Holiday shopping, cumbersome as it may be, always leads us to discover a host of amazing brands in our quest for crowd-pleasing gifts. Case in point: Our Heiday, our latest go-to for hand-drawn paper goods and decorative accessories (which we're dishing out in abundance this season). We sat down with owner Patricia Shen to learn more about the adorable line, plus her tips for nailing the perfect present.
Patricia Shen at work.
Is there a story behind the name “Our Heiday”?
"The name is a play on the word 'heyday.' My mom and her four sisters were so invested in my creative growth and all of their Korean names begin with Hei. My sister and I were always walking around with drawing pads in our hands and when we weren't scribbling in that, we were using glue guns or sewing dolls. It feels like this brand is a culmination of those experiences coming together."
When did you begin hand-drawing and teaching yourself technique?
"I was always surrounded by art growing up, but I never had any formal training and was on a stable, desk-job, legal path before starting the company. It was two years into law school at UCLA when I realized that I couldn't read contracts and write briefs for the rest of my career and I needed some sort of creative outlet in my day-to-day. I left law school, threw caution to the wind, picked up a paint brush (which I hadn't done in about 15 years) and went at it. My mom is very artistic and ran a vibrant wholesale business my whole life so the thought of starting from the beginning didn't scare me. She and her four sisters all have creative backgrounds, from painting to graphic design to film, so dabbling in the arts was embedded throughout my childhood."
What's the first piece you ever sold?
"The 'Happy Birthday, Beautiful' card, which is still a part of our line!"
What do you like to gift as stocking stuffers for your gal pals?
"Oh, easy peasy. I love all of the Compartes chocolate bars because their packaging is divine and there's a flavor combination for everyone. It's been so fun pairing them to different personalities. I also love a neutral eye shadow palette—my sister gifted a few of us the Too Faced Natural Eye Palette one year and I love it so much! It's compact enough not to take up so much space in my makeup bag and the perfect size to travel with. From our line, we have these lovely assorted Bouquet box sets and they're great to use anytime of the year, for any occasion."
What's your idea of the perfect hostess gift?
"You can't go wrong with stone coasters from West Elm and jasmine tea from Lupicia—their tea bags feel like silk and are filled so beautifully. Finish with a sweet note on our Thanks So Much card and you're set."
