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The Woman Behind the Luxurious Monograms of DesigningLove
The power of another person’s story can be oh-so-powerful! At LH, we love sharing the stories of women behind brands they have dreamt of, founded, and built. These are the women who bring companies to life—women who are living, working, creating, inspiring, raising families, and more. In The Women of … series, we delve into the minds and worlds of these women to share their empowering and uplifting thoughts and stories. Up now, Penelope and her brand DesigningLove.
Superior design in all things comes down to perfection in the finest details. When it comes to weddings, there are many personalized design choices to be made, and custom monograms add a touch of elegance, romance, and sophistication. This is where Penelope and DesigningLove come in.
Blending art and luxury, Penelope strives to create symbols that reflect the unique love stories she encounters every day. Inspired by the clean lines and simplicity of fashion icons such as Coco Chanel and Audrey Hepburn, her monograms are minimalist and memorable all at once.
As the founder and lead designer, Penelope has built her brand with the mission to be the authority in luxury monogram design. Her journey in brand development and design is one of love and dedication. Becoming a mother pushed her to pursue her artistic dreams, and she continues to balance motherhood and entrepreneurship.
Read on to learn more about her inspiration, the hurdles she has overcome, and what’s next for Penelope and DesigningLove.
Meet Penelope, Founder & Lead Designer of DesingingLove
When did your love affair with monograms begin? And how did it make you feel?
Art has been a lifelong passion for me, from practicing calligraphy at a young age to art history at school. I’ve always loved how the magic of a beautiful piece of art can take you anywhere, make you feel something, and tell a story that only that piece can.
When planning my own wedding, the stationery, and the monogram, I found the magic in telling a love story of our own. I remember the moment we first saw our invites in hand with our monogram embossed. That feeling of joy and happiness, that this is our love story, our own symbol and signature of love, was the best feeling. I wanted others to have this, too.
The opportunity to be present for my children and shape a business with only my influence was a challenge I embraced wholeheartedly (with many, many late nights).
Tell us a bit about your path and what led to your decision to start DesigningLove.
When I became pregnant with my daughter, I decided it was time to leave the mainstream workforce and focus on something I loved. Having designed the stationery for our wedding, I realised I could pursue my dream of art.
DesigningLove was the result of this dream. A place where I could design exquisite, timeless art pieces for other couples. Luxury monogram designs that are beautiful and meaningful. I could work to my own schedule and still have the work-life balance I dreamed of working from home and enjoying my babies as they grow up. The opportunity to be present for my children and shape a business with only my influence was a challenge I embraced wholeheartedly (with many, many late nights).
Do you recall any critical turning point when you realized your business was succeeding?
I remember my husband constantly telling me he believed I was a successful entrepreneur and commenting that my desk was the epicentre of a global empire. While I laughed at him, I realized I had clients in four separate countries at that time!
Shortly after this, I was able to pay back everything I had spent on the business to date, and cover some of our household bills on a regular basis. At that point, I believed I could succeed.
On an internal note, the happiness and joy each client gets from seeing their signature of love, their monogram, tell their story gives me the feeling of success.
The DesigningLove experience is a highly personal curation where I connect with my clients on a level that enables me to deliver a monogram design of value that’s authentic luxury; bespoke and exclusive like no other.
Who/what has contributed most to your success?
I count myself very blessed to have an incredible husband and children behind me every step of the way. They are my greatest cheerleaders when it’s tough and when it’s time to celebrate.
My amazing couples and clients are also integral to this. Each one has been a joy to work with, and we’ve created some incredible works of art. The DesigningLove design experience is a highly personal curation where I connect with my clients on a level that enables me to deliver a monogram design of value that’s authentic luxury; bespoke and exclusive like no other.
What surprised you most about growing a business?
Oh! The space it takes up inside your mind. It’s always there, whether thinking about existing clients, how to reach new ones, or filing inspiration away for later designs. DesigningLove is a luxury design brand that is always evolving to be better than before.
I am ecstatic that I get the opportunity to work with so many beautiful people around the world. We all know growth takes time; the best things in life do! DesigningLove has been slow but steady, and I am so excited for what the future holds as we grow together as a luxury design brand.
How do you handle negative feedback or criticism of your work?
To be honest, I very rarely get negative feedback. I am not easily offended and encourage honest feedback from my clients to ensure the end result is a beautiful, luxury art piece that they absolutely love.
I truly believe that art is about how it makes you feel. My job as a designer is to capture that feeling of love, happiness, and joy for each couple in an art piece. To create a luxurious monogram design that is as exclusive and personal as their wedding.
Being trusted with each couple’s story of love from the heart, at such a personal level, is not something I take for granted. I work with care, genuine passion, and love on every monogram I create.
If you could have done something different, what would it be?
I would have followed my dream earlier—I love what I do.
It has taken me time to believe and trust in myself. That said, everything I’ve been through and done has helped to make DesigningLove what it is today.
What helps you move forward with your business despite the inevitable struggles?
The biggest influences that help me move forward in business are my children and husband. Their love, their dreams, and what I can do for them are what keep me in check, constantly striving to do better.
The positive and sometimes effusive responses from my clients also remind me of what I set out to do. I love nothing better than hearing how seamlessly their monogram fit into their wedding and how beautiful it looked. When I get sent images of my work in use by my couples, I get serious butterflies, and it really fills my heart. I even got sent a set of beautiful tumblers with my couple’s monogram etched on the base.
Being in business will always present challenges naturally, but those connections always inspire me to keep going…. and dreams, when planted in your heart, mean they were always meant to be. You’ve got it within you to make it happen.
Who is Penelope, The Woman of DesigningLove?
I am the sole designer, marketing team, and founder of a global luxury design company, DesigningLove. I am also a mom, wife, and daughter. My heart is grateful for the success and happiness I have in both my business and life. That I can do what I love and still be present for my family. Art, sunsets, and beaches warm my heart and make me smile. The laughter of my children and husband makes my world come alive. I am exactly who I want to be, and I know that dreams come true. This is the best chapter yet.
When women invest in other women, we all rise together. Do you have any specific thoughts you would like to share about the women you work with?
Right now, I am the team behind DesigningLove. This said I have three beautiful shadows behind me, watching Mom follow her dream, create happiness, and build a business in the luxury wedding field. In that way, they are every girls’ dream team. I must admit I love finding my little girls’ drawings scattered around the house.
What pieces of advice would you give to someone starting their career in design?
Find your niche, the place where your heart and talent come to life. Without this, your dream and joy will fade. Set your sights high. You have something amazing to offer that only you can bring to the table.
Do you have any mottos you like to live by? Or favorite empowering quotes?
I love the iconic style of Chanel and Audrey Hepburn. One quote by Coco Chanel that I use a lot when reviewing my work is, “Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.” And Audrey Hepburn inspires me to stay true to my dreams and trust that it will all work out, that “nothing is impossible; even the word itself says I’m possible.”
There is always a way. It might be different to what you thought it would be, but it’s perfectly you.
What’s next for Penelope and DesigningLove?
Next for DesigningLove; to continue growing and becoming established within the luxury wedding market as the monogram design brand of choice. A luxury brand with excellence in service, elegance and timeless simplicity.
As Penelope and a mom I aspire to be the best role model I can be for my daughters. Show them that they are magical and perfect as they are and inspire them to chase their dreams. I am excited to see what magic this year brings.
Explore more from Penelope and DesigningLove
Introduction & Curation by Anna Beck, Copyediting by Bridget Kitson
All Photos Courtesy of DesigningLove
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