In Store

A local designer finds a home for her breezy bohemian creations, and her dog approves.

Photography by Punker Brice

As she unpacks a shipment of handbags and welcomes customers to the new Eco Atelier at Gilman Village, clothing designer Lizzie Parker sums up her aesthetic with a cocktail partyesque one-liner: Her clothing is “French boho,” and all about “looking great without trying too hard.” Parker, a curvy, statuesque beauty with a swingy auburn bob, embodies that chic-yet-understated philosophy in her black scarf top and turquoise jodhpurs. Known for beautifully draping knits in certified organic bamboo, Parker wholesaled for three years before opening her own shop in April. With ample room to design and sew everything on site, she proclaims the space “absolutely perfect.”

Parker believes that fashion is changing: “It’s not about seasons — or what some celebrity is wearing. People want ‘buy now, wear now.’ They want to know where it is made — and they want it to fit.” Breezing through the racks, she shows off new colors (marine blue, apple green) and some of her most popular designs. Her sidekick, Angus, a three-month-old bulldog, barks in appreciation. The lineup includes a slouchy “boyfriend tee” in tissue-weight cotton jersey, a multi-style “infinity” dress, a fashion-tie-dye maxi dress and leggings with ruched ankle detail. Does she have a typical customer? No. Her designs translate easily to diverse ages and figures. She has sold the same style of dress to a teenage girl and a sixty-five-year-old woman — “and they both looked amazing.”

As we sit chatting, Parker spies Angus gnawing the heel of my shoe. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she says, shaking her head. “I swore I’d never be one of those indulgent dog people, but now I am! My assistant, Mandie, says I should put him in an argyle sweater, but the only thing he’s going to get is a spike collar. Or maybe, if I have a weak moment, some plaid shorts — because, you know, he’s named after Angus Young from AC/DC.”

Lizzie Parker Eco Atelier
Gilman Village
317 NW Gilman Blvd, Suite 41
Issaquah, WA 98027
425.427.0708
Monday – Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday: 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m