Velvet Leaf

The two sisters who design Velvet Leaf skipped their formal college education for an experience-based education—to start a clothing line. Nineteen-year-old Laura Carter took time off from her enrollment at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, while 20-year-old Becky Carter left the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she was studying art, to launch the organic clothing line Velvet Leaf for Spring 2006.

“At school they can teach you the numbers, figures and patterns, but basically if you have the talent and the drive, then you can make it on your own,” said Laura. “That kind of turned into my philosophy on the whole school [issue].”

Velvet Leaf is a combination of the sisters’ passion for art and creativity in clothing design and the desire to help the environment by using only organic fabrics. Becky and Laura’s mother, Deborah Juzkow, said the promotion of organic fabrics is culturally important to the family, which is of Cherokee ancestry.

“As Native Americans, it’s our responsibility to care for the earth. I raised my kids up that way,” said Juzkow, who is heading up the business end of the line along with Marc Juzkow, the girls’ stepfather. Deborah draws her business expertise from her experience as a director of four mental health clinics for Native Americans, where she oversaw human resources, growth and development, and the budget.

The Carters have been reconstructing vintage clothing and building new pieces since they were children growing up in the city of Placerville, Calif. The two were selling their handmade garments at a craft fair in Huntington Beach, Calif., when a customer suggested a consultant who could help them put a line into production.

The girls took the leap fromthere. They hired Product Development Consultant Shahbano Rauf, who helped them place their production in factories in Pakistan. Wholesale price points range from $30 to $110.

Velvet Leaf interprets vintage-inspired clothing with a handcrafted feel, such as a silk polka dot blouse decorated with crocheted daises and a 1960s cotton vest featuring daisy patchwork. The line’s hippie vibe attracted Jen Rossi, a buyer from Planet Blue, who bought the cotton strapless dress in a faded paisley and floral print for the Malibu, Calif., store.

“There’s a very fine line of bohemian right now that’s getting too trendy and pretty much going out of style, but they seem to keep it more personal,” said Rossi. “It felt like true, authentic bohemian.”

For more information, call (925) 230-2219. —Rhea Cortado