In her former life as graphic designer, Jill Seale’s client roster included the likes of the White House, the Kennedy Center and Paul McCartney. It was a fateful trip to Florence (where she mastered the ancient art of marbling) that turned the tables. “I told my husband: you don’t have to agree with it, but this is what I’m doing; I’m going to take 100 pillows to High Point and see what happens.” That calculated risk beget exponential opportunities, and today the Charlotte artist and entrepreneur has textile-based products in top retailers and trade showrooms nationwide. Most recently, her collaboration with Chicago-based Port 68 soft-launched at High Point Market and hints at several new SKUs for spring. Seale shared the details with Luxe.
How did this collection with Port 68 come about? I met co-founder Mark Abrams at dinner in High Point. We connected over our mutual love of marbling and wanted to do something made-to-order with real artistry. We landed on silk scarves in four different looks. Hand-marbled with free-wheeling motifs, each one is unique.
Why do you love marbling? I collected marbled paper from Florence my whole life, but when I tried the method myself, I found religion. I immediately rearranged my studio and left my graphic design business. I knew I’d found my voice in textiles.
What feeds your creativity? Everywhere I go, I run things through a design filter. I see the world in color stories—mushrooms on a morning walk, chopping vegetables to make an omelet. It could be the simplest or most obscure thing, but when I see a striking color palette, I capture it. I probably have 27,000 photos on my phone.
