Los Angeles design firm Transition State, helmed by Lauren Schneider, Kelli Riley, and Jenna Rochon, has just launched Current Collection–a carefully curated collection of elevated pillows and bedding. Trust us, if you’re a design lover, you’ll want these products on you radar!
To announce the collection, the design trio recently enlisted the help of some amazing Los Angeles brands, local artists and boutiques to tell a story of community, artistry, and collaboration. They share more:
THE WHY
The journey to the Current Collection began back in early 2019. As our projects were growing more complex, we were finding it harder to source high-quality throw pillows that didn’t overwhelm the architecture of the furniture, and complemented the overall design. We were uninspired by most of the colors and styles on the market, which we regularly found to be too feminine, too midcentury, too bohemian, or too rustic to fit within our aesthetic. We often found this accessory to be the single greatest factor in cheapening the overall look of a home. So with Kelli Riley’s background in fashion textiles and product development, we decided to create the products we had been searching for. Our goal: to construct a collection of high-end, custom-quality pillows that our clients could have–in hand–in about a week’s time without all of the legwork of sorting through swatches and ordering from fabric suppliers or specialty upholsterers.
THE PROCESS
We began by sourcing different domestic textile mills that specialized in linen fabrics. We tried different qualities, textures, and weights. Then we worked with a dye house in Los Angeles to create the perfect palette for neutral basics using hand-formulated dye lots. We searched far and wide to find the only local embroidery house in LA still doing chenille embroidery, which has now been largely outsourced to European vendors due to the complexity of the embroidery process. All of our pieces are designed and manufactured in LA, and packaged and shipped directly by our team. It’s a labor-intensive process, but it allows us to stay directly involved in production as well as support our local LA community.
HOW IT STARTED
The Current Collection was originally set to launch in April of 2020. We had booked the product line photoshoot, and had just placed our first production order.
Like many small business owners, the realities of the Covid-19 crisis sent us straight into survival mode. We cancelled the launch and terminated the entire product division. Covid-imposed separation was hard on us–as individuals, as friends, and as business partners. It held up a mirror we couldn’t avoid. But the time apart from our friends, families, and each other showed us just how busy and unbalanced our lives had become, and the importance of our homes as a place where we can truly slow down and gain perspective on the things that really matter.
2020 brought us back to the meaning of our firm’s namesake, Transition State. In the moments of the most uncertainty comes the opportunity for the greatest, most powerful change. Late last year, we came together in an all for one, one for all Transition State-style meeting where we made a new commitment to following our dreams and growing our company in a way that felt meaningful. We made peace with the instability 2020 had delivered to our doorsteps and we got back to work designing and producing our product line.
THE ENSEMBLE
When it was time to plan the re-shoot for the collection, we couldn’t imagine a better place than in DTLA where the Current Collection was born. We approached Stephen and Beks of @StephenKennLoft, a gorgeous space with amazing bones and finishes that truly embody the spirit of quality craftsmanship and fine detail. We then enlisted the help of our friends and colleagues to re-envision the space. We wanted to tell a story of individuality, authenticity, and passion for beauty in Los Angeles. Coming together as a community to highlight and share each other’s work gave this rebirth so much more meaning as we embraced the opportunity to highlight the amazing LA design community and illustrate that the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts.
THE SHOOT
Within a six-hour time frame, we emptied Stephen’s loft, installed four, fully styled rooms which included new furnishings and art installations, shot the entire product line and had everything picked-up and returned to our Ensemble partners by the end of the day. Rome may not have been built in a day, but Stephen’s loft certainly was.
THE RESULTS
Our 2021 Winter Lookbook is not only a great illustration of how we would style our product for our clients, but also a great expression of all of the components we look for when designing a space. There is a kind of magic that comes from curating each piece with intention. We knew those who followed us on social media would want to see a blend of tailored but relaxed styling combined with calculated risk-taking and an art-forward point of view.
We hope you find our collection to be smartly bold. It’s made for the client who recognizes how one successful accessory can take the whole look to the next level. The client who is unafraid to stand out in a crowd and appreciates self-expression as a form of self-care.
Every week we break down the origin of each piece in our line with a story board of the fashion and interior design inspiration we used to create the design. You can find this on Instagram, in a segment we call “The Edit”. Follow along here.
We hope you enjoy the Current Collection!
