Sfingiday is a small, woman-owned business headquartered in Austin, Texas with a second shop in Seattle, Washington. We opened our first brick-and-mortar in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle in 2018, then opened our Austin shop on South Lamar in 2022.
We proudly support over 500 independent brands and individual makers and, while we have a strong focus on local producers, distance isn't a factor when tracking down unique and hand-crafted items. We currently feature artists from the United States, Japan, Mexico, the UK and Canada. Each piece is personally curated by owner and artist, Christine Helen Olson, in support of artists from all backgrounds.
Christine and Chief Operations Officer, Will, have known each other since they were kids in the 1980s and throughout the years, they have supported each other’s careers and passions. Their two teenage children are also an integral part of Sfingiday and are the reason we have gigantic "Okay Boomer" and "Fire" stickers.
It’s 2023 as we write this and reflect back on everything Sfingiday has achieved and overcome. From a catastrophic arson fire 6 months after our Seattle shop's opening, to rebuilding within 6 months, to facing a pandemic, a family move to Austin, and opening a whole new shop - we are still here and growing in new directions every day.
Have a look around our online shop or stop by one of our boutique neighborhood shops in Seattle, Washington and Austin, Texas. Come connect with us, join our growing community, and stay in touch for exciting new things to come!
XO,
Christine, Will, Carla, Amelia, Leah, Jessica, Ky, Thia, Marilyn, Isabela, Maddie, Lydia, Ashley and Alisa
Christine Olson
Born into a truly entrepreneurial family, watching her parents' and grandparents' successful companies evolve and grow laid a sturdy foundation for Christine's own future success. She spent her childhood and teenage years helping in her parents' retail shops and working alongside her grandmother at the Stretch & Sew headquarters in Eugene, Oregon.
Christine's first craft was sewing and fashion design. During summers as a child, her favorite place to spend time was in Stretch & Sew's research and development department, watching her own sketches be brought to life into sewing patterns. By her teen years, she was working in the office, calling folks for collections, and working various sides of the business as her summer job.
Christine also started painting with acrylics at eight years old and never stopped. She earned a degree in Fine Art from the Academy of Art in San Francisco with a focus in Illustration. Today, she is a celebrated artist and painter of abstract landscapes. (You can find her original work at both Sfingiday locations!)
Christine leads the creative side of Sfingiday, curating goods for both shops and leading art classes at our Austin location.
Pictured: Christine's rescue pup, Dex.
Will Betts
Will started in retail as a kid at the family store in Washington, D.C., selling ceiling fans at "Fan Fair" and outdoor furniture at "Park Place." On top of snazzy alliteration, he learned the importance of listening to customers and providing quality goods to sustain a healthy business.
After graduating with degrees in Economics and Spanish from Tufts University, Will returned to D.C. and joined Whole Foods with the intent of saving money and writing the next great American novel from Madrid. He ended up staying with Whole Foods for 26 years, working in multiple U.S. regions as well as Canada. His first job was behind the cheese counter where he developed a passion for specialty foods, inspired by the differences in flavor and culture. He went on to lead the Midwest Region's Grocery Department before relocating to Seattle as the Vice President of the Pacific Northwest Region. His final role at Whole Foods was in Austin, Texas, where he was the Global Vice President of Local Brands.
Will has always supported Sfingiday behind the scenes. In 2023, he joined the company officially with a pivotal role as Chief Operating Officer and Director of Sfingiday Wholesale.
Pictured: Will's rescue pup, Monte.
Carla Davis-Walters
Carla is a 7th generation Austinite with an affinity for all things creative. She graduated from McCallum High School with a major in Visual Arts before moving to Chicago and graduating summa cum laude from Columbia College Chicago. After a career in leadership with World Market, she zeroed in on small business and never looked back. Since then, she has developed a background in event management, product development, and copywriting.
In addition to assisting at the Austin shop, she coordinates events and community connections as the Events Director and has fun in the Sfingiday Goods studio helping to develop a growing line of awesome products.
If she's not in her backyard playing with her pups, she's probably around town trying new food, ogling produce at Central Market, doing something crafty, or escaping into the Hill Country.
Pictured: Carla's rescue pups, Maggie and Nelson.
Amelia Powell
Going on 7 years in Seattle, Washington, Amelia has quickly fallen in love with everything the Pacific Northwest has to offer. She graduated from Seattle Pacific University summa cum laude with a degree in Music Education and a certificate for teaching General Music. After a year working with young children in the aftermath of COVID-19 and working as a sales associate on the side at Sfingiday Seattle, she has fully embraced her innate creativity, working primarily with macrame, clay, and watercolors.
Amelia looks forward to bringing joy and compassion to Sfingiday Seattle everyday. When she's not at the shop, you can find her searching for new art to create, exploring the Olympic Peninsula, or playing with her kitty, who's the love of her life.
Pictured: Amelia's rescue kitty, Nakia.
What's up with the name?
Just like our brand, our name is multifaceted.
One of those facets can actually be found in our logo! The hawk moth, a member of the Sphingidae family of moths, symbolizes transformation, growth, and the eternal movement toward light. In 2018, owner Christine Olson developed a brand that spoke to her desire to grow and change.
(Entomologists, who are typically the only ones who know what our name means, tell us we have misspelled it.)
Another facet of Sfingiday pays homage to Christine's time spent attending high school in Italy. Sfingi are a traditional Italian fried donuts, thus Sfingi Day means donut day. This facet of our name represents our constant celebration of the beauty and joy life offers.
All of us at Sfingiday love to hear how everyone tries to pronounce it before knowing the meaning.
