With jaw-dropping Camelback Mountain as a backdrop and an artistic community that rivals Santa Fe, Phoenix is the quintessential desert hub. America’s fifth-largest city still has cowboys and red-rock buttes and the kind of cactus most people see only in cartoons. This is the heart of the Sonoran Desert where resorts and spas are infused with Native American tradition and golf courses are still emerald green in the middle of winter.
We caught up with fashion designer and long-time Phoenix resident, Jean Marie Clarke, founder of Pax Philomena, who was raised here after coming to the US from the UK at a very young age. Merging her passion for textiles and a love of cultural travel with color, design, and comfort, Pax Philomena was born. Clarke lives with her two sons in a historic Louis J. Bohn home here and also uses it as her atelier. Spoiler Alert: Oprah is a fan!
What is your favorite shopping street?
I would say that Camelback Road is a pretty sure bet for shopping. I start at Central Avenue where you’ll find Frances Vintage, a cool, eclectic small boutique that specializes in all things saguaro cactus-themed. The owner had the vision to open this boutique when this historic part of town was being overlooked. She was one of my first accounts when I began selling my collection and taught me how the business works. www.francesvintage.com
What is your favorite attraction in Phoenix?
The Desert Botanical Gardens are perhaps one of the most inspiring places to visit here. There are cacti, succulents, and desert plants of all varieties imaginable each one with a personality of its own, and a story to tell. You’ll feel amazingly peaceful despite being in the middle of the city. I’m doing a photoshoot there soon, as Pax Philomena takes inspiration from all the colors of the desert. www.dbg.org
What is your favorite neighborhood?
North Central Phoenix is my favorite neighborhood, where I live now. The homes in this part of town are all unique.
Are there any up and coming neighborhoods?
The Roosevelt District downtown is definitely up and coming. Many homes there from the 1920’s and 30’s are full of character and are being renovated so the neighborhood is being brought back to life. It used to be the hub of Phoenix when the city was young.
What person embodies your city?
For me, Phoenix is embodied by Louis J. Bohn, the man who built my adobe home. He had the courage to build this amazing two-story house surrounded by 24 acres during the height of the depression. A Phoenix landmark, the home is in Southwestern Revival style and is celebrating its 100th year in 2018. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Phoenix as the Louis J. Bohn & Gertrude Lee House. The adobe bricks are two feet thick and keep the house cool during summer and warm in winter. It has white oak floors, Victorian tin ceilings and is furnished with much of the original furniture that was gifted to me by Mr. Bohn’s daughter. Bohn owned the Arizona Electrical company and worked some magic with this place because when the Phoenix monsoons hit in summer and the power goes out in the neighborhood, the house never loses it.
Do you draw inspiration from your city?
Of course! Everywhere you look you’re surrounded by beauty and it helps that we have something like 335 days of sunshine each year. Waking up to sunshine is the first bit of inspiration I draw from my hometown. Phoenix is in a valley which means that in every direction there are mountains which wind in, out, and around the city. Camelback Mountain is our most famous, which I drive by and admire every day. In the springtime all the desert plants are in bloom and as we have four growing seasons a year something else is always coming up.
What’s your favorite activity?
I swim for an hour every morning at my club, The Camelback Village. The pool is outdoors and is positioned with a view of Camelback Mountain. I go before the sun gets too hot to get my share of Vitamin D, but most importantly I get in my meditation time then. Honestly, I get so many of my ideas for Pax Philomena in the pool. The combination of sun, water and exercise lets me start the day positively.
www.villageclubs.com/locations/camelback/
Where do you go for a staycation?
I love The Arizona Biltmore for an in-town getaway. It combines the old-world flair of Frank Lloyd Wright’s school of architecture and a perfectly secluded location in the middle of the city. It has the best mountain views of both Camelback and Piestewa Peak and the food is fabulous, especially Sunday brunch. www.arizonabiltmore.com