An Interview With Llani's Designer: Alana Oates

Would you be open to share with us a little something about your beautiful family? My daughter's name Vivian means 'full of life' and our little spitfire lives up to her name! She has endless energy, is as smart as a whip, makes us laugh for hours, and is so kind.
What turns you off? A closed heart.
How closely does your life align with your ideal life? I'm nearly there! I feel grateful for the balance I have and that I truly love my work. If I could add a few things it would be more travel and a bit more open space.
Is there a moment in your life that you would describe as truly magical? A few; My first date with my husband, the final month I spent living in San Francisco, my first independent trip to India, walking into the ocean with my daughter this summer as the sun was setting.

What kind of actions do you take that best express who you are? I'd like to think above all else I am curious, I like to have conversations with people and learn new things. Look at things, figure them out, read stories, and consume.
What is your idea of perfect happiness? The warmth of the sun, a good book, glass of wine and a view of my husband and daughter playing together and hearing them laugh.
Would you be willing to share some of your design and development process with us?  Yes, well, it used to be a very neat and straightforward process where I would put pen to paper and develop a technical sketch that would get sent to a factory and it was all very clear with measurements, and then a sample is made by the technician. Now- I spend more time doing other things and the process is more rushed and messy but I love it all the same. It feels less thought through but more emotional and organic. I'm in constant communication with my team in India, I might see a color I love and I'll snap a pic of it and then I'm doodling on top and grabbing a book to find a picture of what type of technique should be used and then digging in my archive to find the construction it all goes on. So we have this collage of direction and sometimes we nail it or sometimes we go back and revise it many times. It's somehow evolved to this which is much closer to the process I use when I'm in the factory designing face to face with my team.