People of the Valley boutique
The new kids on the block
NESTLED NEXT DOOR to The CouseSharp Historic Site is People of the Valley — an atmospheric, well appointed high desert boutique and atelier, celebrating the arts, culture and history of the Southwest. It is the collaboration of artists Petecia Le Fawnhawk and Mark Maggiori, and is their “expression of our lifestyle and aesthetic sensibilities as artists of the Southwest — and giving a nod to stylemakers that came before us.”
Davison Packard Koenig, the director and curator of Couse-Sharp, said this about his new neighbors: “Mark and Peticia’s sensitivity and understanding of the cultural and historical import of Taos has enabled them to create a special boutique store in the heart of the historic district with a strong online presence that captures the brand of Taos. As both artists and entrepreneurs, they have become great collaborators and supporters of the Couse-Sharp Historic Site and our mission of bringing the legacy of Taos to life. In a short amount of time, they made themselves important contributors to the cultural fabric that continues to make Taos such a unique community and destination.”
For Mother’s Day Tempo invited Le Fawnhawk to talk about motherhood, her freshly minted Georgia O’Keeffe dress and love for Taos and the Southwest. She graciously accepted — even as she, Mark and their daughter were navigating appointments and crossing time zones in Europe.
Here are the highlights.
How has being a mother and a daughter shaped your clothes aesthetic?
I’ve always loved the concept of effortlessly chic. While being a mother, artist and entrepreneur, I have very little time to be concerned with getting dressed. Also, my body has changed after pregnancy, and I know mothers like myself want to feel good wherever they may be in their life journey. So my silhouettes are loose draping silks, relaxed tailoring, timeless ensembles that feel also modern, and unique outerwear statement pieces for moments when you want to
make an entrance.
I wanted it to be so that if I walked into my closet with my eyes closed, I’d walk out looking elegant… casual chic in the day and gracefully stunning by night with just a change in shoe and maybe a lipstick. I use the best quality fabrics so that they last and wear well over time in our very active lives.
Please talk about Georgia O’Keeffe and how she has influenced you, the new line, the vision and the making process behind the clothes.
I discovered O’Keeffe beyond knowing her flower paintings after my first visit to New Mexico in 2013. After learning more about who she was and how she loved her life and expressed herself; I felt an immediate deep connection. I’m originally from Texas and Arizona. I had an affinity for the west and the desert. On my walks, I collected stones, bones and natural objects. I photographed the landscapes and did performance art there, too. I started building, sculpting and designing costumes for my desert imagery. I wanted to understand and express the desert like my soul.
The collection came as a desire to create the intangible tangible. To extract the clothes from my imagery of this fantasy character and make it real in the world. Along with my sculptures, I’m trying to bring the same enchantment and mysticism that is evoked in my art into the real world. To not only collect the art, but also wear it. To be part of the Le Fawnhawk universe and live it.
A dear friend and amazing designer and tailor — David Michael with his two girls and wife, Olga Nazarova, who also works in depth with me on the operations and development of the brand — moved to Taos to work with me on developing the collection. It’s been a divine collaboration. With his impeccable tailoring and my vision, we have created something special.
We make everything in our atelier behind our shop, People of the Valley, at the Cabot Plaza. I’ve also collaborated with Taos Pueblo silversmith Lyle Wright on a Capsule collection of jewelery. Fifty percent of profit goes to his ‘Young Artist Fund’ for Taos Pueblo aspiring artists. As well as collaborating with Western Hatter, Mike Marsh.
How do you curate the clothing, accessories and other items in your store?
When my husband, Mark Maggiori and I first met, we were directing and styling music videos. We both have a passion for vintage Americana and the style of the American West. We ended up becoming vintage dealers, and made a moderate success at it, until one day we decided we’d rather be artists. So we put everything in storage until we found this retail front in Taos.
There’s an upstairs loft that we call the cowboy attic, where you can see
Mark’s aesthetic and influence. French workwear, Italian shirts, old denim and everything western. The downstairs is my domain where I curate everything I love, from women’s vintage and modern clothing and accessories to fine fragrances and incense and home decor.
It’s an authentic expression of our lifestyle and aesthetic sensibilities as artists of the Southwest, and giving a nod to style-makers that came before us.
Anything else you’d like our Taos readers to know?
We love Taos. It’s such a special place of such presence, history, culture, nature and art. I love the careful preservation of the local culture and traditions that makes it so unique and inspiring. I love the people here, all so unique, strong, independent and with such stories and wisdom to share. We hope people get a sense of the spirit of Taos and the Southwest expressed through the artistic and stylistic lens. And that this place becomes a haven for people to come and express themselves, to be inspired and to make lasting connections.
We are always looking to showcase local artisans and will start an artist/ artisan featured showcase every first Sunday from 4-6 p.m. where you can meet the artist and discover their work.
People of the Valley are at 108 Kit Carson Road Ste 108A. For details, peopleofthevalley.com.