Women In The Driver's Seat: Shelley Callaghan
Women In The Driver's Seat:
Shelley Callaghan
Welcome back to our series celebrating women who take the reins in both life and business. Aiming to highlight the women in our community who embody the drive and passion that defines our brand, we photograph them in their very own set of wheels and talk about what inspires them. This month we got behind the wheel with Shelley Callaghan and her heather colored 1960 Cadillac Eldorado.
Tell us a little about yourself and your interests.
“I am the Creative Director and Co-owner of Antica Farmacista, a luxury fragrance brand. I love my work creating fragrant products, but the biggest reward with my work is the relationships I've forged with the girls in my office, young and old. We are constantly loving and learning from one another. That's a gift.
I’m also a mother, a daughter, a friend and at my core. My favorite place is in my kitchen, cooking for friends and family of all ages. I'm spontaneous and easily distracted, so my list of interests is long and not necessarily loaded with commitment. I love a good road trip, reading “Modern Love” on Sundays, great food made with love, lounging with my sons, doing anything in warm water....surfing, kiting, swimming.”
Who are the women who have been the biggest influences in your life?
“The women closest to me were the biggest influences in my early life: my mother and my two grandmothers. These three very unique women showed me by example how to be and how not to be. Ultimately, they showed me the importance of being useful while here on this planet. As an adult, my business partner and dear friend Susanne Pruitt has been the biggest influence on me. We work side by side and we approach almost everything from differing perspectives. She has shown me how rewarding it is to see someone else's perspective, ask questions, to dig deeper, and to embrace our own curiosity. Recently, I’ve been significantly influenced by Jane Fonda. I just turned 50 and my sense of self has been under deep scrutiny. Jane's life story, her past and her present, have provided me great entertainment and the courage to make some tough but rewarding decisions.”
Who are your favorite women designers and why do you love them?
Donna Karan needs to be on this list. I discovered her in the 80's and I just loved the strength and independence she represented then, and now. Her designs fit perfectly and I felt like she really wanted to make a women feel sexy (even in a pair of gabardine trousers). I thought she was badass in my teenage years, and even more so today. I find I gravitate to Raquel Allegra for her casual pieces that tend to be imperfect ....perhaps the "messy hemlines and roughness around the edges" are a self -reflection. And lastly, The Row. The Olsen sisters just blow me away with their ability to turn out such beautifully simple pieces. My mind, my car and my desk are colorful and cluttered, so I think I gravitate to a wardrobe that is calming and minimal in design...and these sisters do it!”
“My mind, my car, and my desk are colorful and cluttered, so I think I gravitate to a wardrobe that is calming and minimal in design.”
Why do you think it’s important to support women in the fashion industry?
“I like to support women in every industry! I have two brothers and two sons, so I love and adore the men in my life, but we women are complex and I think we thrive when in a supportive community (more so than men). Acknowledging the work women are doing and supporting them will only benefit all of us. Women give and give and give....it's in our nature. Supporting women in fashion is just one more way for us to use our voice in support of equality.”
