A Stylist and a Skateboarder Open an Online Shop - Remodelista
A prop stylist and a skateboard designer are unlikely business partners. But for Portland, Oregon, couple Jen and John Vitale, who have just launched their own online shop, Association, embracing varied interdisciplinary passions is all in a day’s work. Association offers a small selection of new, vintage, and special-edition housewares, accessories, and objects. As they say, the shop is “a reflection of a shared appreciation for living an intentional lifestyle.” The couple moved to Portland from coastal Northern California in 2012... ...and Jen notes that the laid-back attitude of the West Coast “definitely influences our aesthetic and overall mentality.” For evidence, see their shop category titled “Vibes.” Remodelista: Jen, you’re an obsessive thrift store shopper. Jen in her kitchen photographed by Carissa and Andrew Gallo for Freunde von Freunden. What is your best score ever?Jen Vitale: I don’t know if I’ll ever find something and say, “This is my best score ever! This is it.” That’s because there will always be another gem hidden in a Goodwill somewhere waiting for me to unearth it. From Portland, Oregon, artist Natalie Busch, the Clover Ceramic Plate is one of a collection of her hand-etched and painted one-of-a-kind pieces sold through Association; $24. More on the couple and their home can be found in an interview by Julie Pointer on Freunde von Freunden. I regret not splurging on it, because it was truly exceptional and I’ve caught myself thinking about it all the time.John: That’s an easy one. A lookbook image from Association displays an array of the shop’s goods, including, the Farrell and Co. Semi Circle Bag ($165), a pair of vintage Ceramic Candle Holders ($34), a vintage Bottleneck Vase (far R, $40), and, on the model, the State Smock in Buttercream ($90). How do you find your own voice amid the noise?Jen: While we both make things, we try not to over-identify with one group or style; that’s when we get stuck creatively. A detail of the couple’s antique Navajo rug photographed by Carissa and Andrew Gallo for Freunde von Freunden. RM: What is your favorite object in your own home and what’s the story behind it?Jen: I think it’s our living room rug: a Navajo textile found in California. It was one of the first pieces we bought together and we’ve taken it everywhere since. The Oversized Basket Tote is an example of a thrift find available at Association; John and Jen updated it with new vegetable-tanned leather handles. These are the kinds of things I am ashamed to say I know as a stylist, but you have to have lots of tricks up your sleeve for last-minute shoots.