Name: Caroline Cecil
Age: 36
Title: CEO, Founder & Creative Director of Caroline Cecil Textiles
Married/Single: Married
Kids: Taos, our toy Pomeranian
City you live in: Phoenix
A typical day in my life includes…
a green smoothie for breakfast with my family, tons of phone calls and meetings with my team, lunch at Chopshop, more meetings, barre class, dinner with my husband, and some type of R&R. Lately I’ve been loving essential oil baths to unwind at the end of a long day.
I was born…
in a small seaside town in coastal Maine. Fishing was the predominant industry but there was a large community of artists as well.
My favorite thing about Arizona…
is the sun! Incredible hotel spas and resorts, hiking in the spring, weekend trips to Sedona / Prescott, and new friends!
I’m listening to…
Chopin and spa music. Life is chaotic and I’m a big believer in using music to recenter yourself. Years ago I was in Taiwan for footwear manufacturing and our agent drove around in a gorgeous Mercedes and only listened to Taiwanese classical music. It rubbed off on me!
If I could have dinner with anyone, it would be…
Passed: Karl Lagerfeld, Audrey Hepburn, Henri Matisse. Living: Simon Doonan, Alessandro Michele.
One thing I cannot live without…
sunglasses, hats, sunscreen and water. Ok that’s four things haha, but when you live in the desert those are all necessities!
When I was younger, I wanted to be…
Karl Lagerfeld, he took over as Chanel’s Creative Director the year I was born and I always felt a strong connection to him. When I was younger my mom gave me an original 1983 catalogue that she found at a Paris flea market and it’s something I treasured for years. I also had an obsession with Simon Doonan’s fashion sense and window installations (Creative Director at Barney’s).
I’m inspired by…
how do you get to the point where you are able to accept the inspiration that is coming to you and not get in the way of it? As we grow busier and more focused on technology we prevent ourselves from tapping into daily inspirational experiences. To be inspired to create, you need to be in the moment. Think of the last time you felt that creative spark. Were you in touch with your thoughts? Were you in touch with your emotions? Were you somewhere beautiful? Looking back over the past year, the times I felt inspired were synonymous with the times I felt connected and in the moment. These days, it’s getting harder and harder to stay present with all the distractions we face on a daily basis. As an artist, I believe it’s critical to our creative health to prioritize being present in life. Some of the ways I practice this are through meditation, limiting my time spent on my phone and computer, getting away from all the screens and out into nature. Perhaps in today’s world it is more relevant to ask the question: HOW do you prepare to let inspiration in your life?
The one person who motivates me is…
my husband. He’s my best friend and biggest support. As any small business owner can attest, running a company is a rollercoaster. Some days it seems impossible to succeed, and other days everything clicks and runs smoothly. At the end of the day I’m lucky to have a strong relationship to remind me of how far I’ve come and how much more I have to give.
The perfect day would be…
sleeping in, hiking with my family, going to one of the amazing hotel spas in Scottsdale, and having dinner with friends.
My first job was…
at a fabric atelier in Queens where I hand painted a collection of tulle for a Carolina Herrera Couture wedding collection.
My favorite escape…
The Ritz in San Francisco or Paris.
I’m currently working on…
a collection of framed textiles, which our Instagram followers have been asking for!
Always…
take time for yourself!
Never…
compromise your vision!
Favorite Quote…
“The home is the center and circumference, the start and the finish, of most of our lives.” – Charlotte Perkins Gilman
My Pet Peeve(s)…
people wearing strong perfume in a public place. I have a hypoallergenic lifestyle so nothing offends me more than synthetic scents!
