USN Alumna ‘04
“There is no doubt that living in Nashville has influenced my work,” says Mclaine Richardson. “But I believe that it was more about the environment I was raised in rather than the location that has affected me the most.
“My creativity was encouraged from a very young age by my parents and fostered throughout my thirteen years at University School of Nashville. I was introduced to unique experiences, travel and opportunities that exposed me to new things and sparked my imagination to think beyond the 'norm'.
“Creativity is actually problem solving at its best. I have a gift for looking at something and figuring out a way to make it different or better. Salvador Dali said it best, ‘Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing.’ “
It’s a close tie between my 15-year old Havanese, Mia, and Margaret Ellis believing in me enough to offer me her business. Both of these gifts have impacted my life and my heart forever.
Margaret Ellis will always be my defining influence. She created a classic signature look that will still impacts everything that I design. Art, travel and fashion have always been pivotal to my design process, too.
That’s a hard one! I love to travel, and have been to some beautiful places. Cinque Terre, Italy and Paris are just a few of my faves. I search for beauty wherever I am. There’s nothing that I love more than finding something unexpected, like cows grazing on a cliff by the ocean outside of San Francisco. But my go-to spot is roaming the trails at Radnor Lake. I love watching the woods come alive with a hint of green and a carpet of wildflowers in the spring, noticing the deer change colors and spotting the wide variety of birds and animals that call Radnor home every weekend. It is my happy place in Nashville!