Spotlight on our friend, on-set stylist and location scout, Melissa Butcher. We asked Melissa about her history with PC, her style, her love for the beach and more. Read the full Q&A below!
1. Instagram Handle: @sealeylakeley
2. Please tell us a bit about yourself, your girls and family? I moved to Southern CA from Illinois after I finished college. That was 22 years ago, and I’ve never regretted it. I wanted to meet a surfer and that’s exactly what happened! My husband Neal is a transplant from Florida. We got married in 2006, and now have two girls Sealey, 11 and Lakeley, 9.
3. Your love of Southern California and the ocean is evident on your page. Are you CA born and raised? How do you think it influences your personal style? I am originally from Charleston, Illinois but have lived in Southern, CA for 20 years. I’ve always loved the ocean and warm weather and knew I wanted to live in a coastal community. California totally influences our laid back surfer style. You will mostly likely find us in swimsuits at the beach 90% of the time.
4. You and your girls have been longtime friends and ambassadors of PC, how did you discover the Pink Chicken brand? I discovered PC when Sealey was 5 years old and Stacey was coming out to Encinitas to shoot Spring/Summer. I submitted Sealey to model for the photo shoot.
5. Tell us about your first meeting with Stacey, and modeling the collection all those years ago? We first met at the photo shoot in Encinitas. It was probably Sealey’s second time modeling and the PC girls were so chill and sweet with her. Sealey was only 5 and so little, I remember she was missing her two front teeth!
6. From past and present, what has been your favorite PC piece or print? Mommy and Me look? I think the girls favorite PC pieces are definitely the fun swimsuits and Millie Shorts. They especially loved the metallic gold and silver shorts. The new Spring collection is so good! My favorite this year is the collaboration floral print with @byhopejohnson and for moms, the Emmerson Dress in pink and coral with the beautiful sparkle on the sleeves; this gives me all the Palm Springs vibes.
7. Tell us about your experience being the on-set stylist and location scout for our Spring ‘21 Collection photoshoot in CA? What a dream come true! It truly was so much fun and I am so grateful to Stacey for giving me this opportunity. I enjoyed everything about the experience from helping pick the models, to scouting locations at the Oceanside Pier, to ending up in Encinitas at the house where I first met Stacey in 2015.
8. Your girls seem to really enjoy modeling and taking pictures, what other hobbies/activities do they enjoy? Sealey is a competitive gymnast and is at gym 12 hours a week. Lakeley loves dancing and is going to start hip hop classes. They both are also obsessed with Tik Tok, going to Starbucks to get a refresher, and trips to Target!
9. What does the next year or so look like for you and your family? Any sneak peeks on any upcoming projects or collaborations? The girls are still at home with me doing homeschool but will be going back to in person next year. We are going to be busy with gymnastics and dance. You will definitely find us at the beach this summer and hopefully take a family vacation to Hawaii. We will continue to work with brands and provide content for our Instagram.
