Meet Lauren Zatulove of Antheia

I'm so excited to start off my small business series with an interview with Lauren Zatulove, the visionary force behind Antheia - a sustainable and earth-friendly dress brand. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Lauren is a recent graduate of Babson College. Her journey to entrepreneurship took a unique path, as she balanced her passion for track during college while nurturing her creative instincts, ultimately giving life to Antheia. Join me as we dive into how Lauren's creativity, determination, and love for sustainability came together to create something truly special. Let's jump into it with Lauren!

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your backstory? 

Thank you so much for including me! My name is Lauren and I’ve always loved creating things and bringing visions to life. I have always balanced athletics with art until I recently had to step away from athletics and decided to embrace new creations with my time.

Tell us about Antheia and its mission. What inspired you to start Antheia?

Antheia is a brand made to celebrate women along with our femininity and strength. It always upset me how so many female brands were tailored to just certain types of women - whether that be sizes of models, colors of skin, etc. Therefore, I wanted to create a brand that instead embraced women as a whole along with all of our uniqueness. I was inspired to start Antheia so I could change the narrative within the fashion world in terms of diversity as well as lead with an ethical business approach.

Where does the name “Antheia” come from?

“Antheia” was a greek goddess who was the goddess of swamps and flowery wreaths. Her name means blossom. To me, the goddess Antheia models femininity. One wouldn’t necessarily think of femininity when referring to swamps, and that’s why I love that aspect of Antheia because it shows femininity can be whatever we would like it to be.

What makes Antheia different from other dress brands on the market? 

First and foremost, Antheia is different from other brands because we make it a priority to use ethical manufacturing processes and we offer high quality designs in sustainable fabrics. Additionally, Antheia is different from other brands because our whole brand is built on the empowerment of women and we always lead with this mission in mind!

What would you say has been your biggest struggle in starting your own business? 

The biggest struggle in starting my own business has been the solitary nature of it. It can be quite a lonely process when you are taking an idea from your own mind and quite literally bringing it to life. In order to keep costs low, I don’t really have a team so I’d say the solitary aspect of starting a company has been my biggest struggle. There’s nobody to turn to when seeking answers or advice, and that’s what makes it hard - yet also really exciting and fulfilling when I do something right.

Do you have a favorite dress in your collection? If so, what is it? 

Honestly, I don’t think I could choose a favorite dress in my collection. It would be like choosing which of your children is your favorite haha! Everything I make feels very much like an extension of myself, like a child would to a mother. This is funny to say but is very true.

What are your goals for Antheia? Any exciting new product launches coming out? 

My biggest goal for Antheia would be growing the company so that more women all over the US (and possibly eventually outside of the country) know about the brand and can feel a part of the community that I would like to build with the brand. In doing so, I intend on designing more dresses for future launches as well as even expanding my product line to more pieces of clothing that make women feel confident.

Where do you find inspiration? Is there an account on Instagram you love to follow? 

I really love the instagram account @odeandiefreude which posts about female artists, ecofeminism, as well as just providing really grounding content. The way that the account celebrates women inspires me to do the same with my brand.

Do you have any self care rituals? 

I find it really important for me to spend time alone. It’s one of the biggest ways I can care for myself and invigorate myself. I consider myself an introvert, so I get drained by being around people for long periods of time. Being alone charges me up again and also provides me with a creative mindset. I am able to do my best work and come up with my best ideas when I am in solitude. I’d also add forms of meditation to my list of self care. I don’t think meditation has to always mean what people envision it to be - when one is sitting down with their eyes shut. Meditation, to me, is taking a moment to really put yourself in the present and let go of past and future thoughts. Being present is really important for my well being and also for my creating processes.

What are your top 3 favorite places in LA? 

I really love spending time close to the water in LA! The ocean breeze is the best. I’d have to say my favorite spots are Santa Monica, Malibu, and Venice.

Tell the audience where they can shop Antheia and follow you!

You can shop Antheia online at www.wearantheia.shop as well as follow us on instagram @wearantheia! We are also on tiktok @wearantheia and maybe eventually we’ll be in some cute local boutiques! :) Love you all, thank you.

Thank you Lauren!