Conversations with Ali LaBelle

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ali LaBelle. 

Hi Ali, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Let’s start at the beginning: on January 23, 1990, a baby was born…just kidding. I’ll give you the short-ish version. 

I’ve always been someone who notices and appreciates the details. I absolutely get that from my mom – we share an almost compulsive need to consider every element of every experience. What will it feel like for my friend to open her birthday gift? What plate will the pasta I made for dinner look best on? What is the first thing you see when you walk into my apartment? It’s not for show – I just really enjoy making decisions that make something more enjoyable, for me or for someone else. 

Unfortunately, there’s no major in details (as far as I know), but I found myself studying graphic design, the perfect avenue for someone who non-stop ruminates on paper textures and color palettes. Graphic design gave me a path to realize that creating a dynamic and meaningful experience for someone is what I love to do and that there are jobs that are made for people who do so, and they’re called creative directors. 

I worked in-house for an accessories company for several years before I started my own thing. I call it a “thing” because I’m not sure what it is yet – I’m one part brand strategist, one-part creative consultant, and another part experiential designer. I take on a variety of projects that allow me to think through a customer or client’s holistic experience with a brand, integrating moments that are special or meaningful along the way, whether that’s through product design or a brand identity, or an event series or one’s digital presence. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Starting a business is honestly pretty scary, and I’m still learning how to trust that there’s always another project around the corner or that I’m heading in the right direction. Working in-house gave me so much visibility into how a brand works and allowed me to practice translating a story into a bunch of different things: products, campaigns, events, and so on. But it didn’t fulfill me like doing this on my own has, and I welcome the challenges if it means I get to solve them for myself. 

One of those challenges has been that I can’t visualize an end goal here. Maybe that’s ideal – that I see myself taking on a variety of projects and doing lots of different things as I go – but it’s strange to go from seeing raises and promotions as achievements to seeing my own pride in my work as success. I have a lot to figure out, and I put a lot of pressure on myself to do so, but I’m trying to just stay open and enjoy the meandering road. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I do a lot of different things: I help fledgling brands discover their visual identities, I art direct product lines and photo shoots, and I consult with creative teams and artists on a variety of projects. I most recently worked on a collaboration with Bucatini, a pantry shop in Echo Park – we designed a line of table linens, ceramics, and other merchandise together that is now available in their shop and online. That project was particularly fun because it allowed me to work through the entire lifecycle of a product: concept, branding, product design, partnership with artists, packaging, visual merchandising, event planning, brand partnerships…it really touched it all and it was SO fun. 

Over the years I’ve developed a creative process that kicks off all of my client work – I’m not sure what to call it yet, but it involves a series of really introspective conversations, lots of question-asking and -answering, and a client questionnaire that I’ve been told feels like “design therapy”. My approach to design isn’t purely visual – I want to consider a client’s business strategy, their tone, how they hope to reach their customer – and I think that has set me apart from some of the more straightforward branding agencies out there. 

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I mentioned my mom – she’s the biggest cheerleader of them all. Throughout my childhood, she’d come home from a full day of work to make us color-themed dinners (“orange meal”, for instance, was macaroni and cheese, a side of mandarin oranges, and baby carrots) and hand-sew our Halloween costumes. I see how she makes her friends (and even my friends) feel when she puts thought into their birthdays or visits or holiday gifts, and it’s driven me to want to do the same, whether it’s through my client work or for something personal. She was the one holding the ladder when I was installing my gallery show in college, making sure my sleepless body didn’t fall off it, and she’s the one who picks up the phone when I’m starting to spiral about having not enough work or having too much work and all of the spirals in between. 

Contact Info:

• Website: alilabelle.co
• Instagram: instagram.com/alilabelle
• Other: instagram.com/pastagirlfriend

Image Credits
Kelly Crawford
Emma Brooks
Blake Wright