Rachel Ashwell is a self-made business woman who founded the iconic brand known as Shabby Chic® in 1989 when, as a single mother of two young children, she looked to open a small shop where she could sell ‘pretty things’ without spending much time or distance away from her children. Rachel opened her first store on trendy Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, California. Her vision and love of vintage style and flea-market finds have hit a chord with her customers who have found her comfortable, relaxed approach to design both reassuring and achievable.