It began as a thought. Elbonie Metcalfe and her brother Elton Metcalfe collaborated to try and start Love Naturally, a brand about expressing style and love with t-shirts and jewelry. The line is earthly and classic with various metals, beads and t-shirt styles that are sold through her website.
Elbonie found that whenever she blogged, the phrase “love naturally” appeared but she never really thought about what the words meant. Then in 2013 her brother passed away in a motorcycle accident. After he passed, Metcalfe took inspiration from how much her brother loved others in spite of their faults which drove her to launch the brand on his birthday in 2014.
Is there a particular message that you are trying to send?
Yes, it’s expressing love and style. Love naturally is just an expression and love naturally is also an action. Love is a verb and I think my goal and my heart and my desire is to love people where they are… accept people for who they are because that is love. Love is acceptance. Love is also demonstration. Love is an action.
How does that message come through in your accessories and clothes?
With the clothing line, just having the words love naturally. My mindset was to do it in a whole unique way because everyone won’t get Love Naturally and I’m okay with that. But the people that do get it, that’s who is supposed to get it. And once they get it I just believe in my heart that it will continue to transfer to other people. So when you wear that shirt, it’s loving yourself naturally. It’s being brave enough to love the person down the street that you don’t even know because you understand the message behind the brand. With the jewelry, that’s just an added piece. We all have different and unique styles and let’s celebrate our own uniqueness. Let’s celebrate the love that we have for ourselves by doing it in our own unique style.
Do you have a favorite piece to your collection?
I love the LN tee. That’s my favorite because that’s the first one that I launched that I was afraid to launch and to put out to the world. That piece means so much to me because when I put it out to the world it was like I did my purpose. I understand that my purpose is wrapped up in Love Naturally and if I can touch one person then I know that the brand is being accepted. I think as individuals we think love is a feeling but it’s not. It’s a choice and it’s an action. So I choose every single day to love naturally in spite of the hurt that that person has done to me. Because love is also about forgiveness and it’s also about being patient with others.
How would you describe your own personal style?
I am very boho chic. I’m not the person that is in heels every single day. Very kind of natural, free-style, free-spirited. I like to be comfortable. I also like to rock my own unique style. Whether it’s a Love Naturally tee and a skirt or whether it’s a Love Naturally tee and some jeans. It’s just whatever fits my style that day.
Would you think that your brother would be proud of how far this has come?
I believe that he would be proud because I remember crying so many nights that I could not pull this off. Sometimes I would feel frustrated because I’m like you left me on my own with this brand? I’m actually coming out with the men’s line within the next couple of weeks and I’m thinking I have to do this by myself. I’m not a man. How do I do this? He actually approved the men’s logo…I think it was like four days before he passed away. So, that’s coming soon but I think that he would be proud. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about him. Sometimes it’s all throughout the day. My brother was so out going and touched so many lives and he loved so many people that I’m not doing him any service by sitting on this brand. I finally launched it on his birthday on September 4th of last year.
Are you excited about this new men’s line coming up?
I am very excited. I’m nervous but I am excited. Some of his friends have actually contacted me and they are like why are you not launching the men’s line? I never geared it towards women. I geared it towards anyone who would hear the message. It’s not a women’s thing, it’s not a man thing, it’s a human thing. That’s what Love Naturally is. So it’s so surprising that men are actually paying attention to what I post so I am getting very excited about launching the men’s line and the logo that my brother approved for Love Naturally’s men’s line.
Anything else you’d like to add?
My message to anyone that would hear the message is to understand that love is a process. Love is a process and we are all capable of loving and we all want to feel the love from other people and I believe that we will be able to do that if we try every single day to make the choice to love naturally.
Check out Love Naturally’s blog and store at tolovenaturally.com