Liz Eichholz
Co-Founder & Creative Director, Weezie
All of us at Frances Hart love our super soft towels from Weezie! Can you tell us more about the brand and the idea behind it?
Thank you! I *may* be biased, but they really are the best of the best. It was my experience registering for towels when getting married that first inspired Weezie! I was so excited to get my first set of really nice “adult” luxury towels after living with quite the hodgepodge. I had the classic moment standing in front of a towel wall with my registry gun, and all of a sudden, feeling that excitement turned into annoyance. I was researching the differences between brands, why price points were so vastly different, researching jargon, etc, and I felt more confused than before. I finally took a blind recommendation from my mom (even though she couldn't really tell me why they were “nicer”). Then, when they arrived, I was disappointed by the quality and embroidery. They felt soft but didn’t actually dry me off, and I didn’t love embroidery style with my initials (enter Weezie’s custom embroidery preview!). The rest of the story is more about the alignment of stars: Lindsey and I somehow started chatting about this riveting topic. It was one of those conversations that just spiraled until we hypothesized that there was actually a hole in the luxury towel market. We felt like there was an opportunity for someone to create the highest quality towel with a fresh brand, with the towel as the champion of the assortment (not an afterthought to sheets). The rest is history, as they say! We worked on soliciting customer input, defining the “perfect towel” (equal parts soft, fluffy, and absorbent), and finding a manufacturer that could create exactly what we wanted. We were able to discover a proprietary spinning technology which is our real “secret sauce” and why (beyond the best materials and practices) we know ours really is the best on the market. We worked on product and brand for about a year and then launched in October 2018! It’s been a wild ride and such a dream all at the same time.
We know that your manufacturers are based in Portugal. What has it been like building a brand with an overseas manufacturing partner, and what have you learned from this family who has deep expertise in terry and cottons?
It’s really been incredible. I have been told time and time again that succeeding in business is equal parts hard work and luck–the harder you work, the luckier you get. Finding our manufacturer was just that. We hustled and hustled and were told no so many times I can’t count, but then we stumbled upon this amazing manufacturer and for some reason (to this day they even say they just “had a feeling”), they decided to take a huge chance on us. I love being exposed to new cultures and travels, so that has been a cherry on top, but I also thank my lucky stars each week that we get to partner with such an incredible company. The factory is family-owned, and they have been manufacturing towels for 100 years. In our last visit, they told us Weezie is the highest quality they have ever achieved. Gives me chills every time I say it! Beyond that, they share the same priorities as us: the best materials, avoiding unnecessary chemicals, a clean facility, workers that are treated fairly and with respect, etc. etc. You have to put so much trust in your manufacturer, so it’s so important to work with the right partners.
SHOP LIZ’S LOOK: MAXINE DRESS IN GREEN GINGHAM
What is one part of running your business that you couldn't have forecasted you’d enjoy as much as you?
Content! I still wear too many hats and need to get better at delegating (2023 goals), but if I could just be hired for a “job” at Weezie it would be content strategist. I love doing our Instagram, thinking about tiktok, exploring new channels, working on email strategy, thinking about blog posts, etc. I would love to have an editorial wing of Weezie one day! I went to art school, and I am classically trained as a graphic designer, so I naturally love all things design and shoots and the traditionally creative tasks but this one was more unexpected!
As a Texas gal who now lives in Savannah, Georgia, how do you think your Southern roots have influenced the Weezie brand?
It’s no secret that southerners are typically more hospitable–although after living in NYC some of the kindest and warmest people I have met are from the North, so I don’t know that it’s a “fair” stereotype–but I do know that it’s put warmth, being welcoming, hosting, etc. into my DNA. One of the reasons I was even registering for “nice” towels was because I had guests coming! I wanted our brand to exude these same characteristics from day 1. We are producing the most luxurious towels money can buy, BUT I didn’t want our brand to feel stuffy: We are inviting everyone in, we are explaining things in layman’s terms, and we are trying to be fun and inviting. During my initial towel hunt, I found it so confusing that I felt like an outsider looking in, and I didn’t want that feeling. For my personal taste, I think visually on things like interiors it’s made me lean a bit more traditional–but fun. I love a mix, and I hope that shows up visually in the branding and photography as well. Luxury, but make it fun!
You have two young daughters and are expecting your third (congratulations!) What is a lesson that your parents instilled in you that you hope to pass along to your own daughters?
My mom has never faltered in instilling in us the importance of family. She puts her family above all. I have always known it is the most important thing to her and she sets her priorities and actions accordingly–truly walks the walk. My parents actually just moved from Austin, TX to Savannah, GA to be closer to me and my brother and the grandkids! My dad has always taught me that I could do anything with hard work and has advised me every step of the way on Weezie. When I was little he would make me repeat “I can do anything I set my mind to” over and over again. I thought it was silly, but looking back, he really made me believe that I could *if* paired with hard work. The quote I touched on earlier “the harder you work, the luckier you get” comes from him. He is always available to me and puts so much genuine thought into helping me with any issue, but has, been especially helpful with navigating launching a company. I hope one day my girls find me as helpful as I find both of my parents.
How do you go about scheduling and managing your day between work and parenthood? Any tried and true tips that help make life easier, more sane or more fun?
It’s chaos. I am not in a position to give tips, but I welcome any and all tips anyone else has!
Right now we are just in survival mode. We could not function without helpful families, amazing schools, and an incredible nanny–we are continually thanking our lucky stars that we have so much help. Also I will say my husband and I really do split things as close to 50/50 as we can get right now. Everyone has a different setup and I always found this topic to be dauntingly rosy before I had kids or with young babies–we are still figuring it out and have a third girl due 10/24 so I’m sure whatever we do have “figured out” will all get flipped on its head! Ha!
We love your use of color and pattern throughout your home decor! Now that you are setting up your third nursery, do you have any favorite brands or products for creating beautiful yet functional spaces for kiddos?
My take on nursery decor is probably not a popular one: I try to really not spend much money there since they outgrow it so quickly! I just did a “big girl” room and felt like I could invest a bit more there since it will be standing strong until I can no longer fight teenager opinions. I snagged these two day beds that I think would be adorable for a nursery at a great price from World Market!
Frances Hart was founded with the idea that women (mothers in particular) deserve higher quality and better clothing so they can feel more like themselves at a time when life and self is fast-changing. What are a few products that you can’t live without while pregnant that make you feel like you?
Weezie Towel Wraps - the snaps are key for a growing belly when a towel’s just wrapped around gets snugger and snugger and starts to fall off!
I have truly been living in the Maxine Dress - I’ve dressed it up, I’ve dressed it down, it’s SO comfortable but I still feel put together. Excited that it will work for postpartum too for breastfeeding!
Not glamorous —but this belly band and this massage gun have saved my back. I get the worst back pain with each pregnancy and these items are getting me through!
