Meet the Founder: How Katie Schmidt Built a Cheerful, Comfortable Fair Trade Fashion Brand
In honor of Women’s History Month and Katie’s birthday, we’re sharing the story behind Passion Lilie through the dreamer who started it all. Entrepreneur, designer, CEO, sustainability leader, wife, mom – Katie does it all, and she looks fabulous in her own designs while she does it.
What started as Katie’s first trip to India became a labor of love – a sustainable fashion brand founded in community, craftsmanship, and purpose. We sat down with Katie to talk about her inspiration, challenges, and what we can look forward to in Passion Lilie’s bright, cheerful future.
How the seeds of Passion Lilie were planted
During Katie’s first trip to India, she saw firsthand the impact that fair wages and safe working conditions could have on artisans and their families. She fell in love with the heritage craft techniques like hand block printing and ikat weaving created by the talented artisans she met.
At the time, Katie was working as the Executive Director of a fair trade store in New Orleans. She shared her ideas about creating more fair trade jobs and taking on more of a design role. The founding member of the organization, Erica Trani, said, “Why don’t you just start your own business?”
It was a lightbulb moment, and Katie ran with it! In 2011, just six months after that first trip to India, Passion Lilie was born.
Where did the name “Passion Lilie” come from?
Katie took her time brainstorming ideas for her project before Passion Lilie came together. She landed on Lilie for the lily flower, with a distinctive spelling to signify the unique artisanal fabrics she works with. The lily flower represents honesty – a foundational pillar of Katie’s fair trade business – and reminds her of a role model she admires for her kindness and adventurous spirit.
The word “Passion” is an emblem of Katie herself. When she believes in something, she pours her whole heart and soul into it. Honesty, kindness (to people and the planet), adventure, and love – that’s what Passion Lilie means to Katie.
Why fair trade fashion was non-negotiable
For Katie, building an ethical fashion brand wasn’t a business strategy, it was the entire point. She says, “I couldn’t do it any other way and sleep at night.”
After witnessing the true impact of fair wages and uplifting work environments, Katie knew that prioritizing people and the planet would be her MO from the very beginning.
“The question was never ‘should we do this ethically?’ but ‘how to we build a business that prioritizes people and the planet while still being financially sustainable?’”
Working with Artisan Partners in India
One of the most meaningful aspects of Passion Lilie’s history is its long-term relationships with artisan partners in India. Katie works directly with these partners. She shares design ideas, color palettes, and silhouettes, and they work together to bring her visions to life through traditional hand-block printing and handweaving techniques.
Katie values these relationships because they’re built on mutual trust and respect. Together, the artisans and Katie create beautiful things and help preserve incredible heritage techniques that might otherwise disappear.
What impact can ethical fashion have?
Katie hopes Passion Lilie can help shift how people think about their clothes. She says, “I want to show that you don’t have to choose between beautiful, comfortable clothing and doing the right thing.” Beyond creating wearable, affordable pieces, she hopes customers begin asking questions like:
- Who made my clothes?
- Where did they come from?
- What is the true cost?
Fast fashion is erasing so much cultural heritage and craftsmanship. If Passion Lilie can play even a small role in preserving hand-block printing and supporting the artisans who practice it, that feels like a legacy worth building.
The Challenges of Building a Small Business
Like many entrepreneurs, Katie faced uncertainty in the early years. One of the biggest challenges was gaining trust from wholesale partners and customers as Passion Lilie was still finding its footing.
There have been moments of doubt along the way, especially during the COVID pandemic and more recently with supply chain issues, tariffs, and complicated political landscapes. Through it all, Katie attributes her success to Passion Lilie’s amazingly supportive community.
She says “Honestly, I keep pushing forward because I love what I do and I don’t want to do anything else (at least for now). I love the whole process of creating new designs and partnering with artisans in India and connecting with my community right here in New Orleans and across the US.”
Katie’s advice for women entrepreneurs is honest and straightforward:
- Figure out your support structure before you start: both in terms of finances and in terms of business advisors (whether that be professionals, friends, or family).
- Remember that talent is only a small aspect of running a business. A successful business owner is resourceful, resilient, and passionate.
- Don’t compare your journey to others. They’re walking a different path, and you never know what’s going on behind the scenes.
- Celebrate the small wins – they lead to big ones.
Balancing Motherhood and Business
Becoming a mom naturally changed the way Katie manages Passion Lilie. It may look like she’s reducing her hours, but she’s becoming more efficient, getting more done in less time. Time management is challenging when you’re trying to squeeze a 50 hour work week into 30 hours!
Every day is a delicate balance of business development, household management, and quality time with her family. Sometimes Katie may be responding to your email with a toddler on her lap! Her daughter already has strong opinions on clothing – she prefers bright colors and fun patterns, just like her mama.
Katie treasures time spent doing yoga with her daughter on Monday mornings and having her “help” in the Passion Lilie office. She loves that being a mom connects her with customers and partners in new ways.
The Inspiration Behind Passion Lilie Designs
Katie draws inspiration from:
- Nature and the environment
- New Orleans architecture
- Beaches and mountains from her childhood
Spring Summer 2026 Collection Favorites
This season is especially personal. Katie’s favorite pieces include the new kids’ dresses (a hit with her daughter) and the New Orleans Riviera Wrap Dress, which has such a fun coastal meets New Orleans vibe that represents Katie and the Passion Lilie brand.
Reflections on 10+ Years of Passion Lilie
As Katie celebrates another trip around the sun, we wanted to know what she’s most proud of and what she’s most excited about for the future of Passion Lilie.
She says, “All the beautiful connections that we have made over the past 10+ years from artisans in India to customers, employees, partners and friends in the United States and Canada and even in some places in Europe and Australia. It really has been a blessing to run Passion Lilie.”
As for what she’s excited about – be on the lookout for an expanded kids clothing line! It’s a joyful next step for Katie as both a designer and a mom.
Lightening Round Questions:
Who’s a woman entrepreneur you admire?
My Grandma, who not only ran a successful auto body shop with her husband, but she also loved to go to garage sales. She would buy something for a quarter, take it home, look at it in her house, and later turn that quarter into a dollar or more. It was one of my fondest memories and it taught me a lot about sales. When I didn’t know how to price something, she would ask the customer, “What would you pay for it?” You don’t have to take the customer’s offer, but it can help with pricing.
What’s your favorite thing about living in New Orleans?
The culture of celebration and community. New Orleans doesn't wait for a reason to come together—whether it's a second line, a festival, or just a random day, there's this understanding that joy and connection are worth making time for. That philosophy has deeply influenced how I run Passion Lilie.
What three words describe your own personal style?
I'm drawn to pieces that feel good and look good without trying too hard. I want to throw something on and feel like myself—just maybe a slightly more put-together version. I love color and print, but I also need everything to be practical enough for real life.
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