Designer celebrates the city’s powerful women with iconic brand

Tell us about yourself and your motivation behind Vegas Girl.

I immediately fell in love with Las Vegas when my father brought me here for my 21st birthday. We loved the shows, the showgirls, the entertainment and all the bright lights. I told my father on that trip, “I am going to live here.”

Five years later, I moved from California to Nevada, and that began the journey of my art creations here. In previous design positions, I have been honored to create the key to the city, design costumes and create games for the gaming and entertainment industries.

Since opening my own gallery/studio space, I’ve wanted to create my own iconic character for our beautiful, exciting town. I wanted the character to represent all the hard-working women who built Las Vegas, not only the showgirls and performers, but also the servers, support staff and all professionals.

Where did you study and hone your artistic skills?

I studied at Woodbury University, where I learned to not only work hard but also give back to the community. I honed my artistic skills here in Las Vegas, working for design companies and gaming companies for the past 21 years.

What inspired you throughout the creative process while designing your merchandise?

The merchandise is intended to be fun, positive, eye catching and remind you of the Vegas lights and entertainment. I wanted to make sure everyone was represented and could share the products with their friends. Even kids like to share the stickers with their friends and can identify with them. Most of all, I wanted to make things that people can actually use and enjoy with the images.

What are your favorite products and why?

I love our Vegas Girl notebook — the texture of the cover and the unique dotted pages where you can either draw in them or write your aspirations in it with ease. A close second is our oversized makeup bag. It’s fantastic, with inside pockets to sort out your lipstick and other goodies.

What three items would be great stocking stuffers for the holidays?

Definitely the showgirl pins. They come in their own drawstring velvet bag, a fantastic treat for anyone. Our pencil bags are perfect for a stocking stuffer; they also come in handy as makeup carriers or wallets. Stickers and magnets are the perfect fun items someone of any age can enjoy. You can catch some our finest nurses in town with the stickers on the back of their water bottles and clipboards.

What is your business philosophy?

“You can do anything, be anything, and live your dreams.” It gives me the chills every time I say this, because I truly believe in it. It’s a belief I stand by. Create what you are passionate about, do what you love. But most of all enjoy what you do.

Are there plans to expand or set up a brick-and-mortar store?

Definitely. We are in the works with partners for a shop near Fremont Street. Until then, you can see us at Jaikowski Gallery/Studios, inside The Arts Factory on Charleston Boulevard and Main Street. We are also in negotiations for having products in boutique gift shops on the Strip.

What’s the best business advice you’ve received?

Your business creative ideas alone are worth very little. If you want to start a business and become successful with it, you need to solve meaningful problems. Implementation is everything in business. Be ready to dedicate yourself to becoming that expert at what you love and are good at.

Anything else you want to share?

I created this brand as my love letter to Las Vegas. This town has taken care of me since the first day I stepped into it. The people here are a collection of unique and special communities that all feel like family. I can go near Chinatown and the owner in the bakery upstairs lets me hold her baby when we get bread and goodies, or to the European market, where the shop owner offered me a job years ago when I was between jobs. The people of this town work hard but they also have big hearts, and for that I will always be grateful. That is why I always support local nonprofits, with portions of our sales going to SafeNest and to Heaven Can Wait Animal Foundation. These are two charities I feel strongly about.