Preparation
The world really is Serena Dugan’s oyster. A globe-trotter who studied psychology, art, and textile design, she collects pearls of inspiration (fabric swatches, art books) and mental snapshots (a palm leaf in Brazil, a Luis Barragán building in Mexico City) everywhere she goes. “I store them in my memory bank and draw from it for my work,” she says of the colorful, graphic wallpapers and fabrics in her eponymous line.
Dior Addict Lip Glow in BerryLust for Life by Irving StoneDrybar Double Shot Oval Blow-Dryer BrushRay-Ban Wayfarer Classic SunglassesVitamix A2500
Five years ago, Dugan stepped away from Serena & Lily, the brand she cofounded 13 years prior and helped grow from a baby-nursery catalog to an upscale home marketplace. Her plan was to paint full-time (she sells her canvases at galleries and on her website), “but I realized I still had a million other ideas I wanted to express,” she says. Now, the mom of two starts most days sketching in her studio, dressed in a shirt, comfy jeans, and a good-luck charm or two in the form of jewelry from her grandmother. “They’re wearable totems,” she says. “I like to fill my home and closet with meaningful items.” Dugan’s patterns are infused with what she calls the “traveler’s spirit,” noting, “We are at our freest when we are exploring and seeing new things. I want to capture that feeling in my prints.”
