Meet Mary Beth Larkin | Chief Creative Officer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mary Beth Larkin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary Beth, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?

My thought process for starting my own business was to provide a contemporary fashion alternative to athleisure. I noticed women were settling for wearing activewear/athleisure everyday, for all occasions, solely because they desired clothing that was undenieably comfortable. Comfort is what women want, and that left a huge gap in what stylish comfort could look and feel like.  I believe the solution is athglamour which is redefining comfort and style with everyday casual glamour.

athglamour is a registered trademark.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

Twenty years ago, I moved to New York City to embark on my life’s passion to become a fashion designer and study at The Fashion Institute of Technology. One of the first things I noticed was the street was filled with women wearing sneakers paired with chic office attire. It was the oddest oxymoron. NYC is a fashion capital of the world.

Soon I learned these women switched out of their sneakers into heels once they arrived at the office. I vowed I would never do this – I would never marginalize style for the sake of comfort. I spent a month’s rent on Prada boots with 4-inch heels and lived in them day and night because I believed that style reigned over comfort without question.

Was I wrong? Fast-forward 20 years, and now, lo and behold, women wear yoga pants all day long and Chanel has sneakers on the runway. It begs the question what exactly is style these days?

Whether it’s my maturity, or priorities, or both, comfort now leads. But I also want to feel beautiful.

I still have those Prada boots and, sad to say, it’s still a struggle to wear them even for night out. I am no longer willing to sacrifice comfort for style. Equally, I do not want to sacrifice style for comfort. I admit it – I want it all.

My feeling is women should have it all, too.

(IN)LARKIN® is for the woman who is comfortable in her own clothes and comfortable in her own skin.

My greatest achievement is creating (IN)LARKIN and defining a new market segment, athglamour®. Remember this brand was created prior to the pandemic. Now, in a time post Covid and with the instability and insecurity in our economy, consumers are searching for calm and comfort in their lives. The future of fashion will be about clothing that appeals to a global lifestyle of comfort and ease, although, women are no longer willing to sacrifice comfort for style.

My biggest challenge has been to start a fashion brand on a shoestring and survive through the minefield of repercussions of Covid, including shipping, logistics, and manufacturing (to name a few). Additionally, unfortunately, my company also did not qualify for government support. However, this year I was able to open my first brick & mortar store after the success of several Pop-Ups during Covid. Covid forced my team and me to double down. The critical lesson here is persistence and consistency; stick with it, and don’t give up!

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?

A week long trip to Santa Barbara would include:

Dining
Breakfast
Alessia Patisserie
Helena Avenue Bakery
Jeannine’s Bakery
Baker’s Table
Bob’s Well Bread Bakery

Lunch
Cold Spring Tavern
Santo Mezcal
Lucky Penny
On The Alley
Brophy Bros.
McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams

Dinner
SY Kitchen
The Red Barn
The Stonehouse
Plow & Angel at San Ysidro Ranch
The Lark
Loquita
Arigato

Adventures
Lotusland
Old Mission Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Bowl
Granada
Arlington Theater
Captain Jacks Tours

Wineries
Lavender Oak Vineyard
Rusack Winery
Folded Hills

Stay
The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern
Miramar
San Ysidro Ranch
Santa Ynez Inn
For Friends Inn
Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort

Shop
(IN)LARKIN
SY General Store
Valarie’s Vintage

Charlotte’s Vintage Silver & Western Treasures
Brass Tack

Divine Supply
Favor

Tasting Rooms
Carr
CrossHatch

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
They say it takes an ecosystem—not a single individual or organization—to feed, nurture and raise a successful entrepreneurial venture, and this I believe is true. The number one key is having a supportive partner; in my case, my spouse is my rock, my biggest fan and cheerleader day in and day out. I also have a key team member that is an integral part of my day-to-day business affairs, and she has been there since the beginning, which is a true testament to loyalty. As we know, the business environment for start-ups has been very brutal over the last few years; therefore, to have a small team, some of which started as interns three years ago and are still with me, is a true testament to their belief and loyalty to both me and my brand.

Additionally, I have had many advisors and mentors that have been instrumental in my success, including WEV, the Women’s Economic Ventures based in Santa Barbara, California, and the Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Both of these organizations were instrumental in laying the foundation of my business.

Website: www.inlarkin.com

Instagram: iaminlarkin

Linkedin: INLARKIN

Facebook: INLARKIN805