Meet Zaira Fuste-Bonet | Owner & Designer at Lolilumi

We had the good fortune of connecting with Zaira Fuste-Bonet and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zaira, every day, we ask about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), majoring in Fashion Design. Before Lolilumi, I had a wedding business where I would make custom wedding gowns for brides all the way from making the design/illustration to making the pattern myself and sewing the gown. After I had my first born, I took a break from this business because we couldn’t afford a daycare and I didn’t have enough time to run all the operations of the business and take care of a newborn full-time.

In 2020 with a 3 year old and a 6 month-old, I found myself with some time in my hands, I began feeling the urge to start creating again. I struggled for some time trying to find what I wanted to work on. During this time, the pandemic came out in full swing. Being locked down, trying to find things to do, I received requests from friends & family asking me to make them face masks when it was almost impossible to find them.

I began making adult ones with fabric that I already had at my house and made some children’s masks for my oldest son with fabric that had cute designs, his favorite characters, etc. I noticed more friends and even strangers asking for cute and fun masks for their kids after I started posting my creations on Facebook. This is when Lolilumi was born.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Lolilumi focuses on childrenswear and hair accessories for kids and adults. Believe it or not, my favorite part of all is making custom orders. It brings me joy knowing that people trust me and my work enough to create custom garments or accessories for them. Having worked on wedding gowns for so many years and being in this industry where the clients are paying attention to every little detail, made me even more meticulous about my work.

It has definitely not been easy to build a small business while staying at home with my youngest and juggling a lot of things at the same time. The time I get to work on my business during the day is limited with him at home, but you try planning for the day and make it work one day at a time. There are some days where you barely get some sleep because your only “free” time to work on the business is at night after the kids’ bedtime, but I know this is part of what being a small business owner is all about. If you love what you do then it never feels like “work”, and that’s how I feel about it. I enjoy working on my business, especially the creative part of it. It’s therapeutic for me to sit down and sew, make beautiful hair bows and headbands; I get in the zone and go into my own little world while doing it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There’s so much to do in Atlanta and the outer parts of this city. Whenever we have friends visiting we try to take them out as much as possible and show them a little bit of everything. So many breweries to choose from, but some of our personal favorites are Dr. Scofflaw at The Works and Glover Park in the Marietta Square. Ponce City Market, the Westside and walking on the Beltline is always a good idea. There are so many great local restaurants to choose from in this city. The Battery is also a great place to go grab something to eat, drink and if you are in town during baseball season, going to see a Braves game is a must! We are huge baseball fans and Braves fans so we are proud to call them the World Champions of 2021. We also love going up north to the wineries and spend a Saturday afternoon hoping through some of the vineyards in Dahlonega and Cleveland. Our favorites are Cavender Creek Vineyards, Wolf Mountain Vineyards and Yonah Mountain Vineyards.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Right before the pandemic, being a stay-at-home mom with some time on my hands, my creative side was trying to come up with ideas! I started sewing things for my kids and for other babies as baby shower gifts, such as personalized burp cloths and baby blankets. One of my closest friends, Coralys, was always pushing me to make childrenswear and start an online shop. She always knew I had it in me, even though I was hesitant because I wasn’t really into the “childrenswear industry”. A huge part of me creating Lolilumi was thanks to her!

My family and many of our close friends have always been very encouraging and supportive. My husband Carlos, has been my number one supporter and has always believed in me since day one! Thanks to him, I’ve been able to not only stay home with my boys, but also build this small business from the ground up.

Website: www.lolilumi.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lolilumishop

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lolilumishop

Other: Email: hello@lolilumi.com