Meet Michael and Lisa Fine, the husband-wife teamĀ behindĀ QuietĀ Town, a Brooklyn-based brand committed to making everyday items more beautiful ā starting in the bathroom. The highly creative couple (heās a photographer, sheās a fashion stylist) were bummed out by the bathroom categoryās lack of inspiring decor, so they decided to have a go at making a few functional items themselves. With the help of their design network and friends, theyĀ sourced the best and most ethically manufactured materials to offer striking, minimalist shower curtains and accessories. Get to know these work/life partners on a tour of their studio in Gowanus ā and discoverĀ how this limited editionĀ Quiet Town for ParachuteĀ collab came toĀ be!
How would you describe Quiet Town?
Lisa Fine:Quiet Town is a Brooklyn-based brand dedicated to making your bathroom feel as thoughtfully styled as the rest of your home.
How would you describe Quiet Town?
Lisa Fine:Quiet Town is a Brooklyn-based brand dedicated to making your bathroom feel as thoughtfully styled as the rest of your home.
How did the Quiet Town for Parachute collaboration come together? How did you approach the design process?
Lisa:Amy Hoban, Parachuteās Creative Director, is an old friend of ours. In fact, we went to her for advice on fabric and manufacturing when Quiet Town was just starting out! Plans to collaborateĀ really came together when Michael and I did a house swap in Venice last summer. We experienced the Parachute brand and hometown firsthand. We tend to use equal amounts of color and neutrals in our work, but for this collaboration, weĀ took a more minimalistĀ approach. OurĀ Venice Shower Curtain RingsĀ wereĀ literallyĀ inspired by Venice in that we created an angular āVā shape with the bottom hook.
Ā
How did the Quiet Town for Parachute collaboration come together? How did you approach the design process?
Lisa:Amy Hoban, Parachuteās Creative Director, is an old friend of ours. In fact, we went to her for advice on fabric and manufacturing when Quiet Town was just starting out! Plans to collaborateĀ really came together when Michael and I did a house swap in Venice last summer. We experienced the Parachute brand and hometown firsthand. We tend to use equal amounts of color and neutrals in our work, but for this collaboration, weĀ took a more minimalistĀ approach. OurĀ Venice Shower Curtain RingsĀ wereĀ literallyĀ inspired by Venice in that we created an angular āVā shape with the bottom hook.
Ā
What makes the Quiet Town for Parachute Canvas Shower Curtains unique? How are these items different from others youāve made in the past?
Michael:Quiet TownĀ mixes bright color and natural fibers, while Parachuteās aesthetic is informed by nature and neutrals. So instead of blasting this collection with color, we really focused on a beachy, driftwood lookĀ where ourĀ brands sort of meet in the middle.
What makes the Quiet Town for Parachute Canvas Shower Curtains unique? How are these items different from others youāve made in the past?
Michael:Quiet TownĀ mixes bright color and natural fibers, while Parachuteās aesthetic is informed by nature and neutrals. So instead of blasting this collection with color, we really focused on a beachy, driftwood lookĀ where ourĀ brands sort of meet in the middle.
Quiet Town is a collaboration in itself. What do you love about your part of creating objects together?
Lisa:We still canāt believe that weĀ makeĀ things. I know that sounds weird coming from a product design company, but weāve always worked forĀ otherĀ people that made things ā and then we just made those things look pretty. Now everything that we do is because weĀ made it happen,Ā together. IĀ personally enjoy the entire process, from concepting a look, toĀ sourcing the most ethically sound materials, to styling it how Iād always imagined.
Quiet Town is a collaboration in itself. What do you love about your part of creating objects together?
Lisa:We still canāt believe that weĀ makeĀ things. I know that sounds weird coming from a product design company, but weāve always worked forĀ otherĀ people that made things ā and then we just made those things look pretty. Now everything that we do is because weĀ made it happen,Ā together. IĀ personally enjoy the entire process, from concepting a look, toĀ sourcing the most ethically sound materials, to styling it how Iād always imagined.
Tell us about your professional backgrounds. When did your careers start to overlap?
Lisa:Michael is a photographer and Iām a stylist (I was the Director of Styling at Madewell for 11 years), so weāve always had a creative relationship. On the weekends we would produce shoots for fun āĀ simply to make something together.
Tell us about your professional backgrounds. When did your careers start to overlap?
Lisa:Michael is a photographer and Iām a stylist (I was the Director of Styling at Madewell for 11 years), so weāve always had a creative relationship. On the weekends we would produce shoots for fun āĀ simply to make something together.
How has Brooklyn influenced your design aesthetic?
Michael:I think living and working in Brooklyn, as much as itās a city, really feels like a small town. The buildings are lower so thereās open skies (our office has a great view), and weāre right on the Gowanus Canal, which feels like a hidden urban utopia. Sometimes we cruise down the canal in a canoe, and because itās such a tight community, we inevitably see friends crossing the bridges on their way home from work or the ice cream shop around here.
How has Brooklyn influenced your design aesthetic?
Michael:I think living and working in Brooklyn, as much as itās a city, really feels like a small town. The buildings are lower so thereās open skies (our office has a great view), and weāre right on the Gowanus Canal, which feels like a hidden urban utopia. Sometimes we cruise down the canal in a canoe, and because itās such a tight community, we inevitably see friends crossing the bridges on their way home from work or the ice cream shop around here.
Any tips for other creative entrepreneurs?
Lisa:Start when youāre young! Try to take risks before you have a family andĀ seriousĀ responsibilities. And if you start when youāre 40 (like us), then you better believe 1000% in your idea and be okay eating, sleeping and breathing it (but forget the sleeping part ā there wonāt be much of that).
Any tips for other creative entrepreneurs?
Lisa:Start when youāre young! Try to take risks before you have a family andĀ seriousĀ responsibilities. And if you start when youāre 40 (like us), then you better believe 1000% in your idea and be okay eating, sleeping and breathing it (but forget the sleeping part ā there wonāt be much of that).
How do you separate shop talk from pillow talk?
Lisa:Itās really hard.Ā Weāre so āin itā that Quiet Town is part of the family now. Weāve become good at sensing when we need to āput it downā ā especially for the kidsā sake ā and then we do. Quiet Town is really is a labor of love, though, so we see time working onĀ it as time well spent.
[Ed. note: This collection has sold out.]
How do you separate shop talk from pillow talk?
Lisa:Itās really hard.Ā Weāre so āin itā that Quiet Town is part of the family now. Weāve become good at sensing when we need to āput it downā ā especially for the kidsā sake ā and then we do. Quiet Town is really is a labor of love, though, so we see time working onĀ it as time well spent.
[Ed. note: This collection has sold out.]
