2014 "Team Helms" in Agra, India
Our family had an incredibly eventful few days several years ago in India for Diwali. We had been in crowded marketplaces surrounded by vibrant fabrics, bowls overflowing with sunset-colored spices and rainbow-tinted gulal (holi powder).
We had walked through or had been driven on crowded streets where vehicles constantly weaved in and out of tight spaces, the sound of horns never let up as drivers used them to indicate absolutely everything. Cows, pigs, elephants, snakes, monkeys - it was more unusual not to see them frequently even in the city. We looked past piles of shoes and took in breathtaking paintings and mosaics at temples.
Conversations during the day weren’t a thing. We’d find ourselves so caught up in the dazzling yet chaotic backdrop of street food, voices, calls to prayer, colorful trucks, and clothing - that words would have been too much. Our senses were in overdrive and we were delighted with every adventure and scene we encountered.
Evenings were different. We usually found ourselves eating outside after the sun had gone down. The stillness of a garden setting and the night sky gave us the chance to connect and recount our day. One person would share their version of the events we had all experienced - and the rest of us would interrupt with laughter and nods of agreement. Everything that we had taken in during the day - when we were too overwhelmed to talk - it came spilling out around the dinner table. Those were the beginning days of “Team Helms” and I’m forever grateful for them.
When we had the opportunity to move into our new space on Henkel Square, recreating the intimate feeling of those dinners ten years ago was important to me. That “Team Helms” feeling was a large part of why Sapana was created. Giving back through earning opportunities to the places that made my family stronger - that’s at the heart of the brand.
I wanted our customers to experience color, shapes, and textiles while understanding their heritage. The space needed to be minimal so our fabrics could be the focal point. I wanted a comfortable store where people were encouraged to sit and connect over shared passions like traveling. textiles, or all things creative. I reached out to Lauren Wills Grover with Wills Design Associates with my brand colors, wish list, and let her take things from there.
When Lauren came in with her sketches and presentation - she was soft spoken but her eyes were bright with excitement. She quickly said “yes” when I asked if I could order the block and screen print upholstery fabrics from a family that’s very dear to me in India. I think I said “yes, yes, and yes” to almost every idea she presented.
As everything started to come together …. I panicked. I tried to keep “Anxious Jolie” at bay but my nerves got the best of me. I simply couldn’t visualize how all of this was going to work. What had I gotten myself into? Lauren and her assistant, Emily, could not have been more patient with me through those moments - all the while they held firm to their original plan and encouraged me to trust the process.
The result …. I’m absolutely smitten with it. When I walk in the doors every morning I’m greeted with “beautiful things made by good people” (including our sign and arches that my husband made for me). At the end of a busy day, I can sit on the couch and I’m reminded of our brand missions and I’m inspired to dig in and “level up” (my personal motto of late). The store itself makes me excited to grow the brand - and that’s how we are going to help small businesses (in the places I love) grow alongside us.
Now, I need both of my kids in town at the same time (passive-aggressive mom hinting right there) along with my husband - so that we can get a more current “Team Helms” photo.
Amber Elliot with the Houston Chronicle included our new space in a recent article about Round Top:
Round Top Antiques Show fall 2024: Marburger Farm announces new dates (houstonchronicle.com)
"Team Helms" in Jaipur, India 2014
Some of Lauren's sketches. (Left) The former Teague's Tavern Bar was wrapped in cane and trimmed in one of our branding colors. This dramatically changed the space. (Center) The alcove was curtained for a dressing room and storage. The first tailoring family Sapana worked with made our curtains. (Right) A proposed seating area that quickly became a favorite spot for making coat decisions and having conversations.
The finished seating area. The fabric for the couch and chairs are a screen print done by hand by the first family Sapana worked with, the same family who makes our Dhurrie Bag Collection.
The fabulous Lauren Wills Grover and Baby Lucy