Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/549779
I n 1996, Jane Scott Hodges took a dated, but dignified concept — the monogram — and infused it with vibrant colors and bolder scale. Exciting and stylish, Hodges' fresh take on monograms turned the linens industry on its head. Her company, New Orleans-based Leontine Linens, led the way with contemporary monogramming for bed and tabletop that is still going strong. Decades later, the company remains unrivaled for its couture- quality hand-embroidery and linens, made by Kentucky artisans renowned for their exquisite work. Each piece is custom and made to order, via a visit to her chic Magazine Street store or through the website (leontinelinens.com). The beauty is, you can design something totally unique or choose from about 30 styles of embroidered and appliquéd monograms and borders in endless color combinations; each order takes about two months to produce. But haste makes waste, and Hodges' luxuriously paced way of doing business harks back to a lost Old South, when time and attention prevailed. But Leontine Linens' loyal devotees aren't all south of the Mason-Dixon line. They include a top tier of interior designers across the country, from Charlotte Moss to Alexa Hampton, Alex Papachristidis, David Kleinberg, Katie Ridder, Mary McDonald, Ruthie Sommers, Suzanne Tucker and Nathan Turner. The linens appear regularly in Elle Decor, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Veranda and in numerous high-profile decorators' design tomes. BY REBECCA SHERMAN Hodges' book, Linens: For Every Room and Occasion (Rizzoli), tells her own story, as well as how to live with, use and care for fine linens. The book has been a boon. "While we've always been innovators, I feel like we are really firing on all cylinders right now," Hodges says. "With the exposure and success of the book, we've been invigorated. It seems to have inspired our loyal clients and introduced us to a new audience." Hodges, her husband, Philip, and their teenage children moved back to New Orleans two years ago, after relocating post-Katrina to Kentucky, where she had grown up. (Their stunning Greek Revival side-hall house in New Orleans' historic Garden District is featured in the May 2015 issue of House Beautiful.) With Leontine Linens' 20th anniversary approaching in 2016, Hodges is looking at ways to grow the brand, including revamping her 10-year-old flagship store, a salon-like respite of calm tucked amid Magazine Street's many gilded antiques stores. She's also flirting with the idea of opening stores in other places, including Texas, and launching new monogrammed products that are more lifestyle-oriented, such as stationery. She bucks the e-commerce trend; don't expect to see a "Buy it Now" feature added to the website. A click now puts you in touch with someone on their sales team, who calls back within 24 hours, often booking an in- home appointment. "We don't have inventory," Hodges says. "Our customers are not looking for instant gratification; they like creating their own special pieces. And, we like working hand in hand with them." YOU GREW UP IN KENTUCKY, WENT TO BOARDING SCHOOL IN CONNECTICUT AND STUDIED AT TULANE. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO MAKE NEW ORLEANS YOUR HOME BASE? I met my husband, Philip, there, and I had a maternal grandmother who lived there. New Orleans just resonated for me. After Katrina, we did move to Kentucky for a few years. But New Orleans continues to be the siren that pulls me back. WHY MONOGRAMMED LINENS? I was getting married and wanted a trousseau. I'd been looking for heirloom linens, and I had in my head what I wanted, but I couldn't find them. We were getting married in Kentucky, and while there, I discovered the Eleanor Beard studio in Louisville, which was founded in 1921. I went, and they were making beautiful handcrafted linens. I ordered some for myself, then started selling them from our house in New Orleans in 1996. YOU PURCHASED ELEANOR BEARD'S STUDIO IN 2001. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? One morning, I received a call from Beard's studio that the owners had decided to close its doors. It was on my farewell visit when a lady asked, as I literally had one foot out the door, "Would you buy us?" Without a blink, I took a giant leap of faith and purchased the company. When we bought it, we really did not understand just how historic and ground- breaking it was. In those first few days of ownership, we were exposed to the rich archives of catalogs, photography and correspondence outlining Beard's genius approach to her linen business. I realized I was a caretaker of something very historic. WHAT WAS ELEANOR BEARD'S GENIUS? HOW HAVE YOU APPROPRIATED THAT? The Eleanor Beard Studio built its success on the native needle- working talents of local women in Kentucky. In the company's early years under the guidance of Beard herself, the studio was highly in tune with the luxury market and home fashions. She had a store on Park Avenue in New York in the 1920s, and the concept was: Why not create a salon atmosphere where the ladies could sit and talk? Men had their clubs. She opened shops in major cities like New York, Chicago, Santa Barbara and Pasadena, as well as seasonal locations in Palm Beach and Southampton. They were designed as a refuge for clients and functioned as much as a social meeting place as a retail setting. That's what we tried to do at our store. We have this classic product, and we want a place where you can sit and talk about how you live. It's not an impulse buy. You have to think about these things. Women will buy a handbag for a fortune in three minutes, but we'll agonize over a blanket cover for three hours. IT SEEMS YOU SAVED THE ELEANOR BEARD ARTISANS, BUT A FEW YEARS LATER, THEY SAVED YOU. When Katrina hit, we evacuated, and the artisans at Eleanor Beard found places for us for and our employees from the store to live. They are not people of wealth, so it was mostly in their modest homes. That was part of our decision to stay in Kentucky after the hurricane. They gave us a safe haven. WHERE DID THE NAME LEONTINE LINENS COME FROM? My first home in New Orleans was a little cottage on Leontine Street. After struggling over a name for my business, my very down-to-earth father asked me, exasperated, "Why don't you call it Leontine Linens and be done with it?" MONOGRAMS SEEM SO SOUTHERN, BUT YOUR LINENS ARE IN HOMES AROUND THE COUNTRY. Southerners love a good monogram! The aesthetic of a crisp white piqué or cotton with a colorful monogram certainly speaks to the Southerner in me. But really what is so amazing is just how our linens and designs transcend styles. You'd be surprised that the same bed that looks right at home in a bedroom bathed in chintz takes on a whole new personality in an ultra-modern New York City loft. WHAT MAKES A MONOGRAM LOOK MODERN? With each passing year, I become more and more confident, and I think it shows in our collection. Color and scale are paramount to giving linens a modern vibe. The letterform itself can be incredibly traditional, but all that seems to disappear when the monogram is in a shade of chartreuse. For tips from Hodges on caring for fine linens, go to papercitymag.com. "I QUICKLY REALIZED I WAS A CARETAKER OF SOMETHING VERY HISTORIC." Jane Scott Hodges in her New Orleans Leontine shop