"We know we’d be a lot more productive if we got to work in this gorgeous, light-filled office! Mixing patterns, colors, and styles while still remaining chic and minimal in a work environment is challenging, but here, Alle Fister of Bollare Communications, has created a vibrant, work-ready space where we’d love to park our laptops.
Plus, you can pick them up at your local CVS right now!
Here, we chat with Alle about her creative process for designing any space, how she starts her mornings, and where she sources her best pieces (hint: check out that seriously gorgeous bathroom mirror).
Name: Alle Fister
Age: 35
Current Job/Company: Principal, Bollare
As Bollare Principal, you’ve worked on some truly amazing projects. Tell us about a few of your favorites.
Why thank you! The diversity and creativity in what we do is truly energizing! A few of my favorites:
Celebrity kickball tournament in Malibu that raised money for charity for French Connection.
It was a huge undertaking for us, at the time, and it turned out so great for the brand; amazing press, great attendees, and a ton of FUN.
Our first SWIM X SPORT preview for Bollare in NYC.
We had just welcomed our amazing East Coast Director from Shape magazine, and she had such a vision for creating a special way to showcase a category we love with editors we respect.
Our #BollareLondon blogger brunch.
Our Director of Business Development is based in London and arranged a ‘welcome to London’ event in an amazing greenhouse-esque restaurant, complete with a Bollare flower market.
Force for Fashion with Star Wars
It was an early project for our client Disney, and the vision came to life in such a compelling manner that brought truly awesome results.
Miami Swim.
We are really involved with Miami Swim Week – a series of trade and fashion shows on the sands of South Beach. This past year, we partnered with THE ONE Hotel in an incredible, 4,000 sq ft penthouse to create the Bollare HUB, a pop-up showroom, and event space. It became a home for our favorite digital influencers, celebrities, and editors to hang out between shows and where we hosted a special event with Glamour magazine.
What does a day in the life of Alle look like?
Each day is really different, and I wouldn’t have it any other way! About half my time is focused on our team, with the other half focused on our clients. That can mean going to tradeshows (all around the world) or being part of a team brainstorm meeting!
Tell us about your creative process. Where do you start when designing a new space?
As Bollare has offices coast to coast, and a presence internationally, it is important that while we’re building the DNA and amplifying the voices of our brands, that we too, cement our voice. Bollare’s style vibe is rooted in bold movement, aloha spirit, and passion-evoking prints. This look spans not only our offices, but ideally all of the visual elements Bollare creates around the world!
We start with this inspiration and look for spaces that have great bones: high ceilings, lots of natural light… and go from there!
Bollare just opened this newly renovated office in the heart of Tribeca. How did you approach designing this workspace? Is it different than how you would approach designing a home?
We start with a dual focus: creating a cool space for the CLIENTS and the TEAM (whereas when we designed our house, we had a more singular focus). To create an open space that feels ‘home-y’ for an office presents additional challenges – how do you fit in 30+ desks and not lose that vibe? We chose uniform color and heights for those base elements (so that they visually receded) and in parallel focused on choosing fresh, bold accents to divert the eye to our ‘splash spaces’!
This space utilizes a lot of bold patterns, textures, and elements, yet still looks refined and elegant. How did you achieve this balance?
When we dove into designing, we identified a handful of ‘focus areas.’ We poured our resources and our bold choices into those specified spaces and then opted for the other elements to be a bit more subdued. With design, it is important to pre-identify those key elements and let your creativity flourish there.
The light in this office is on point — nothing better than huge windows! Did you make any structural changes when renovating or did you work within the existing space?
The natural light coming from two full sides of the building, one looking over a traditional cobblestone street of Tribeca, was a large reason we chose this space. In NYC, you cannot change the windows, especially on these historic buildings, so as we’d go from space to space, that was always a primary objective – find a space where the natural light floods in!
That bathroom mirror is crazy unique. Where did you find it?!
We wanted the bathrooms to be overboard cool and were deep in a Google search when we found this mirror featured, but then fiiiinding where to actually buy it was next level. Fortunately, Farris, on our team, was able to track it down through a designer in Berlin! I love them!!
We’re seriously digging your strategic use of wallpaper. How did you select each pattern?
We’re not pattern shy at Bollare! Christian Lacroix and Fornasetti are always favorites for us and the printed patterns in the office are from those respective designers. We’re fortunate to be versed in design, so we zoomed right to these brands to see their offerings. When you go with bold patterns like these, it really shapes the space, so we were very thoughtful here.
For finishing touches, you used a mix of statement pieces, unique finds, and affordable accents. How did you source these different elements?
When I am in a space, and I see or feel an energy I like, I take note, and try to identify WHY. Then I take to Google and try and source it. SO much of the office is from places that are not hard on the pocketbook – CB2, IKEA, OneKingsLane… take note on why you like a space and set to recreate it! You’ll surprise yourself on what you’re able to design!
The finished office is seriously gorgeous. What was your favorite part of the process?
Seeing the team and the clients’ faces and hearing their feedback on the space has been super rewarding!
Alle Fister is the Everygirl…
Morning beverage of choice?
I was a nonfat latte forever… but making the bold move to almond milk latte in 2017. It has been 10+ years, time to mix it up!
Who’s your celeb crush right now?
Margherita Missoni… the best style.
Favorite weekend trip?
Kailua Beach, Hawaii. A five-hour direct flight from LA and you’re on the most beautiful beach in the world… literally! There’s something about that Hawaiian air!
If you could have lunch with one woman, who would it be and why?
My mom; best woman on earth, and although I get to see her all of the time, there’s no woman I’d rather spend time with; she teaches me so much!