The Woman behind June St. George

An interview with Ally-Catherine, founder of the bespoke June St. George

When we decided last minute to enter our master refresh into the spring One Room Challenge, I reached out to June St. George to to see if they would like to partner to design bespoke details for our space. My inquiry was met with a welcoming response from the most charming of women.

Through messaging, she guided me through choosing our monogram, colors, and overall designs. My idiosyncrasies, decision fatigue (which I have found can be a common side effect of the renovation process) and perfectionism were met with friendly, accommodating replies and quick turnarounds. Featured below is the design from one of our bespoke pillows that will be revealed for The One Room Challenge.

Once we finalized the design it occurred to me I had never asked her name. Up popped a photo and an introduction from Ally-Catherine. I was floored the owner of June St. George herself worked with me so tirelessly. Her answer, “We truly are bespoke.”

We chatted for quite a while, learning of our similar backgrounds, our roots in the south, the importance of family and heritage, and even the uncanny placement of each of our homes in communities surrounded by nature, trails, and large plots of land. Truly two women who appreciate and cherish fine southern country living.

It was not long before I realized this was no longer just a partnership, but a budding friendship, that this is an amazing woman I want to continue to get to know, and that I most certainly would publish a feature on her story.

I would have loved to sit down with Ally-Catherine over tea or coffee, but geographical distances, personal schedules, and the lingering effects of the pandemic would prove challenging for such a meeting, especially for Ally-Catherine, who is bravely treating a recently diagnosed health condition while still appearing to effortlessly run her business.

When I said she is a remarkable woman, I meant it. In the short time I have known her, I have discovered a beautiful woman, both inside and out. I have an inherent trait for identifying truly gifted and good hearted people very early on in meeting them. Ally-Catherine is most decidedly one of those people.

But now I will let her speak for herself. I sent her a list of questions, and in her truly bespoke fashion, she obligingly agreed to answer. Without further ado, meet Ally-Catherine.

Q. Tell us about the namesake for June St. George.

I fell in love with textiles and patterns when I studied textiles at Central St. Martins in London, so “St. George” is a nod to the Patron Saint of England. And I had to honor my trusty sidekick, June Sailor, my sweet 13year old puppy who is often the star of our photos. So June St. George is a combination of my heart and my passion.

Q. How would you define what bespoke means to you?

Bespoke is beyond custom. We work with every single client to ensure the design, colors, shape, size, personalization and details are a reflection of their personal style. I oversee each selection made with the Design Your Own tool and make suggestions before every piece is put into production.

Every design can be even further customized and we often incorporate meaningful motifs for our clients. We incorporated Fleur De Lis into our Tivoli design for a New Orleans family, we have incorporated eight monograms into a piece for a grandfather of eight, and we have even combined two designs to create a round medallion on a rectangular office rug. The designs offered on junestgeorge.com are only limited by our client’s imagination!

We compare it to a bespoke suit. There is off the rack where you simply choose your size, there is custom that you can maybe alter or change up the color and then there is bespoke where we have the suit pattern, but the fit, finish, and details are all up to you!

When we created the Design Your Own tool with real time rendering, we wanted to give our clients the flexibility to design in their own home, at their own pace, on their own terms – it was a new, unique, fresh perspective on bespoke that we are so proud of. But we also offer our clients the opportunity to work with a professional designer on the same terms. Bespoke at June St. George means celebrating your bespoke life – no matter how you choose to do it!

Q. Can you tell us a little about your background? Have you always had an interest in textile design?

I was always sketching furniture and drawing patterns as a child. I had an American Girl “Mini Room” that you could change all the wallpaper and rearrange the furniture – it was my absolute favorite toy. My mom, Pippa, encouraged me to explore interior design when I chose High Point University and from my first class, I was hooked.

I received my bachelor of science in Interior Design from High Point University. Interior design is inclusive of so many facets of design and textile design was one area that continued to catch my eye. I honed my textile design skills at Central Saint Martins. I was so blessed to attend college in the capital of interior design – there was inspiration in every corner of High Point, especially during market. I had the opportunity to work with incredible designers and I designed trend banks for the International Textile Market Association. At Central Saint Martins, one of my professors (and now a treasured friend!) also taught Alexander McQueen, so to say I was learning from the best of the best was an understatement.

Q. As a fellow southerner, I couldn’t help but notice June St. George is based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Have you always lived in the south, and would you say it influences your style?

I was born in Louisiana and have lived in Texas, Kentucky, and Miami but North Carolina is home. It absolutely influences my style. Monograms are such a big part of Southern culture, so I knew I wanted to incorporate monograms, crests, or personalization on my pieces. One of my favorite parts of Southern culture is how we treasure family heirlooms – I cherish my grandmother’s wooden jewelry box that is engraved with her monogram. I love the idea of passing down monogrammed items and honoring your loved ones by using their initials.

Q. You have such a striking logo. Can you tell us a little bit about what inspired it?

I knew from the very start that I wanted to use a classic color, so I used Pantone’s French Blue – it is so versatile, eye-catching and timeless! Because I knew monograms would be part of what made June St. George special, I wanted to intertwine my letters to create the logo – it is a J and G intertwined and the dot stands for the St.

Q. How do you approach designing your pieces? Is there something in particular that sparks your creative process?

I have always been inspired by travel. My goal is to always have visited more countries than my age and can’t wait to continue my travels.

Each design is named for the experience, location, or person that inspired it! The Fjord, for example, is inspired by the Nordic symbols my sister and I explored when visiting Scandinavia. I have such happy memories from sailing down Norway’s fjords with her, so I incorporated many meaningful symbols in the piece. My sister has this rug in her living room!

The Pinehurst Collection is named after the street my grandparents lived on in Mississippi, which was filled with gorgeous magnolia trees.

The Pinehurst Collection is named after the street my grandparents lived on in Mississippi, which was filled with gorgeous magnolia trees. I always leave room for my clients to leave their stamp on the designs as well. Each design has an area for personalization, and each design is created in grayscale so the client can choose the colors that reflect their style and home.

Q. What is a typical day like for you at June St. George?

It varies so much and that is the most exciting part of my day! I like to start the day with orders and client communication. I know when I order things, I’m waiting by the door in excitement, but every piece of June St. George’s collection is hand-crafted – our rugs are hand-tufted and our pillows are hand-sewn – and it takes time. In a world of instant gratification and fast-fashion, it is easy to get impatient, but our sustainable, ethical approach to creating a lasting family heirloom is worth the wait. I like to communicate often with our clients to ensure they feel valued while their pieces are being lovingly crafted.

I like to check every inch to make sure it is perfect. I wrap it all up with love, a JSG tote bag, wax sealed handwritten note, and care guides.

I look over each order and the client’s selections and chat with them to make sure all their selections will meet their design goals. I put together their monogram with their initials and place each letter so it’s balanced in the design.

I also package every piece myself. I like to have my hands on the products, and even though we have finishing teams that check color correctness and pull anything with defects before it reaches our studio, I like to check every inch to make sure it is perfect. I wrap it all up with love, a JSG tote bag, wax sealed handwritten note, and care guides. Once I ship out the orders, I like to take some time to be creative. I am always working on new designs or perfecting working ideas.

Q. I know this may be akin to asking you to choose a favorite child, but do you have an all time favorite design?

It really is impossible to pick a favorite design. I have Willa Heart Dogs in my bedroom and I’m adding a Fawn Spot rug to my sitting area. I just ordered an 11×17 Evelyn collection rug, so that is my favorite “new” design – I can’t wait to see it in such large scale. The Clementine Grace and the Gatsby were the first Signature Collection pieces I designed so they really hold a special place in my heart! Every time a client creates a new color combination or orders a new design for the first time, I swear it’s my favorite – until the next one comes in!

Q. Can you give us a hint as to what you are currently working on that we can look forward to in the coming months?

We are about to officially launch the second Willa Heart Collection. We have such a wonderful relationship with Aly and are excited to expand the popular collaboration! We just launched the Dana Gibson Collection, a three piece capsule collection available in our Designed Shoppe. We are always adding to our Signature Collection and we are always testing new ideas and products – we never launch anything until we know it is perfect! June Sailor is very excited that we will be adding something for our furry friends in the very near future…

Q. What have been the most challenging and rewarding parts about forming and running a small woman owned business?

When I started, it was very difficult to find the right manufacturing partner. It was a very “old boys club” and it was hard to establish my “one off” bespoke rugs at my desired accessible price point. Either the rugs were made cheaply with poor quality materials or the rugs were only available to clients working directly with interior designers in their areas (not to mention the high price point on these). I finally found the right partner who values quality, sustainable material with ethical labor and high quality rugs that understood that we wanted an entry level price point of under $300. My pillows are made in the South, so working with these companies has been so rewarding.

The way family has rallied around me to support my health makes me all the more appreciative of heirlooms – a way to celebrate your family and its history.

I’m fairly open about my private life, including my rare autoimmune condition. I always want to give my business 110% of my energy, but after being diagnosed with Relapsing Polychondritis I have had to learn to balance health, well-being, and work. I work all sorts of hours and am grateful I can take a few hours in the middle of the week to receive my infusions but pick right back up without having strict office hours. The hustle culture can be inspiring to follow your dreams and work hard to reach them, but being able to take time for yourself and not let your full identity be wrapped up in your business can be a challenge. My autoimmune has quickly taught me that going full force for too long will take its toll. I have to take time to simply go on a walk with June Sailor and cook healthy meals. The way family has rallied around me to support my health makes me all the more appreciative of heirlooms – a way to celebrate your family and its history.

Q. If you could sit down for tea with one person from the past, who would you choose?

Queen Victoria. Her and Albert’s expansion of the arts has had such a lasting and expansive impact on the art community. I love her no-nonsense and fearless leadership as a woman. Framed beside my bed is a letter fragment with Queen Victoria’s signature and handwriting that I received as a gift. I also have several pieces from her China pattern and even a tea cup from 1840 commemorating her marriage to Albert. I want to do a rug inspired by it, but I think I’m intimidated to approach it!

Q. Tell us one thing most people don’t know about you.

My other passion is cooking and baking. My grandmother has passed down her Southern fried chicken recipe to me and I have perfected it! My dad loves my cast iron steak, my sister loves my Earl Gray infused Swiss buttercream I make for our tea time, and June Sailor loves anything that drops on the floor. In the spirit of heirlooms, I think recipes are so special to pass through generations!