From, Mila launched in 2018. That’s eight years of packing orders late into the night, building up and tearing down booths, figuring out how to sell on social media with ever-changing algorithms, and the highest highs when a Shopify notification appears on my phone.
Taking a look back, there are eight dates that come to mind that I’ll never forget. Eight exciting moments in time that made working 24/7, driving across the state for shows, being a model (when I really didn’t want to be) oh-so worth it.
March 24, 2018 - From, Mila was Born
To be totally transparent, we had a business prior to changing the name and brand direction. And this all happened on March, 24, 2018. Going into 2018, I knew something had to change in order for our business to grow and thrive, and I felt disconnected from the previous name. After scribbling and brainstorming and trying out different names with people in my life, I remember saying I wanted the brand to feel personal, to feel like it was “from us"—and From, Mila was born.
The rebrand was the best thing we could have ever done. The brand now feels authentic, and it feels like what it is rather than what it “should be”, whatever that may be. Our customers (like you, I hope) connect to it, to our story, to us, and it has been pivotal in our growth.
November 2018 - Introducing Velvet Blankets!
Wow, oh wow. Bringing velvet blankets into the mix was a scary decision because, up until then, our only home decor experience was selling towels. We had no experience selling luxury items that maybe a lot of people didn’t necessarily need.
Turns out, people didn’t care about whether or not they needed them—they wanted them! The size, the softness, the weight, the prints (omg, the prints!), it stopped everyone in their tracks, and it continues to have that effect. You can’t find blankets like these anywhere else, and it’s a true testament to the thought, care, and effort my Mom and the artists we work with put into sourcing the highest-quality fabrics that can withstand the process of block printing.
2020 - The Rise of the Bandana
One thing you’ll learn while running a small business is you cannot predict what will take off, and when. We had always sold scarves and bandanas, and while they sold, they weren’t very popular. Many people didn’t know how to wear scarve nor felt it truly fit their style. Enter the pandemic.
There was a need for masks, but so many were sold out. They were hard to find at the beginning. So what did people resort to? Yup, bandanas! It truly was the spark that set our business on a path we had no idea we would be going down even six years later. Bandanas continue to be our bestseller, and the amount of customers who discovered us because of those 2020 bandanas are endless.
November 28, 2020 - Dazey LA Collab
Our first collaboration was with Dazey LA. A limited edition collection of bandanas that brought even more exposure to our brand, and introduced us to a whole new customer base.
It was such a challenge to bring the collection together, especially, again, during a pandemic, but was such an exciting collection to launch during that year’s Holiday season.
January 14, 2021 - The Jumpsuit
Again, you never know what’s going to resonate with an audience. And you have no idea when your luck will strike with the Instagram algorithm. On this day, we shared a picture of a content creator wearing one of our block printed jumpsuits (and we had posted this jumpsuit before), but somehow, this one picture took off.
Maybe it was the time it was posted, maybe it was the caption and hashtags we used—I have no idea. But this one post made our jumpsuit the thing everyone wanted in their wardrobe. To this day, we sometimes get people asking if we’re going to bring this jumpsuit back. And you know what, I think we should!
November 7, 2021 LA Times Gift Guide
Sometimes you realize you weren’t dreaming big enough. This was one of those instances. I had never even thought of wanting to be in the LA Times Gift Guide. It never crossed my mind that that could even be remotely possible. But it happened! Our block print velvet blankets were featured in the LA Times!
I remember waking up early that day, curling my hair, and being so excited to go grab the newspaper. As I was reading the article online, I got a Shopify notification, and someone in New York had bought three of our velvet blankets, three! The euphoria I felt in that moment…I don’t know how to describe it, other than I felt like I had made it.
December 2022 House Beautiful
Fast forward a year. And this time, we were featured in House Beautiful for our block print khadi hand towels. Again, I wasn’t dreaming big enough! Driving to Barnes & Noble on a late December night, hoping we’d get there before they closed, and scouring the magazine aisle to find a copy….so chaotic but oh-so wonderful. Finding the magazine, flipping through the pages and finally seeing our prints in print, with my Mom by my side, truly one of the most magical moments of our lives.
Being featured really helped us expand into more home decor, as it gave us credibility beyond bandanas. And now, so many customers rave about our towels, so much so they come back for more and give them as gifts, or buy more prints and rotate them out every season.
If you haven’t seen or tried one of our khadi towels, definitely check them out!
March 28-29, 2026 - Renegade Craft Fair
We sold at our first Renegade Craft Fair in 2016 (under the previous name)! 10 years of shows, 2-3 times a year just at Renegade in San Francisco. On top of that, we sell in Pasadena, Ventura, Burbank, and San Diego every year. And after 10 years, this year’s spring show was our biggest, most successful show yet!
A mix of young girls coming for bandanas to wear at Coachella, older women buying placemats and table napkins for their dining rooms, men buying our block print shirts because “they like the cropped cuts”—we had something for everyone, and everyone was loving what we had to share.
Eight years of surprises, dreams being fulfilled and having the pleasure of meeting so many of you. I can not wait to see what’s to come in the next eight years.
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