Hey, Stray Dog Friends! We're thrilled to introduce you to Amy Flurry, a powerhouse in the world of creativity and press expertise. Amy's journey with Stray Dog began during a speaking tour in Chattanooga, where she first encountered our story and instantly saw its potential for capturing attention in the media.
With over two decades of experience as a freelance writer contributing to top-tier publications like Lucky Mag and Country Living, Amy transitioned seamlessly into advising companies on effective storytelling and marketing strategies. Her knack for DIY PR is inspiring, emphasizing the importance of making storytelling easy and compelling for businesses like ours.
Amy's artistic vision and passion for creativity shine through in her work with Aloka Home, a company she co-founded, where vintage textiles are transformed into one-of-a-kind pieces of art. Drawing inspiration from artists like Chatham Murray and Cy Twombly, Amy's leadership at Aloka Home is driving innovation and sustainability in the world of design.
We're honored to have Amy as part of the Stray Dog community, and we can't wait for you to get to know her better!
Hi, Amy! Nice to meet you. How did you get acquainted with Jane and Billy?
I remember first meeting Jane and Billy in Chattanooga when I was on a speaking tour with Recipe for Press, my first book for creative entrepreneurs that showed how to get published, on your own. The Stray Dog story was a perfect example of the kind of story and product and product assortment that editors everywhere would be excited about and it really shows in the press attention Stay Dog has received over the years.
Tell us a little bit about your story as a creative and press expert. How did your story begin and where are you now?
I was a freelance writer, based in Georgia, for twenty years but I contributed mostly to national publications, among them Lucky mag, Country Living, House Beautiful, Jane mag, and more. When I transitioned from writing other people’s stories to advising companies on how to share their story and how to expand their marketing strategies, I began dabbling in product development as well.
I co-founded a small project that conceives highly crafted installations in paper for fashion houses and museums. Of course we didn’t realize that was what we were doing at the time. We simply launched by approaching a boutique in Atlanta, Jeffrey, and asking if we could do their windows and create paper wigs for the mannequins. They let us, but asked that we also do their NY windows in the same fashion. The creative director at Hermes saw them and reached out to us and the next thing you know we have a commission from Hermes for 30 pieces!
What is DIY PR and how did you get into it?
DIY PR is simply understanding that, as a business, you must embrace that communications is so closely connected to commerce so it should be a huge part of your emphasis. Make it easy for people to tell your story. Beautiful photography. A light touch. Concise copy. And a clear point of view.
It’s clear that you are an artist. What is inspiring you to keep creating right now?
Getting to express these things that I have advised others to do with Aloka Home, the company I co-founded with Ashu Ladha and his son, Monik. We are working with the most beautiful, hand-stitched vintage textiles. Starting with something so beautiful, that already exists on this planet and improving on it to become something fresh, reenergized and works well with today’s living is so much fun. We even keep the remnants and these inspire new ideas, new products.
Tell us a little bit more about Aloka Home.
Aloka Home started with vintage quilts, made from layers of saris, that were hand-stitched some 60-80 years ago in India. Ashu Ladha, my partner in Aloka, has a rich history in textiles and deep understanding of custom color and finishing treatments. He had the vision to put together something that is very hard to do: a sustainable business selling one-of-a-kind product. With the support of partners in India, we can consistently curate the best of these quilted blankets and then put them through a multi-step, custom shampoo and softening treatment to refresh them. We overdye them in flower/botanical dyes and put our own creative applications on top of the blankets. Here at home, we make them into pillows, among other things.
What artists inspire you the most?
Chatham Murray, Cy Twombly, Max Ernst, Paul Klee, Andy Cherewick,
