Class of 1997

Designer STEPHANIE WADDELL draws inspiration from nature.

What do you do with a studio art degree? Waddell tried the logical stuff: working in galleries and museums, writing about the Chicago art scene. But she found herself drawn to the more hands-on world of women's accessories. Last fall Waddell launched Agnes & Hoss (http://agnesandhoss.com), a brand named after her mother's childhood dogs. While the company makes handbags, pillows and scarves, the common thread is fabric. Waddell designs her own patterned fabric (on heavy-weight silk charmeuse), drawing her inspirations from nature.

From pine cones to starlings, each print has a story. One pattern was based on a piece of seaweed she found on Cape Cod. Another was inspired by a eucalyptus branch bought in a local flower shop. Waddell likes to leave her urban Chicago studio and scour a community garden across the street for inspiration. The designer also has a lighting collection (with her fabric on the shades) through Stonegate Designs in Michigan, and she wants to expand to rugs, upholstery fabric and wallpaper.

"I want to create a lifestyle brand for these prints," she says.