Spotlight On: Milicent, Founder of Artemis Design Co.
Q: What inspired you to create a line of Kilim loafers?
A: "Kilim has been used for shoes, bags, and a multitude of other accessories for centuries in Turkey and the middle East. Whereas we would never dream of taking our beautiful carpets and kilims to the cutting board; kilim is so plentiful in that part of the world that it is natural for them to recycle and repurpose the old carpets. I thought that updating the Turkish Kilim style shoes and bags with modern designs would be a great way to bring the style to fashionable American women and men. I started out making a very small batch of women’s and men’s kilim shoes and bags and they sold out quickly. When people began stopping me on the street to ask where my shoes and bag were from, I knew had a good thing going."
Q: Where does the name Artemis come from?
A: "
Artemis is the Greek Goddess of the hunt, and the theme of hunting ties into our mission in a different way than you might expect! Our mission is to find and use the most unique textiles from around the world and create beautiful one of a kind accessories. Since “hunting” bazaars, marketplaces and obscure parts of the world for these fabulous textiles is such a big part of what we do, we thought that Artemis, the huntress would be a perfect symbol for our company."
Q: Seems like you enjoy adventures and travel. What have been your top 3 travel destinations?
A: "
I love every type of travel from taking a ferry to Nantucket, to road tripping in the US, to sipping the thickest hot chocolate in Paris. Any new and different experience is fun and exciting because of the novelty. My top 3 favorite places are Maine in the summer, Ireland, and Japan because of how strikingly different the culture is."
Q: Next on your travel bucket list?
A: "
Morocco & Sri Lanka."
Q:
How would you describe the Artemis customer?
A: "
The Artemis man and woman are well traveled, refined, laid back, fun and very confident."
Q: I would be over the moon if I saw___________ wearing my shoes...
A: "
Anyone! I always approach strangers wearing Artemis products :) If I had to pick someone famous I would probably say Lulu DK- one of my favorite textile designers."
Q: Fun fact we didn't know about you?
A: "
I'm studying the language of kilim symbolism so that I can tell customers the meaning of the patterns on their shoes and bags. Every motif, symbol, and weave in a kilim carpet symbolizes something about the life of the woman who wove it. It would be doing an injustice to the kilim to say that it is just a pretty pattern, since each carpet is so rich with stories. "
