An Interview with Jungalow’s Justina Blakeney
We’ve had a crush on Justina Blakeney since we first discovered her blooming collection of #FacetheFoliage art on Instagram. So imagine our delight when she stopped by our design studio in Austin to style our new line as only she can. In between creative sessions, Noonday Founder Jessica Honegger sat down with Justina to talk with her about the art of handmade, her personal style, and her advice for fellow entrepreneurs.
Jessica: Thanks for taking the time to chat with me, Justina! You’ve become something of a style icon online—how do you describe your personal style?
Justina: I always say that I’m a designer with a Bohemian heart. But also this word “collected” comes up again and again for me, because I like gathering lots of different things together. I’m a maximalist who loves being adorned in precious things.
I also love color, although I often wear jeans and a black t-shirt because I’m out running around so much. But, I can make that outfit more fun by including really loud, colorful, chunky accessories. I’ll just throw on some crazy earrings and a fun bag with fringe to feel like I’m put together. I like to adorn basics with funky accessories.
I’m a big fan of handmade and I know you are too. Why is handmade important to you?
I love pieces that are handmade and imperfect. Things that are too perfect don’t fit with me. I’m not a perfect person and I like items that fit with my personality. That’s part of the reason I was so drawn to Noonday Collection and the handmade nature of Noonday’s pieces.
As a designer who works in an industry that’s about making things more beautiful, I think it’s easy to focus on aesthetics alone. You can forget about where products come from, the history of a piece, or who’s making it. But to me an item isn’t really beautiful unless it’s coming from a beautiful place. The stories that items tell and the histories that they have are intimately connected with their beauty.
In this industry, it’s difficult to tell the stories behind pieces because you are often competing with people who don’t care about how things are made or where they’re coming from. For me, it’s really about beauty and style from a 360-degree perspective. You can’t just isolate things and look at them without connecting the dots and seeing their origins.
As a devotee of all things handmade, what are your favorite Noonday pieces?
In my own work, I’m really drawn to materials that are textured or chunky or just feel different. One of the things I was really attracted to about Noonday is that there are a lot of textures and colors—a lot of ways of mixing and matching things. The line feels very collected, as opposed to all having a singular focus. And I love that some of the pieces feel vintage. The Afar Necklace is one of my favorite pieces. I saw it and thought, “This looks like something I would have picked up on a journey somewhere.”
I love the diversity within Noonday’s line. There are lots of different textures – different types of metal, paper, and fiber. I love the tactile nature of the pieces, and that you can feel the weight of the pieces on you. I’m all about the way things make you feel, but also the way they feel on you. I really like that the collection feels stylistically cohesive, but that there’s still so much choice.
How do you connect with the mission behind Noonday Collection?
In the business that I’m in, I see a lot of products. There are often stories that go along with the products, but what struck me about Noonday is that there is such a high level of authenticity behind the stories. I really think that Noonday is walking the walk. Authentic storytelling and poverty alleviation are really what Noonday is about. And being here in the Home Office has really reinforced that.
As a female CEO, it’s no secret I love women entrepreneurs. As an entrepreneur yourself, what tips do you have for women who are interested in starting an a business?
As an entrepreneur, I have faced so many different kinds of challenges. Clarity and authenticity are crucial. It’s important to not be afraid to speak your mind, ask questions, or accept that you don’t know everything.
These are essential for any entrepreneur, but I think there are some additional challenges for women. Because we have to fight harder to make a place for ourselves in the business world, we sometimes feel like we have to do everything on our own. And it’s just not true. You can’t do it all on your own. As a creative entrepreneur, I need to focus on where my strengths lie – and then I need to find people to help me out with everything else! Speaking up when you need help and being really clear with yourself about what you want will be so helpful to you in the long run.
Candor is also a really important quality to have. I think people understand when you don’t know something or you make a mistake, as long as you keep it real and own up to it. That’s such a better solution than trying to act like the mistake didn’t happen. Just be real. Be yourself. Everyone can relate to someone who’s putting their heart out on the table and trying to be honest and do the best they can. That’s what I do, and it’s worked so far!
Thanks Jessica for giving us a glimpse of this amazing collaboration! And thanks to the lovely Justina Blakeney for sharing her wisdom and effortless style with us. Follow her on Instagram @justinablakeney and on her blog at thejungalow.com
Meet Jessica Honegger
Jessica is Noonday Collection’s Founder and Chief Dreamer. Jessica spends her days inspiring others to live lives of purpose—from empowering our Ambassadors to be powerful storytellers and stylists, to visiting and encouraging our Artisans partners across the globe. After hours, Jessica can be found relaxing with her husband, dancing with her three children, and enjoying a good book.
