Meet Evelyn Wilroy of Pleine de Vie

Today we’d like to introduce you to Evelyn Wilroy.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Evelyn. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
My name is Evelyn (after my white father’s mother) with Celtic origins meaning “full of life.” My mother, a Vietnamese refugee who went to Catholic school in Vietnam, gave me the nickname “Vie” at birth, meaning “life” in French (it was her second language). “Pleine de vie,” is me. It is where I return when I forget.

I have always had a passion for writing and for painting. But growing up, my practical upbringing by my parents led me away from these outlets as anything more than just “hobbies.”

But throughout my life – quitting pre-med studies in college, going to grad school for marketing, changing my mind during the fashion internship, quitting my entertainment agency job to buy a one-way ticket to Nepal, coming home only to get a job all over again – I always returned to these “hobbies.”

When it came time to decide a name for my art brand, it was a no-brainer. “Pleine de vie.” It represents my passions at their truest roots. It is therapy for my trauma. It is a return to me, no matter what else is going on in my life.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My art (in all its expressions) have changed and grown with me.

It was first just paintings. Then it turned into a shop to sell those paintings. Then it was also a fashion blog. Then it turned into a travel blog. Then the shop expanded to include a jewelry line I created with my friend, an artisan I met in Nepal who needed help after the devastating earthquakes struck in 2016.

Now it is a shop where I still sell my art, but mostly a space that I’ve curated on Instagram with my writings and art. Not only is it a way to heal from my own past traumas + ancestral trauma, but a place where other individuals can come, join, share and relate for their own healing.

It has the potential to morph and grow into more: a greeting card line, a poetry book, etc. Many more things in the works.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I have always struggled with meeting my parent’s expectations versus pursuing my own passions. My mother is an immigrant who really sacrificed her life and dreams to give me the life I have been blessed to live. Between her immigrant story and her traditional Vietnamese ideals, I have always felt like I owe so much to her. I have always felt as if I needed to make her proud to be happy, and I always felt that that meant doing everything she wanted me to do.

I have quit every 9-5 I’ve ever had to leave – either on a one-way flight overseas or to pursue my own passions. But at the same time, I find myself coming back to that life as a source of stability that I know is the influence of my parents. It has always been a struggle for me. I’m still figuring it out.

But “pleine de vie” is always something I am tending to and watering. It is something that I am always growing on the side of whatever I’m doing at the moment.

My art as of late has really been affected by a mergence of the state of our country and the political environment, as well as my own personal traumas. Right now, my art’s purpose is to build a community. It is a way to show other women and survivors that they are not alone. I believe that community is more important than ever right now.

What were you like growing up?
Being the middle child of three girls, I have always been the weirdest, loudest, most dramatic, emotional, and lively of my sisters.

My mother tells me the story all the time of how I came into this world. She was inspired to give me the nickname “Vie” because of it. She said my legs were wide open and I was kicking and flailing, and even the doctor couldn’t help but notice my distinct personality.

My entire family is made up of accountants: my mom, my dad, both of my sisters. I’m the only one who failed that course in college. I have always been the most creative, and unconventional. An artist among a family of practical, 9-5’ers.

This has absolutely shaped this path of mine, which has taken me all over the place. It has pushed me towards practicality, launched me into the unknown as an act of rebellion, and brought me closer to myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pleinedevie.me
• Phone: 323-825-1151
• Email: evelyn@pleinedevie.me
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pleinedevie
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/pleinedevie

Image Credit:
Calvin Jung

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