A Q&A with Monique Lhuillier at Pottery Barn South Coast Plaza

On February 23, Pottery Barn in South Coast Plaza presented a registry event and Q&A with a renowned bridal and fashion designer Monique Lhuillier. The event was co-hosted by Jennifer Smith Hale, founder and editorial director of C Magazine. With ongoing collaboration with Pottery Barn now on its fifth year, Monique brings her chic design from bedroom to dining room. She mentioned that she has been a fan of Pottery Barn for a very long time for making beautiful products and accessible price points. So how did she start her line with Pottery Barn? She said when her house was featured in C magazine and other major magazines Pottery Barn contacted her and asked if she would like to go into interiors and she said yes. “When we spoke about collaborating I was very excited about that. I started initially with the kids collection first because I have kids of my own. It was a very successful collaboration and it’s still on going.” Following that, the company suggested to have that magic in the main line… and that’s what Pottery Barn have today.

What’s in store for the Spring Collection?
Monique pointed out that flowers and florals are her favorites and the color blush. “A blush is a favorite color of mine which not only I have it on my florals but I also have it on my fashions and it’s a signature color for me. So for me this collection is feminine, modern and pretty for everyday.”

Monique’s Inspiration
One of America’s acclaimed couturiers and prominent brands revealed that she always draws inspiration from florals but also from her fashion collections that she does because she constantly looking at fabrics and creating shapes. “It can start from fashion but it ends up in my home..trying to do my home collection as well because I feel it’s the same process just different materials… but same creative process that I’ve use.”

Monique Lhuillier describes her collection feminine modern and pretty for everyday

Monique’s Favorites
When asked by Jennifer what are the items that she is in love with, Monique paused and smiled and said, “That’s really a tough question.” but followed with “What I can think off right now is the rose pattern china…it’s an accent plate. You’ll see on that table over there. It’s a beautiful blush pink with white flowers and has a gold trim. What I love about this is it elevates the design of the table and also a great layering piece. I also like stacking them. I actually seat for Valentine breakfast this year with my children. I like everyday to feel special and that piece is very personal and I think you should all get it.”

The items Monique is in love with right now is the rose pattern china

Tips for Registering for your Wedding
“Have fun and be true to who you are. If you’re not a formal entertainer, you don’t need to register for fine china. If you’re more casual and love to entertain …. stemware, serverware, barware ….. those are the core things that you should have. I also think lighting is very important when you register to create interesting atmosphere.

She added, “Practical is key and making sure it looks good everyday. It’s ok to be casual… it can still be special.

When you register you want things that are gonna take you through the years together. You’re not gonna keep changing your flatware, your table top every season. I also love mixing metals… rose gold you can also mix that with gold and silver. It shows confidence when you don’t follow rules and you do what feels right for you. And lastly she said, ‘Over register!'”