Designer, shop owner helps Catholic women wear their faith on their sleeve

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Lauren Winter, 30, originally from Colchester, Conn, owns the online Catholic women’s apparel shop brickhouseinthecity.com In an interview with Laura Kilgus of Rhode Island Catholic, she shares that she wants other Catholic women to know that they don’t have to fit a mold to fit in the church and that they can be authentically who God created them to be. “I design and create products for Catholic women who want to be a light of Christ in their own little corner of the world,” said Winter.

What first inspired you to combine your love of the Catholic faith with your design talents through Brick House In The City?

I saw a need and desire in my own life and I thought that if I was feeling this way, that there were probably other Catholic women who felt this way too. I wanted to wear Catholic shirts that fit both my lifestyle as a young and busy mom, as well as my fashion style. I wanted to create something that would help me to feel encouraged throughout my day, as well as give me opportunities to spread the message of Christ with people I encountered. The response has been incredible. From the moment I started this business, I knew that I wanted to use it as a platform to speak to the hearts of other Catholic women, so the community that has grown from Brick House in the City has been organically supportive and energizing. It is my hope that when women see the heart for my business they feel authentically seen and loved.

How can sharing these special messages of the faith, with a modern twist, be an opportunity to evangelize?

Our shirts are Catholic and meaningful to us as Christ followers, but they have a way that brings forth curiosity in others who might not know the tenets of the faith. When I wear our saint shirts, or our works of Mercy shirts, or our Marian tees, people want to know the meaning behind the shirts. I have held some beautiful and heart-warming conversations that blossomed from questions about the tees.

How has your family supported and helped you to thrive as a small business owner?

A lot of people have asked me how I have been able to do it all, and the truth is I don’t do it all alone. I have an incredibly supportive husband who has encouraged me and believed in me every step of the way. He has also helped me work through the challenging periods of entrepreneurship when I have felt like I should step back or give up. That kind of support is so vital in any growing business and I feel so grateful to have him by my side. My children, goodness, they inspire me in so many ways. I want to leave the world more in love with God then when I found it and they are the ones that inspire me to make that happen.