Born from a lineage of healers, Kira Lillie’s passion for the Earth is infused into all her projects. Raised in Santa Cruz, California by parents who practiced many forms of alternative medicine including acupuncture, acupressure, herbal medicine and multi-disciplined massage therapy. At the age of 18 Kira moved to Florence, Italy, continuing to Milan, Paris, New York, Berlin, and Los Angeles, where she worked in fashion photography, filmmaking, and performance art. Currently she is “living in her body”, and works from wherever she is.
Paris 2011, together with her mother Vanessa, Kira launched VK Lillie, a jewelry project artistically modernizing the concept of a “medicine bag”. For the last 6 years she has been working on a multi-sensory food performance art project, continuing to learn, grow and build her unique and varied background. Most recently launching INCORP; an initiative bridging the worlds of fashion, luxury, and art with her family's influence of ecological awareness, alternative medicine, healing, and intention.
SN: You recently launched your new project; INCORP, how did you choose this name, can you share your vision behind INCORP’s brand.
INCORP stands for “in body” and “we are all incorporated”, meaning we’re all inter-connected to one another and everything around us.
We want the project's name to signify going into your body and taking a moment for yourself, as we believe the more connected you are to yourself, the more present you can be to everyone and everything around you.
As the saying on an airplane goes, “oxygen first to yourself”.
INCORP seeks to playfully modernize and simplify everyday life tools known to support ourselves and one another through the collaboration with likeminded artists, healers, performers and more...
SN: You applied the wisdom of acupressure with a super comprehensive map explaining how to use the scents and their healing properties. This is an innovative idea with a healing approach to scents. How and Why?
Acupressure is one of the most ancient forms of healing. It uses the knowledge that our body is connected by a series of electromagnetic energy flows with corresponding points rising to the surface and if these points remain unblocked, our bodies stay in balance, thus rarely getting sick. This is also known as “Preventive health care” and is one of the main focuses of INCORP. To simplify and give playful access to this information for everyone to learn, try, use on themselves, and ultimately share with others is precisely the aim of INCORP.
A source of force in my life is a desire to share the life tools I feel lucky to have been raised with. And for this body map I was guided by my mother’s wisdom, whom, among many other things, taught 16 years of acupressure. Together and in collaboration with a network of artists, we developed a frame-able art piece poster that comes with the scent. We focused on 7 simple, powerful pressure points throughout the body. The goal of the map is to serve as a guide giving people everyday access to supporting themselves and others.
SN: Tell us more about your mother, her studies and healing abilities and how you became the perfect partner to create many amazing projects together.
When describing my mother, I tell people “She’s a geek of healing”. Vanessa is always diving deeper, continuously learning and expanding her skills and knowledge of healing facilitation through her private practice and now teaching Biodynamic Craniosacral. Constantly enriching her life and those around her with tools that support her and literally anyone she talks to. Naturally being raised with this influence has rubbed off on me, however instead of learning healing modalities I gravitated towards art, fashion, and the desire to create beautiful things. Retrospectively, I see myself as a bridge, connecting these various worlds. After 10 years in the fashion industry, working as a photographer, I decided to shift gears and bring my mother’s wisdom and influence to the world of art and fashion. We started VK Lillie, a mother daughter duo making modernized versions of an ancient relic - the medicine bag. Passed down from my grandmother, beadwork was something I grew up with and my mother’s take on medicine bags was one of my greatest inheritances. Infused with creativity and intention, VK Lillie shares with people knowledge of the energetic effect of stones and crystals, in a handmade, one-of-a-kind piece, using repurposed materials whenever possible.
After years creating VK Lillie medicine bags, I was ready for the next adventure and to bring more of my mother’s wisdom to the world. Where better to start than with an aromatherapy scent. Vanessa’s passion & knowledge for aromatherapy travels with her daily, in a kit of essential oils always in her purse, ready to be used for any multitude of remedies. Combined with my ever-growing network of talented like-minded artists, healers, scientists, designers and more, INCORP and its first project was born. A multi artist, limited edition, aromatherapy, design art piece, scent.
SN: What are other projects that you are planning around INCORP, can you give us some exclusive previews?
INCORP is always seeking to grow and share. Continuing with the concept of everyday life tools, we are now working on daily dose chocolates to help enhance your mood & support your mind. This time working with my brother Kai Lillie and his knowledge of the brain, and yes you got it, another healing geek.
Discover INCORP scent project here
