Friday, December 7, 2012

Spotlight On: A.Barclay

I have an undeniable addiction to scarves, so when a couple of friends each separately passed me to A.Barclay, I knew I should check it out immediately. A Rhodes College and SCAD graduate (and fellow Southerner, of course!), Anna graciously sat down with us to tell us more about her chic and empowering scarves. 

Anna Barclay Sibley of A.Barclay Designs


Where did the idea come from for A.Barclay? Where do you get your inspiration?

I love scarves and I always have trouble finding the perfect ones.  If they are as large as I want them then they are usually made in China and are made of mostly synthetic fibers or they are made in Italy and are 100% cashmere but they are around $2,000.  So I wanted to find a happy medium where I could offer beautiful scarves made of all natural fibers that are very large, made in Italy and don't cost a fortune.  I get my inspiration for my designs from everything...photos, life, drawings etc.  






You donate a portion of your proceeds to an effort in Tanzania. That's a really good idea with such a profound impact! How did the partnership come about? 
The one thing that always bugged me about the fashion industry was the constant buying, selling & consuming mentality.  I understand that I have a product and I need to sell it, but I wanted it to be about more than that.  There are so many people that are less fortunate than we are and it is so easy to help.  I teamed up with one of my good friends from boarding school, Bev Burden,  who lives in Tanzania and we came up with the Buy & Supply idea.  Basically, we talk to an orphanage in Tanzania and see what they need and then we buy that product (last drop we did was blankets) locally in Tanzania.  By buying the product from local Tanzanians we are also helping to stimulate their local market by providing them business.  So, each time someone buys a scarf a certain amount of money is set aside and that goes to our Buy that we do every three or four months. 


{editor's note: my favorite!}

Do you have any creative scarf tying secrets? 
It is hard to explain how to tie them without a visual! But I am working on a little booklet that will be on our website of all the different ways to tie a scarf.  BUT I will say that our silk and silk/cotton ones look great folded in half and just hanging around your neck.  Folding it in half makes it a little shorter and gives it great body!
Oooh, I can't wait to see that! Let's play favorites: What are your three favorite places in Atlanta?
Scott's Antique Market: It is every 2nd weekend of the month and you can find amazing things for your home there

Cafe at Pharr: I can't resist their curry chicken salad...

Polo Fields in Vinings: I love taking my dog there on Sunday's for a walk- it makes me wish I lived on a ranch in Montana!

A huge thanks to Anna! You can find her designs and buy online at www.abarclaydesigns.com.

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