78-Whiskey + Amber

The Connector

When my dad passed in 2015, i didn't know much about him. He wasn't in my life much but at the time of his funeral I heard so many wonderful things about him that I knew were passed down to me. 

One word that keep coming up from his friends and family was " Connector", at that moment my wife looked over at me and said now I know where you get that friendly spirit from. Its true " I've never met a stranger in my life".   And I love to connect with people and hear their why. This tidbit does have something to do with candle making! 

Back to talking about candles! So yeah the Whiskey+ Amber is the connector candle, its the ultimate conversation starter and I've also said this is the dinner party scent. Whiskey + Amber truly sets the tone for an intimate gathering. When I create scents I envision how the candle should be displayed. I think about the lighting or the end table it will sit on. Or maybe the fireplace mantel would be better. I had the fireplace in mind when I created this scent. I think it was released in October just all fall was approaching, so has a combination of cozy, deep and rich fragrances.  

Whiskey + Amber is the signature scent for District 78, and its perfect to me. The unlikely scents that are neither masculine or feminine make this the perfect candle for anyone who like deep earthy scents with just a hint of sweetness for the base notes. You can purchase the candle here.

I shot the images for this candle in two very different looks, I wanted to do like an alter ego type photo. One look that shows the serious business Erikka and another more casual look.  You can find out more about each look on our blog, click here. 

Life is full of moments that will make you laugh! Don’t be afraid to laugh until it hurts

8-Basil + Lavender

View fullsize

I specifically remember everything about creating Basil + Lavender. It felt like I had tested over 29 scents before I found one that I like. Once I created this scent I knew I has something special. I was stressed out and feeling depressed over the closing of my store and  I felt like I needed something to keep me calm and bring me comfort. Once I perfected the scent I burned it everyday all day, and I still do. It was something about the unlikely mixture of the scents that just worked. 

Basil + Lavender is my everyday go to scent. When I working, listening to music  or creating new scent for clients I always get started with #8.  

For the photoshoot my goal was to show Lauren in her natural state with her Music and her guitar. It was the easiest shot to get through because the vibe was so natural. I think the pictures speak for themselves. 

If you haven’t tried 8-Basil + Lavender I encourage you to give it a try!  

Take a moment to catch up on the inspiration behind the shoot on our YouTube channel! We look forward to your feedback! We also talked about staying calm and keeping good energy around you. How do you stay calm and keep good energy around you. 

Erikka 

7-Black Spice

Black Spice is all about sensuality and connection. When I was coming up with a new scent my goal was to create a new scent that represented that intimate human connection. 7-Black Spice has taken on its own persona.  One of the surprising elements of this scent is plum. Plum adds that unexpected sweetness that gently tones down the strength of the base notes of Amber. 

Brandon Brown and Lauren Eylise photographed by Pixxel Design for District 78

---

For the shoot we wanted to portray intimacy and we captured that on multiple levels.  From the lighting to the positioning the photos came out amazing. Huge thank you to both Lauren and Brandon for making this work. You’d never know they just met! 

Find out more about the inspiration behind the looks and hair on my YouTube channel. 

More on what’s going on with Lauren Eylise can be found on her Instagram page.  You can catch her performing at the Cincinnati Funk Fest on April 27. Check out her most recent release Life/Death/Life on all streaming platforms.

You can follow Brandon on Instagram. 

Candle Bae aka Your favorite VIRGO 

Erikka  

1-Grapefruit + Sage The Beginning

“The Grapefruit + Sage Candle was a gift for our wedding guest when we got married”-Brittani and Erikka Gray 

Each candles has a story, let’s start from the beginning with the first Signature scent, Grapefruit + Sage. Back in 2015 ,Brittani and I had no idea what to give our guest for our August wedding. Months prior I had given up on candle making because they really sucked. So I had lots of candle making supplies left that we could use to make candles for our guest.  So our wedding party got together to help me pour 150+ candles. Grapefruit + Sage was the perfect scent for a late summer wedding. The tanginess and citrus of the grapefruit paired with the ceremonial uses of Sage- this was the perfect scent and set the tone for what I considered a perfect wedding day!

As I prepared for the lifestyle shoot for District 78, I knew 1-Grapefruit +Sage would be one of the candles we shot. Our goal with this candle was to capture my wife in her zone preparing for her day.  We were also able to get a shot of us together, definitely one of my favorites!

Want to hear more about the inspiration for the clothing and hair for the shoot? Check out our YouTube page for more with Imani Smith, stylist and Brittani Gray, hairstylist. We talked about their inspiration for the shoot. Just a moment of caution- I’m no video editor soooooo watch at your own risk!  We’re working on improving! Here’s the link. 

Candle Bae,

 Erikka 

Erikka

Oh Hey!

It’s a few years late but this is my formal introduction. I’m Erikka, every time I’m  asked why I have 2K’s I get a different story from my mom- so make up your own. My journey to District 78 has been in the making since I was a kid. 

Growing up in Columbus I always loved clothing and having unique stuff in my room. I’ve always been heavily inspired by music, partying, playing cards, mid century furniture, plants and Black culture  magazines.  Hella random stuff right!?

My grandmother has always been my inspiration when it comes to having a comfortable home, she loved planting flowers and having flowers around. My mom has always kept a lively house, with lots of music and good food, creating an atmosphere to entertain family and friends. My mom is the funniest, get it done person I know. She's who I aspire to be-funny, giving and the turn up queen.

District 78 started as Vintage Goods & Design, selling vintage clothing online and at outdoor markets. After a fast start District 78 opened a brick and mortar store in a June 2013.  Our focus was vintage clothing, art and home decor. But something was missing so in 2015 I started producing candles as a way to express myself through scent.  Scent is one of the most powerful of the 5 senses. I wanted to bring unique scents into people’s lives that would create new memories, like scent has done for me. Candle making is like telling a store without words.  In 2016 I decided to close the store to focus on candle making.

Since then our candle line has taken off and I couldn’t be happier to re-launch District 78 as a lifestyle brand. My goal is to provide product and content that adds to your daily lives.  We look forwards to growing and building the District 78 lifestyle experience. 

Over the next few months we look to add even more product to our site and engage with our audience through our Candle & Conversation episodes,which you can find here. 

Your Favorite Virgo 

Erikka

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” -Paulo Coelho”