From sketches to stitching, what goes into a Llubav-designed ring pillow?

My heart and soul, and a lot of time go into creating a ring pillow. There’s a lot of emailing back and forth with brides regarding all the details about the wedding: color, theme/mood, flowers, etc., as well as the couples’ story. I love hearing about how they met and proposals. When something moves me, I start drawing, and then keep working and sewing and reworking until I’m totally satisfied.

New and exciting wedding designs in the works?

Recently, one bride asked me to decorate a flower basket to go with a ring pillow I designed. The piece has handmade butterflies with lots of beading and other embellishment. Another client in Canada gave me the great challenge of making her bridal bouquet and boutonnières for her bridal party. I’ve also been experimenting with other types of fabrics—silk organza, charmeuse, dupioni, shantung—and Swarovski beads. I’m working on some pillow prototypes for a high-end store that I’m very excited about.

How have culture and travel inspired your art?

I was born in Peru and one of my grandfathers was from China. Both are artisan countries with vibrant traditions so I think that a love of color and things handmade is a part of my DNA. Having lived in coastal Peru, Mexico City, suburban Virginia, and now New York City, travel and diverse cultural experiences are ingrained in my experience, and as a result, my art. My creations are an expressive mix of everything I’ve picked up along the way.

We understand you love collecting. Any sweet finds recently?

My husband and I recently took a trip to Charleston, one of my favorite places, and we found beautiful yellow corals in Mount Pleasant—right on the beach. Now they are part of my seashell collection and will be used for inspiration. While in Michigan over Father’s Day weekend I found a handmade floral headpiece at the Polish Art Center in Hamtramck, which is the same place where I bought a fantastic paper chandelier on a previous trip. Also, just today we bought an amazing print by Ryan Wallace. He’s a great artist and friend.

What are a few of your favorite home comforts and luxuries?

The list is long. I enjoy dancing, cooking, flipping through my inspiration tear sheets, and when I can find the time, paging through my books (especially Cabinet of Natural Curiousities and World of Ornament). I have a couple of favorite pieces around the house that I just love so much. One is an old kidney chart I got at the John Derian Company shop in NYC. I also really treasure my milk glass collection and my skeleton key collection. However, there’s nothing I love more than staring at my almost 2 year-old son.

A quick tip for couples planning their big day and beyond?

Embrace and enjoy the planning process. Be realistic in what you can do yourselves, ask family and friends for help and/or rely on professionals to make your special day go smoothly. Don’t recommend procrastinating—get as much done in as far advance as possible. And, if something goes wrong on the big day, don’t sweat it! Few will notice and even less will remember it. Finally, most importantly, remember to still date each other years after the wedding.