Behind The Print: Oui Oui Mon Amis

Behind the Print: Oui Oui Mon Amis

Did you know buying a Magnetic Me outfit in one of our exclusive seasonal prints is like buying a limited-edition print of one-of-a-kind art? You’re not only getting an adorable everyday outfit for your babe – you’re also supporting female artists and designers who are passionate about bringing art and joy into the world.

Our new behind the print series gives you a behind-the-scenes look at our print designing and curating process. You’ll meet the artists behind the one-of-a-kind prints and learn what inspires these creative women to create. To kick off our series, we're featuring Andi Hanna and her Frenchie (& French) print, Oui Oui Mon Amis.

Artist: Andi Hanna

Print: Oui Oui Mon Amis

Q: Andi, can you tell us a bit about your yourself and your background?

I majored in Fashion Design and worked as a fashion designer for over 15 years. I designed for Target (Mossimo Girls collection), JCPenney (Arizona Jean Co. Girls collection), Limited Too (sleepwear and active wear), and Thirty-One Gifts as the Director of Design over all categories.

Early on in my career, I learned how to create print and pattern - out of necessity because my CAD artists were so busy and couldn't get artwork to me in time. I fell in love with creating print and pattern and ended up doing it for many of my collections (even though it really wasn't part of my job requirements) and I also started selling my artwork through some print studios in NYC.

In 2012 I left my full time job to start my own freelance, consulting and surface pattern design studio and have been doing that ever since. I absolutely LOVE having my own business and creating my own schedule. I am currently located in Columbus, Ohio where I grew up - although I have lived and worked in Los Angeles, New York, Dallas and Minneapolis.

Q: What's your inspiration for the Oui Oui Mon Amis print?

In general, I am inspired by a lot of different things, but for my "Bonjour Frenchie" print, I was inspired by quite a few things. I have always been very inspired by my 2 awesome kids, Emerson (14) and Elle (7). Having kids inspires me to create fun and whimsical characters with personality that I think they would love (or would have loved when they were younger). 

I have also always been inspired by travel and other cultures. My career in design has allowed me to travel the world and experience many different places and cultures and I have fallen in love with SO many of them! France happens to be one of them. 

I am also very inspired by animals in general. I am a HUGE animal lover and have 3 dogs. None of them are Frenchies, but they sure are super cute! 

Lastly, with a background in fashion design, I can't help but be inspired by fashion and current trends on the runway. With the emergence of some French inspired trends in general as well as the popularity of Frenchie dogs, I just couldn't resist a little French Frenchie.

Q: How does it make you feel to know this print is out existing as living art in the world?

I ALWAYS get so excited when I see my designs "in the wild" in the retail world. It's so fulfilling as an artist/designer to see other people enjoying your work. It's also really exciting to see what types of products your artwork ends up on. Some of them are really interesting! (I've had a sloth design on a wallet and even a unicorn design on a glue stick).

 Q: Tell us more about your 3 dogs!

The toy poodle puppy is Peaches and we just happened to get her right after we got peaches from the Georgia Peach Truck, so naturally I had to photograph her in a box of peaches.

The other 2 dogs are Ouzo (I'm Greek) and Teddy (named after my son's most prized possession when he was little - his teddy).