Catherine and Linda recently created FOUND by C&L, a partnership with Nordstrom department stores to have what they call Pop-In Shops.
SAN DIEGO — Feel good, luxury fashion. That’s what a San Diego fashion influencer calls the designs at a pop-up store inside Nordstrom at UTC Mall this weekend, when it will be your chance to see luxury fashion made in Mexico.
Linda Waisboard began her fashion career as a stylist for Nordstrom more than a decade ago. Today she has a cult following of loyal customers who want her style.
She and her business partner, Catherine Bachelier, founded The C&L Experience. They call it a California-based costume design and fashion promotion business.
“Fashion is art. Fashion is self expression. Fashion is creativity. Fashion is fun,” Linda said.
Catherine and Linda recently created FOUND by C&L, a partnership with Nordstrom department stores to have what they call Pop-In Shops. They travel the world in search of one-of-a-kind pieces and now bring them to pop-up stores inside Nordstrom on special weekends throughout the year.
“We’re looking for very innovative specialty parts because we know what’s on the floor at Nordstrom, these brands have to be able to compete with the best of the best. We really try to have brands with a heart, with a story behind them, that make you feel something special. We want special because that’s what luxury means,” Linda said.
Linda and Catherine say they find incredible designers and fashion in Mexico. On a trip there, they met Mora Ruiz, a petite fashion designer from Mérida, Yucatán.
“First I saw the quality, I know what quality is. The design behind it. It combines beautifully with the craftsmanship with a modern design. And I spoke with Mora and she told me that all of these are handmade by women,” she explained. Pretty.
Mora was a seamstress for years, making clothes for other stores and brands. Eight years ago she founded her own fashion brand. She says it was her dream all her life. Mora hand-dyes linen and lace. Each design is tailored to the woman who wears it. She showed us a dress that she painted, designed and turned into a print. Then a machine in the Yucatan stamps it onto a natural linen material. Some designs are complicated due to the rich colors that Mora creates on the fabrics.
Mora hires women in Mexico who know how to sew, to make her designs by hand. She gives them the fabric and her design patterns and allows them to take them home, sew them, and then take them away.
“Sometimes it takes them hours and weeks to do it. She can employ these families, support her family and bring these unique pieces to the United States,” Catherine said.
This weekend, this seamstress-turned-fashion designer has her pieces hanging at one of America’s hottest department stores. Prices range from $200 to $800. She says her inspiration comes from her daughter, other women, and life. She wants women to feel like queens when they wear her clothes.
How difficult would it have been for Mora to get into Nordstrom? She says impossible for her alone. She says that she is very grateful to Linda and Catherine. Linda says that these Pop-Ins give discovering designers the exposure to bridge the gap in the American market. For Mora, that starts at the UTC Mall this weekend.
“We want people to know that when they walk into a Nordstrom and buy something, they can really make a difference. They can feel something special,” Linda added.
The FOUND by C&L Pop-In Shop is on the second floor of the UTC Mall Nordstrom from November 10-12.
See Related: Fashion Popup Links Mexican, Latino Designers With US Clients (June 6, 2022)