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Why Albion? Our Namesake.

January 10, 2016 3 min read

Why Albion? Our Namesake.

 

Why is Albion called Albion? It's a question I get almost every day and I love to share it, because it's the story about us, about me and my husband Dave, how we came to be as a couple, and how we came to be as business partners. You see, Dave and I met at work-- actually, in a copy room. Isn't that SO romantic? ;)

We were in college at the University of Utah and we both worked at a law firm in downtown Salt Lake City.  Dave caught my eye when he drove up in an old 1985 white Landcruiser with oil paints in the trunk, and a rugby ball in the front seat.  I was an English major with aspirations to be an attorney and Dave was in the Graphic Design program.

 

We both loved to work hard, appreciated fine art (Sargeant), good books (Stegner), didn't like going to the movies, and preferred playing tennis and exploring the outdoors. After a long summer of faxing and copying briefs, it became clear that we could always count on one another to get the job at hand done, and done right. We regularly ditched the city after work and headed for the mountains to hike and bike in a gorgeous spot Dave introduced me to, the Albion Basin.  I’ll never forget my first time seeing the wild flowers in full bloom and the jagged granite mountains (and holding onto the handle bars of my bike with death grips as I tried to keep up and impress Dave as he charged down the trails)! The Albion Basin is just about a 20 minute drive from where we lived and we'd go up there all the time. It was there where I realized Dave was the man I wanted to spend every single day and minute with for the rest of my life. After 3 (LONG) years of dating, Dave took me up there in the middle of a snow blizzard, got on his knees and asked me to be his wife, and later that summer, we had our wedding reception in the same spot.

We've had quite the journey to get here, to bring Albion to where it is today (more on that here).  But are so very grateful for it all, all the hardships, all the tears and doubt, and struggles, it was all worth it and there's no one else we'd choose to go through this life with. Thank you for being here!

To us, Albion represents an inspiring and magnificent place where we enjoy the beauty of our home state, a place where our grandparents and great grandparents visited, a place where our friendship grew and where we fell in love;  a place where we can enjoy our surroundings and let our feet take us to explore and be inspired, even 10 years later, with our children in tow. So when the stars aligned and we had an opportunity to create a brand together and open a store just next door to where we met, there was no question what we would call it. Albion is where our love was made and Albion is where we make things for you, with love. It's why we design clothes that allow you to explore the mountains, feel comfy on a flight to your next adventure, and walk confidently on that beach surrounded by people you love (and the strangers who want to know where you got your suit!).

Thank you all for supporting us on this journey; here’s to another year of Albion. 
- Liz Findlay

7 Responses

Ida Pahus
Ida Pahus

February 10, 2016

What a beautiful story and it is so beautifully written. So happy that Albion exists!

http://livelifefullyalive.com/

Ida Pahus
Ida Pahus

February 10, 2016

What a beautiful story and it is so beautifully written. So happy that Albion exists!

http://livelifefullyalive.com/

LIzz Perkins
LIzz Perkins

January 19, 2016

I love this story! I am a firm believer that nothing happens by chance it happens by design. People and places weave in and out of our lives and we get to choose the design of life’s fabric! The future is bright and I believe this is going to be a long and successful journey!

Holly Hicks-Guski
Holly Hicks-Guski

January 15, 2016

Awe Liz and Dave,
This is truly the sweetest blog post ever! Not only does it show us why you named your Brand and Store Albion. But it also gives us an insight to your beautiful lives and I love getting to know the people behind the brand. You two were defiantly meant to be. And I love that your grandparents and their grandparents all were able to see the same gorgeous place where you still adventure to, to this day! What a truly lovely story and inspiring as well!
We love your brand and now it means even more knowing that two people who met in a copy room and took daily hikes and bike rides to The same place where they got engaged and married and now have a store right behind it. Is where all of your gorgeous Albion Fit clothing comes from! Truly beautiful ❤️

Betsy
Betsy

January 13, 2016

Love this and love what you do!

Jane
Jane

January 11, 2016

Love everything about this, Liz!!! Thank you for sharing!!!

Melanie
Melanie

January 11, 2016

Liz I love Albion. Thanks for sharing the story of how it came to be. I’m so picky about swimsuits and loved the Athens from last year. I only saw them when they were nearly sold out but thought I lucked out when I had a friend in Salt Lake ( I live out of state) go to the store to pick up the last one in stock but it was sized wrong so I ended up with an extra small and was totally bummed. If there is anyway of finding a straggler or if you ever sell that one again I’d be one happy Texan!

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