designer michelle adams





You must, must, must read this interview with Michelle Adams. You'll be bursting with excitement and energy afterwards. I was. And so now I'm extra psyched for her talk tomorrow at the Australian International Furniture Fair. As former Domino market editor Michelle Adams and founder of organic fabric label Rubie Green, she'll be talking about design. I'm going to burst! Oh, and for Australian readers, Diane Bergeron and <>Oliveaux distribute her fabrics. PLUS, check out her blog M.A. Belle and photography project with Patrick Cline called Lonny.

Which five words best describe you? Motivated, goofy, honest (too honest for my own good most of the time! haha) sincere, and passionate.
What was your first job and what path have you taken since then? When I was 15 I worked at a pottery shop where I helped the customers (which were mainly groups of children at birthday parties) paint and glaze their ceramic pieces! It was fun - like getting paid to play and paint! As for the path that followed, I worked in the design studio of the
Pottery Barn during college (which coincidentally had nothing to do with pottery- it's a high-end furniture shop - check out the website!) where I helped customers design their homes using products from our store. I worked there for three years in college along with a number of other silly jobs on the side, such as working in our student bookstore and even at Pier 1. I earned two degrees - one in advertising and the other in apparel & textile design with a minor in interior design, (quite the mouthful of words!) and from there I graduated and started working for Domino magazine a week later! Finally in spring of 2008 I launched Rubie Green.
What’s your proudest achievement? To be honest, I'd have to say that my proudest achievement is being asked to speak in Australia! I'm literally typing out these answers in my hotel room right now, looking out the window at the Darling Harbour and thinking WOW. How on earth did this all happen?! I'm absolutely blown away to be here, and couldn't be more appreciative of this opportunity.
What’s been your best decision? To study design. I was half way through college and working on a degree in advertising, but my true passion was in design! I remember one night I was in a bookshop on campus with my boyfriend at the time, and I was supposed to be studying for an advertising exam but instead I had wandered over to the decorating section of the store and picked up a stack of books and magazines! When I came back, my boyfriend said "Michelle, what are you doing? Why are you not studying design when you clearly love it so much??" So the next day I broke the news to my parents that I would be in school for yet another four years, this time focusing on what truly makes me happy. I can't imagine how different (and boring!) my life might be if I had never made the change to follow my true passion.
Who inspires you? My dad. He's the most successful AND the most humble person that I've ever known. He makes people feel good about themselves. He also loves to teach me new ideas and continue learning as well.
What are you passionate about? Gosh - SO many things!! I typically don't "like" things, I LOVE them! I'm passionate about textile design, (which I KNOW, sounds so lame!) sustainability, interior design, my family, my boyfriend, (let's pray he doesn't read this...!) flea marketing - I try to go every weekend, women's rights, and continuing to educate myself throughout life. I never want my knowledge of the world to come to a stand-still.
What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt? Treat people kindly, regardless of what you may want from them. You never know how you can affect the life of another person just by showing that you genuinely care.
Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Jackie Kennedy. Hands down!
What dream do you still want to fulfil? Hmmm, two dreams! I want to open a Rubie Green store (or tons or Rubie Green stores!) where I sell my products along with vintage and eco-friendly furnishings and home goods. I want it to look like any normal chic decorating shop, but in reality be 100% eco-friendly. My second dream is to have a family. I want a husband that I cannot get enough of, and a couple kids to have fun sharing my life with.
What are you reading? Ha - I'm actually reading a book called
Skinny Bitch! Do you have that in Australia? [ed note: yes, it is] Don't judge a book by it's cover - it's a phenomenal resource for our health! It basically tells you what's in the food that we consume (which trust me is SCARY) and what it will inevitably do to our bodies, and what we should be eating instead. Plus it's clearly written in a way that makes people laugh.

Images courtesy of Rubie Green

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