Astrological sign?
Helen: Scorpio
Soyoung: Sagittarius
Lucky number?
H: 444
S: 7
Favorite color?
H: Mauve
S: Sage green
Morning, Noon, or Night?
H: Night
S: Morning
Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner?
H: Dinner
S: Breakfast
Football, Baseball, or Basketball?
H: Neither…swim?
S: Golf
Green Tea, Black Tea, or Herbal Tea?
H: Black Tea
S: Green Tea
Sugar, Splenda, or Stevia?
H: Brown sugar
S: Sugar
Red, White, or Rosé?
H: Rosé
S: Rosé
Spicy, Salty, or Sweet?
H: Sweet
S: Sweet
Sandwich, Soup, or Salad?
H: Preference is sandwich but will usually defer to salad for healthy option
S: Salad
Cashmere, Silk, or Linen?
H: Silk
S: Cashmere
Black, White, or Color?
H: Color
S: Black
Is your closet messy or neat?
H: Neat
S: Neat
What’s your favorite room in your home?
H: Bathroom
S: My office
What do you collect?
H: Vintage clothes
S: Only for me
Dream dinner guest?
H: Rosa Marcario
S: Tiger Woods
Sunday ritual?
H: Finding out new brunch places to dine in and discovering new areas to play; whether it’s shopping, walk in the park, checking out shows/galleries, or stroll to the farmers market.
S: Early morning workout.
Favorite flower?
H: Peony
S: Eucalyptus
Favorite scent?
H: So many! But I have to say, it’s the combination of cedar wood, eucalyptus and burning fire in the woods.
S: Basil mint
Cheat meal?
H: Yogurt, granola and fresh fruit.
S: Cacio e Pepe
Favorite place to escape to when you need a moment of respite?
H: Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
S: Florence Italy
Talent you’d like to have?
H: Singing and playing the guitar. Speaking 4 languages.
S: Golf
Quality you want to be remembered by?
H: Inspiring, kind and free spirited.
S: Be thoughtful and loving.
Best thing about where you are from?
H: I grew up in NYC for most of my life, I really fell in love with the art and music culture growing up in the city. I often imagine myself being in the era of Basquiat, Madonna and Edie Sedgwick. I moved to Brooklyn during my college years (early 2000’s) when Williamsburg was just blocks of storage warehouses and hidden artist galleries. Being invited to secret parties, meeting artists and interesting characters, and just this feeling of being free and having a gateway to a secret society was probably the most memorable and best time of my life…of course nothing beats a dollar slice of pizza after a late night from the local pizzeria.
S: My 2 daughters and my brand, Leverden.
It’s hard not to be reminiscent of the past, and be distracted by the future. How do you strive to live in the moment?
H: I try to be the best version of myself today and be grateful for all that I have in the moment.
S: Be grateful for what I have now and accept things as they are.
What does Considered Luxury mean to you?
H: It’s interesting how the term “considered luxury” has arised. The definition of luxury has not changed for centuries. We can take Ferrari for example, where supplies are limited, it’s not necessarily about the price but rather the experience. Luxury was built on heritage and the artisans that created the best quality…The paradox is that we’re trying to revert back to the beginning. In a world of consumerism, thinking quality vs. quantity and being thoughtful of how each product is created is what I believe is meant by considered luxury.
S: High level of quality, limited supply, high price, hard to get…
What was the inspiration behind starting your brand?
Together, our idea came out of lockdown burn-out and the negativity of the pandemic world. “There was so much bigotry and hate going on, we wanted something positive and connecting, saying that we are all one and equal; we wanted something to share,” says Lee. LeVerden is derived from the Nordic “le verdens” or “of the world” to show just that. “We also connected over the horrific way the planet was being treated; we really just wanted something kinder,” she says. Their respect for the earth is found in the high quality ingredients from nature in their collections. LeVerden taps into our own human intuition and mother nature as sources to treat and heal ourselves. The healing rituals Lee found around the world are now part of her own practice.
Cho is mostly vegan and “very disciplined” in her golf, pilates and fragrance; the two women are supremely self-aware of their own physical and mental states, and the connection between the two. “We waned to make something for ourselves,” says Cho. “And to show others that healing is in you and all around you, at all times,” says Lee.
The founders created LeVerden to share “that inner sense of relaxation, where you are refreshed and renewed, ready to approach the world in a fresh way, with an appreciation for what nature can do,” says Lee.
Give three words that describe your brand?
Discovery, Inner Healing, Planet.