ES fashion – How Socrates found a home
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Story
Photos (@jlcederblomphoto)
After years of traveling for exhibits, Holly Socrates wanted a home for her art. During a visit to her hairdresser, who’d just planted new roots on Main Street in downtown El Segundo, Socrates felt wonderfully at home. As she walked the short block to her appointment, she stumbled upon a tiny office with a rental sign, tucked between ESMoA and El Segundo Brewery. At that moment Socrates knew she’d found her haven.
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Socrates majored in advertising at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida. When she completed her studies a year ahead of schedule, her counselor suggested she use her fourth year to take art classes. Socrates thought the classes would be easy, but found them unexpectedly challenging and rewarding.
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Art had always been important to her.
“I grew up in a house where creativity was encouraged. My grandfather was a successful oil painter — he was proud to call himself an artist.”
But after college, Socrates put art to the side to work in nearly every creative industry in the book, including fashion and merchandise management. She even started her own line.
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Then she had two children and and the art fire reignited, progressing quickly.
“As my kids grew, my art grew,” she said.
Socrates likes to muddy up graceful aesthetics with elements such as charcoal and coffee.
“Things like pages in an artist’s sketchbook are normally something we disregard. I want to take what’s been forgotten and give it a second chance.” Most of her works are perfection with a twist. An example is her ballerina series. “They’re illustrate a dichotomy in the human form. Both fragile and powerful.”
Her pint-sized shop became a space for exhibiting art. She also offers design services out of the gallery. “A lot of the inspiration for the gallery doesn’t so much come from art. It’s from architecture and Scandinavian elements,” she said. The 200 square foot space offers jewelry, artwork, candles, cards, linen napkins, and kitchen accessories, all uniquely created by artisans.
Model: Jillisa Lynn
Art Direction: Miray Yalcinkaya
Makeup: Lisa Prather makeupartist411.com
Hair: Dani Hamm
Locations: El Segundo Brewery, Old Towne Music Hall, ?????
Hark+Hammer Made in Los Angeles, designs all of their prints, prints them on silk in Italy, then cuts and sews small batches in Downtown LA. Available at: harkandhammer.com instagram + facebook: @harkandhammer
Handbags and jewelry from Holly Socrates Gallery, 150 Main St, El Segundo. HollySocratesArt.com
Holly Socrates Gallery is located at 150 Main Street, El Segundo.