HOTEL AMORE Feature: Fran Miller, Creative Director & Founder, Toronto

I want to introduce you to the very inspirational founder of skincare brand F. Miller and of the Creative Consultancy Garden Grouppe, as well as Creative Director of sportswear brand Literary Sport <3

Sep 13, 2024

Hello my dear Internet Friends,

I hope you had a beautiful week. We had full days of Art Week with thousands of events which was fun but also exhausting - one of my favorites was the exhibition opening and dinner yesterday after of the solo show of the artist Luz Carabaño at Super Super Markt. Luz flew in from LA last night, and I always love to meet the artist at an opening. It makes such a difference in your perception because the artist can give you context and background about their body of work. I really especially liked the small oil painting amarillentas for the colors and size <3

I also had such a good time at the show opening lunch Natural Beauty. Curated Nature at one of my favorite Berlin places, the Feuerle Collection. I happened to sit next to Sara Puig, co-founder of the Feuerle Collection (together with Désiré Feuerle). She is also the President of the Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona and such a kind and interesting woman! I wish I could have talked to her more. More on Feuerle soon!

It got pretty cold in Berlin which got me excited for autumn because I prefer autumn fashion so much more. I tried on this long coat yesterday which I think is quite good? I think I will get it, I love the length and the way the material falls. Plus, on the left is the beautiful Corbusier building. I am doing location scouting for a shoot. Also: What do you think about me putting snapshots which were not meant for this newsletter into a layout, lol?

Today I want to introduce you to the very inspirational founder of skincare brand F. Miller, Creative Consultancy Garden Grouppe , and Creative Director of newly launched sportswear brand Literary Sport <3: Fran Miller.

HOTEL AMORE FEATURE: FRAN MILLER, Toronto

<I’m the girl on the street taking photos of flowers and smiling at dogs. >

Love that <3

This woman does not only have incredible style, but is also working on very inspirational projects in her role as a creative & founder

I am so excited for this feature of Fran who I met through Instagram exactly a year ago. Fran has a great eye for beauty and you might have heard of her beautifully branded skincare brand F. Miller. There is also the brand Literary Sport which is all about elevated, minimal running and active apparel, with top quality fabrications, expert tailoring, etc. I loooooove the name <3! Fran and her partner did all the creative & brand work for the brand, which is launching end of September. Fran and Jackie also founded Garden Grouppe - but I will let her tell you all about it.

Fran, so good to have you <3 Can you share a bit about yourself?

Hello Louisa, it’s great to join this feature, thank you! I live in Toronto with my partner Jackie, and our dog Bagel.

10 years ago I founded F. Miller, a carefully considered edit of botanical skincare and lifestyle objects that takes a renewed approach to personal care and modern luxury. I’ve always been guided by beauty, distinction, and intention - the brand is rooted in those principles as well. Skincare was my point of origin for creating a brand that caters to care on every sensory level.

The beautiful visual universe of F. Miller

Garden Grouppe Ltd is the creative consultancy that my partner Jackie and I started a couple of years ago. She has been styling for 10 years, and together we do all of the creative direction, prop styling, and imagery for F. Miller. Brands began coming to us individually for our perspective and advice on everything from creative to business, and our combined experience felt unique in the space of consulting. We do everything from creative & marketing strategy and one-off photoshoots to helping build distinctive brands from the ground up. Literary Sport is one of those brands, launching later this month — refined, discerning activewear with a focus on running, for the self-defined pursuit of motion. We were brought on two years ago to define the brand identity and handle creative direction, design direction, and creative production. We can’t wait for it to be out in the world very soon! (LKD: I saw the first pr preview on Insta which happened in NYC two days ago - so good!)

What makes you get up every day?

Sunshine, coffee, morning walks, gratitude for another day. Sometimes I don’t want to get up and that’s ok too.

Who and what is an inspiration to you, and why?

My mom - forever inspired by her strength and determination, unconditional care for others, patience and calm. My partner Jackie - for her brilliance and ambition. Traveling to new places, cooking, disconnecting from everything and spending time in nature.

What and who inspires your sense of fashion?

I gravitate towards style that is effortless, comfortable, and timeless. Classic and minimal, yet a bit rough around the edges. I’m inspired by unexpected details, silhouettes, and colour and am often looking to the past for ideas rather than what’s currently in front of me. Jackie is the ultimate source of inspiration - always ahead of the curve, always authentic, pretty much always right. Very lucky to share a wardrobe (and shoe size) with her :)

Can you show your favorite three outfits that make you feel like you own the world?

Outfit I:

Flore Flore t-shirt, vintage belt, Maryam Nassir Zadeh trousers, The Row loafers, Simuero ring

Outfit II:

LESET tube top, The Row skirt, Fane bra bag, Aeyde heels

Outfit III:

Saks Potts shirt, vintage tank, A. Roege Hove capris, Miu Miu ballet flats, Prada sunglasses

Through what lens do you see the world?

I try to view the world with optimism, curiosity, humour, elegance, and kindness. I look for beauty in the details. I don’t take myself too seriously. I’m the girl on the street taking photos of flowers and smiling at dogs.

What are your three favorite pieces of furniture or interior objects?

The rocks we collected on a road trip to Los Angeles last year, the Enzo Mari Sedia 1 Chair that Jackie built, the Ginny Sims ceramic mugs that we drink our coffee from every morning.

What are your favorite fashion pieces?

It’s a mix between the pieces I gravitate to for everyday ease, and the special pieces that might not be in current rotation but I’ll never part with. My vintage Jil Sander leather jacket, the perfect faded black Levi’s 505, oversized button down shirts, Martiniano glove shoes that I’ve worn into the ground, vintage Prada nylon coat, my mom’s Cartier Trinity ring, our large collection of vintage t-shirts and sweatshirts, my Fane Bra bag, the vintage silver Chanel pleated skirt my mom wore to her wedding, Elsa Peretti for Tiffany bottle jug pendant.