|
Dedicated to a lifetime pursuit of glamorous style through design, Ceci Johnson has built a powerhouse atelier and, with her impressive background in fine arts and graphic design, single-handedly transformed the art of inviting and branding.
 Inspiration I’m always inspired by fashion, travel, culture, and world around me. Sometimes, just walking down the streets of NYC can be inspiring. But my ultimate inspiration are my clients. I love being inspired by them - what excites them, excites me and from there I combine that with my own visions and dreams and that’s where the magic happens. It may sound kind of funny, but I’m always tucking away in my memory inspiring things I see. When I meet those clients that I think those ideas would be perfect for, they surface and come out even better than I originally imagined. I truly believe inspiration is everywhere. You just have to open your mind to see it.
Best advice "Your hardest day only lasts 24 hours." - Charles D. Hoffman aka my Dad. I think of this one often when I’m having a hard day. It helps me get through.
I really love Chips and guacamole, margaritas with friends and family, especially on Fridays. Followed by dance parties. But truthfully, that moment when my clients open their Ceci invitations and are blown away with happiness, that’s amazing. That spark of excitement that comes from our creativity and seeing non-designers fall in love with the design process....that’s priceless.
Zodiac sign Aquarius - they say Aquarians are humanitarian, philanthropic and keenly interested in making the world a better place. I can’t argue that!
Style icon I’ve always admired Coco Chanel. She did it her way and built an enduring cult/brand/style that is eternal and coveted worldwide. I often talk about building a brand that will be stronger and better for the next generation. Something that will live beyond me. That is my definition of success and it’s not a typical American company model. It’s found in the best European brands. They are family legacy brands. I love the idea of creating a luxury brand that will carry on as a legacy and be timeless. A brand that will continue to beautify people’s world and bring happiness year after year, generation after generation. That’s special.
Dream vacation I really want to go to Spain and Morocco, it’s been on my list forever. But I always come back to the ultimate vacation where I can truly recharge is anywhere where I can unplug and relax by a turquoise sea, preferably with no schedule but to just do whatever I feel like. My life is so busy and full of so much information I need to manage at any given moment, it’s great to just be able to fall off the grid and free myself of all the normal responsibility.
Lucky number I’ve always loved the number 2 for some reason. I like what two means to me - 2 people in love, is so special and so precious. Plus, I have two children I treasure and 2 sisters that have helped shape me to who I am today.
Spirit animal My spirit animal is a dragon. I was born in the year of the dragon and for dragons, anything is possible. My husband tells me I always think anything is possible and his job is to ground me (he likes to say he’s the string to my balloon). I believe you can fly anywhere you want to as long as you put your mind to it. Nothing is stopping you but your own self. So go after your dreams. Oh, and I occasionally breathe fire ;-)
 Cause I am most passionate about The Birthday Party Project (https://thebirthdaypartyproject.org/). My company, Ceci New York is proud to partner with them and help bring joy to these homeless children on their birthdays. Everyone deserves to be celebrated and made feel special in their life, especially on their birthdays. Each month we send our designs across the nation to the homeless shelters and contribute to making a difference in these children’s lives. Every order placed at Ceci New York goes towards helping The Birthday Party Project. We believe design that does good is a very beautiful thing.
Favorite Alex Woo piece I love the diamond lightning bolt and wear it around my neck nearly every day. It symbolizes my little daughter and reminds me of her nickname my son gave her when I was pregnant. When we asked him “What should we name the baby?” he took it very seriously and thought quietly to himself, then declared proudly, “Red Lightning!” Considering this was his two favorite things in his world (the color red was his favorite + he was obsessed with Lightning McQueen from the movie Cars) we embraced it with smiles in our hearts and now still to this day when we call our daughter Red Lightning.
Follow @cecijohnson and her brand @cecinewyork on Instagram for daily inspirations to beautify your world.
Visit www.cecinewyork.com to shop her designs.
|
