouches you all will love for sure. As fashion is all about daring, and having fun.

:: Why and when did you started Tsuru Bride? I started TsuruBride in the spring of 2008.  I’ve always sewn, but had gotten out of it for a while.  My step-daughter actually got me back into sewing, when she wanted me to make some clothes for her dolls.  I had forgotten how much I loved sewing, as well as the creative process of designing pieces and figuring out how everything goes together, so then TsuruBride was born.

:: Where do you get your inspiration from? Most of my inspiration these days comes from nature.  I’ll see a squirrel running across the street, and wonder what it would look like as a purse.  I’ll search through old nature books, and my best friend is Google images, to help create my designs.  For my newer line of Artisan Purses, I’ve been researching animal-based mythology to create pieces with an extra sense of wonder.

:: Who is your ideal buyer? TsuruBride is really for any woman with a sense of humor and who isn’t afraid to get noticed.  For me, fashion is about having fun, and I think my customer gets that as well.

:: What is your favorite NYC place? I love visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The art there serves as such great inspiration, and can really get those creative juices flowing.

:: Do you think New York can still considered the place-to-be for young creatives? When I was graduating school all I dreamed about was moving to New York.  I figured that if I wanted to make it in the fashion world that was where I needed to be.  But the handmade movement and the internet have really opened up the possibilities.  You can rally be anywhere, and there is most likely a supportive system to help foster your creative growth.

:: Where do you shop in NYC? I love shopping in Soho and all visiting all the little boutiques.

:: If I say Italy, you say…? Honeymoon!  My husband and I went to Rome, Florence and Venice on our honeymoon in 2007 and had the most amazing, and romantic time.

Francesca Masoero
Francesca Masoero non è la campionessa di canottaggio che appare se digitate il suo nome su Google. È l’altra, la multitasker. Ha un (in)utile dottorato in cinema e marketing; racconta in modo non convenzionale e creativo New York, Torino e Bologna su NUOK e scrive di eventi, lifestyle e cultura per Lookout Magazine; si occupa di marketing, comunicazione, pr e web 2.0 tra Torino (la sua città natale) e New York (la sua città ideale). In più, a volte fa la stylist e a volte la cool hunter. È creativa, ma pignolissima. Sembra zen, ma è perennemente sull’orlo di una crisi di nervi. La salvano le piccole cose della (sua) vita: il rock’n’roll, la pasta al pesto, internet e il suo nuovo bellissimo frigorifero da 300 litri, pieno di quello che il suo fidanzato chiama “cibo da conigli”.