I’ve been a fan of Lucky Star Gallery for a while now, their website is amazing, chock full of vintage Cowgirl goods that you’ll love. What really makes this mother-daughter team {Harriette & Missy Allison} so special is their authenticity and commitment to keeping the spirit of individuality, American pride and Wild West Fever ALIVE AND KICKIN’!! Here’s a little more about this dynamic duo…

 

CACTUS: Where is The Lucky Star Gallery located?

The Lucky Star Gallery is a web-based store. Our 3000 sq ft warehouse is located in Reno, NV and is chock full of our American antiques, western collectibles and our fabrication shop for our line of leather accessories/furnishings. We are open to the public by appointment, we work with decorators/designers and do prop rental, as well.

 

CACTUS: Have you always lived in Reno?

No. We (my mom and I) are from Bishop, CA. We are from a large Italian family base, there in the Owens Valley – cattle ranchers and cowboys! My mom has been in Reno for going on 20 years. I came to be near her after I graduated college in southern California in 1996, I left for San Francisco in 1998, moved to Hawaii in 2000, and have now been here in Reno again for almost 10 years. Reno is a convenient location for us, we are only 4 hours from our hometown and extended family.

CACTUS:  How does living in that region affect your style?

Four solid seasons makes for an extensive wardrobe! I think that our style has less to do with the region we live in and more to do with our passion for the west and for the past. We are inspired by vintage lifestyle, quality of craft and COLOR!

CACTUS: You own Lucky Star Gallery with your mom ~ how did you guys come upon the decision to open a business together?

My mom has always dabbled in antiques, as a collector. Following the death of my step-dad in 1996, she took a buying trip with some friends who were antique dealers. By the end of the trip my mom was officially on her way into the business. In 2001 I joined her on a cross-country buying trip and got hooked, myself. It was on that road trip that we conceptualized The Lucky Star Gallery.

CACTUS: What are the best and worst parts of working with your mom?

My mom and I enjoy lots of the same things, appreciate each others tastes and ideas, and have a good time! We created this business together and share a common vision for success… the challenges that come are sometimes difficult to navigate, our emotional attachment to the business and to each other makes it feel like we have more at stake.

CACTUS: What is the mission of Lucky Star Gallery?

The Lucky Star Gallery began as an American antiques business, and although we have diversified with our design work, our mission has stayed the same. We are dedicated to an active process of restore, reuse & recycle by utilizing American antiques. We believe in the handmade quality of products from yesterday, and in buying American made.

This philosophy continues through my mom’s designs. Her furniture designs all start with vintage pieces, rebuilt and restored she gives new life to those pieces and creates museum quality art furniture. Her handbag, wallet, belt & guitar strap lines all began as ways to use excess leather from her furniture making.

READ MORE After the Break >>>>>>>>>>>

CACTUS: What do you specialize in?

The Lucky Star Gallery specializes in Western High Style! Our home decor, furnishings and art are classic Americana, traditional ranch and rodeo. Whether it be wagon wheel rockers, cowboy boots, antler chandeliers, Navajo rugs or the hand painted whimsy of Monterey furniture we have it. Furthermore, my mom’s line of leather accessories that were inspired by vintage cowboy boots includes custom furnishings, handbags, wallets, belts and guitar straps.

CACTUS: You are very passionate about products made in America, how does that relate to the goals of Lucky Star Gallery?

Our vintage products are all American made, which is important to us – they reflect our history and a level of craftsmanship not seen in most manufacturing today. We made that idea central in our design work, as well, preferring the hands-on quality control we are able to achieve working small and in-house. Our current economic scenario is due in large part to the level of outsourcing our country has allowed. We don’t believe it is good for our workers, our consumers or our country, that’s why we are dedicated to staying American made.

CACTUS: Tell me about the award your mom won this past fall at the Western Design Conference?

The Western Design Conference is the preeminent exhibition of the finest western design in the world. This last September at the 17th annual event in Jackson Hole, WY my mom was awarded the top honor, “Best of Show” for a chair she did called, Painted Ponies. The chair began as a collaboration project with fellow artist, Sonny Tuttle, a Sioux hide painter and proprietor of Red Nations Art. Before the project had gotten past the brainstorming phase, Sonny was killed in an automobile accident leaving a Pow-Wow last summer.

The chair’s design was completely overhauled by my mom following Sonny’s death, to become a tribute to his work. As she always does, my mom began with a vintage piece, a ca. 1942 Chittenden & Eastman overstuffed chair and took it down to its “bones”, and from there she created and brought to life something else entirely. The winning chair is buttery yellow sumptuous leather overlaid with a myriad of intricate designs in leather that mimic the Red Nations Art shawl, painted by Sonny, that drapes gracefully over the back of the chair, regally.

CACTUS: You recently partnered with Sweetbird Studio, how did this come about and what was the result of the collaboration?

The Western Design Conference is a wonderful event to see the work of the best designers and craftsman today, it is also a wonderful event to meet those designers and network. Nancy Anderson, of Sweetbird Studio, stopped by to admire our award winning chair and our handbags, wallets & belts – which sparked her imagination almost as soon as she saw them. She asked us there if we were interested in working together in some way, and being big fans of her things, we jumped at the chance. The collaboration made its debut in December at National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas with our “Sassy” belt line, created to be paired with Sweetbird’s belt buckles, or, as Nancy calls them, “wearable shrines of intention”.

CACTUS: What other partnerships can you imagine working on?

We are open to all kinds of ideas. I am an interior designer by trade and would love to take on a project for a Dude Ranch, motor lodge or Airstream trailer and outfit completely in our cowboy couture style! My mom is always open to trying different things with her design work, as well.

CACTUS: Where do you find your vintage products?

We are treasure seekers, we love the thrill of the hunt! When we are in buying mode, we hit the blue highways and try to find off-the-beaten-path gems. We also like to meet the people selling and get a chance to see the country while we are at it.

CACTUS: Who are some of your favorite Western icons?

Our favorite western icons have mad style! Roy Rogers & Dale Evans, Gene Autry, Tom Mix, etc. And, for his creation of mad western style, we love the design work of Nudie Cohn.

CACTUS: Who are some of your favorite artists?

Buckeye Blake is certainly one of our favorite contemporary western artists, however, others of our favorite artists are largely unknown. We have had the fortunate experience of traveling, meeting artists personally and buying their work for our gallery. We have met and loved the work of artistic genius all over our American west.

CACTUS: What is your proudest achievement as a retailer and/or since the inception of Lucky Star Gallery?

Hands down, the “Best of Show” win at the 2009 Western Design Conference has been our shining moment, one we shared together!

CACTUS: What are the next big events coming up for Lucky Star Gallery?

We are planning to show at the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival at the Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio in April, which should be a hoot! We are excited about some other things in the works: upcoming opportunities with The Autry National Center of the American West and The National Cowgirl Hall of Fame! Stay tuned.

CACTUS: How can people find Lucky Star Gallery/purchase from Lucky Star/work with Lucky STar??

www.luckystargallery.com
customerservice@luckystargallery.com
775-825-2180

 

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Posted on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 5:57 pm under Accessories, Artists, Fashion & Jewelry, Furniture, Interviews, Vintage and . Comment RSS 2.0 feed. Comments/Pings Closed.