Natty Paint Turns 1 and Talks Future

On Saturday May 1, 2010 Natty Paint feted its one-year anniversary with a concert and party at Loads of Fun on North Avenue in Baltimore featuring music by DJ Lemz, Effervescent Collective, and Lazerbitch among others.

For a brand that’s only been around for the last year, Natty Paint has been making strides towards impacting Baltimore and building into something greater than just a local fashion business. Emily Li Mandri creator of Natty Paint reflects on her first year in business, “I learned how to silkscreen, started printing on vintage clothing, learned how to do garment alterations, and even started making clothes from scratch. I've also gotten a new website, with professional photographs, and have put together a look book for the spring collection. I now have a team of interns and assistants to help me.”

“I want Natty Paint to evolve into a lifestyle, rather than just a clothing company, much like Urban Outfitters.” Says Emily. To this end Natty Paint originally offered t-shirts printed with interesting designs compiled of different figures and shapes all juxtaposed together to create forms that move with the eye and sometimes jump out at you. Wanting to print on my high fashion items, Emily then decided to print on vintage garments seeing them as a good platform to begin working with varied fashions as well as an eco friendly approach.

Only selecting items in mint condition she then sometimes reworks her vintage finds before printing the items with her trademark Natty Paint prints.

For spring Natty Paint offers up a bevy of must haves, like popping colors seen in her selection of a turquoise blazer that she outfitted with white polka dots atop a hidden tiger print. “I definitely wanted a romper, turquoise and purple pieces, daytime and nighttime pieces, and women's and men's clothing,” Li Mandri says of her spring assortment.

Local shops Doubledutch and Shine Collective both carry Natty Paint as well as eco friendly AuH2O (Gold Water) in Manhattan’s West Village in NYC where Lucy Liu and Brie Larson have purchased Natty Paint vintage pieces.

Moving forward Emily say that, “reworked vintage is a very small niche, and it is a good way for me to learn about garment construction, but ultimately I want to have my own line.”

In the fall Emily plans to move to New York where she has applied to New York University Stern for a masters in business administration in hopes of going to school part time all the while using her business knowledge to help grow the company. “I no longer want to be involved in the production process, it's too physically draining and time consuming to me. I feel I would be better off coming up with designs of garments and images to print, and focusing on marketing and finance. I want to be the face of the brand.” Says Emily.