EMERGING DESIGNER

Lisa Metcalf & Rene Chrisan

IN THIS FEATURE: Meet Lisa & Rene Fashion Focus

li & Lina is an offering of sophisticated, chic, contemporary components geared for women between the ages of 30 and 50 who enjoy clothing but are not thrilled with the traditional shopping experience … it is sold exclusively through venue presentations to invited customers in an atmosphere that is relaxed and without pressure.

Two successful professionals from the garment industry, Rene’ Chrisan and Lisa Metcalfe, discovered while starting families where children clearly were the #1 priority, that they both needed more. Rene’ had been going to ‘in-home’ parties for every imaginable product (clothing, jewelry, candles, etc.) and had quickly recognized a genuine void in that world; clothing, specifically, was appallingly generic – nobody was delivering chic, contemporary styling.

Lisa, in the meantime, was running her own consulting company offering assistance to both new and established contemporary designers launch, redefine or reposition their businesses.

Rene’ and Lisa were finally brought together by a mutual friend (who, coincidentally, had been trying to introduce them for years knowing only that they’d bond as friends) and the two were in synch from day one; Rene engaged Lisa as a consultant to help her launch her business.

Eight months into the project, the terms of engagement changed; Rene recognized simultaneously that she needed a partner and that she had the perfect candidate at hand – she sent Lisa a letter explaining in detail why this was the best possible course and Lisa, without hesitation, accepted. The rest is history; Oli & Lina was born.

In less than a year they have designed, developed, manufactured, sold and delivered three complete collections that were extraordinarily well received in a regional sales effort, (currently at 250 clients and growing daily), and are now interviewing for event planners to roll out the concept nationally.