Tell us about what you do inside and outside of Hoste!
Hallie: At Hoste, I get to talk with neighbors and meet new ones—which I love. There’s something really special that happens when we show up for each other in person and share daily delights. When I’m not in the shop, I’m either out photographing people in nature, hand-building ceramic vessels, watercoloring tiny women, or reading half a chapter of three different books and calling myself an avid reader.
Josie: Inside of Hoste I support customers to help them find what they are looking for whether that is a new piece for their wardrobe or a sweet gift for a friend! Always here to chat about the ebbs and flows of the day too! Outside of host I can typically be found at a coffee shop, journaling, or curating pre-loved pieces for my online shop Studio Tangerine (@shopstudiotangerine). Find me on a bike ride on a warm day or by the lake with friends!
Emma: At Hoste, I’m engaging with customers and products, always learning from the wonderful people and community the space gathers. I love scouting style inspo on the floor. Outside of Hoste, I’m playing soccer, basketball, or perhaps skiing or mountain biking. Catch me inviting friends and family over for dinner parties or brunches year-round.
Oran: Inside Hoste, I’m the store manager and events coordinator. Beyond the day to day tasks of managing the store, I help to organize the pop ups and classes we host in our space each month with local artists and small businesses. We’ve hosted multiple mediums of creative workshops, fundraisers, a regularly meeting craft night, and recently a grounding night with yoga, breathwork, and meditation. I love chatting with each of you when you are in the store, hearing updates from your lives and checking in with how we are really doing in this day to day. Seeing regular faces around the neighborhood and engaging with each other and supporting each other’s well being is a revolutionary act! Outside Hoste, I am a spiritual counselor for queer and trans people, a model, a fashion designer and vintage collector (you can find my items at Friend Museum!), and a multi-media artist. I started learning to sew when I first started my gender transition and didn’t have the money to buy a new wardrobe so I upcycled what I had to suit my emerging needs. Since then, I have pushed my craft to designing couture and show pieces using non-traditional materials, my favorite being a few gowns and cocktail dresses made from dehydrated orange slices.
Marina: You’ll probably see me most frequently at Hoste on Sunday’s! I love helping you pick out gifts for loved ones (or for you - we all deserve treats).❤️ Outside of Hoste I call West Seattle home with my sweet husband and puppy. I have enjoyed taking on some new hobbies this past year: golf, ballet lessons, and surfing to name a few.
Lana: You know me as the owner of your favorite local shop ;) I also have been a birth doula since 2017, birth work is my soul-fulfilling work, and feels wildly different from running the store! I have two kiddos of my own, live in West Seattle and love to bake, eat outside, hike will talk about the division of labor in the home to anyone who will listen.
What's your favorite dinner party conversation starter?
Hallie: I like asking people what lights them up. Usually, their eyes soften into a genuine smile, and it opens the door to creative projects, quiet joys, or ideas they’ve been carrying—but might be a little afraid to say out loud. Honestly, I’ve got a few of those too.
Josie: What activity did you most enjoy as kid? How did it make you feel?
Emma: Usually a joke or pun that I spent all day workshopping. They’re always terrible.
Oran: I’ll ask, “what colors and textures do you feel your head, heart, body, and spirit are today?” then ask if I can massage your shoulders while you answer.
Marina: What 3 people would you want to have a round table conversation with (alive or deceased)?
Lana: Tell me all your gossip.
Which Hoste pieces do you reach for while entertaining and why?
Hallie: I reach for the pieces that feel like little works of art—something unexpected, a bit indulgent, the kind of thing you might not buy for yourself, but feels right for an occasion. A candle, a vessel, a thing that adds charm. I love adding small touches that shift the energy, set the tone, and make people feel like they’re somewhere special… because they are. Being here together is worth celebrating!
Josie: In preparing for a dinner party, the Hoste items I am reaching for are a bottle of the Les Marées N/A wine, the Merge Garden Bed candle, a pair of denim shorts with a vintage button down, and a pair of Alohas sneakers! Can’t forget Monastery Attar balm so my skin feels nourished and ready to entertain my lovely guests!
Emma: I’m first grabbing a favorite [Sonderhaus] sweater - it’s comfortable, chic, and perfect with a pair of jeans. This set of gorgeous vintage woven placemats is next. Each mat is different but they share the same bright color and texture variation. The best base for a spring/summer table setting.
Oran: The Fishy Lemon Squeezer is an entertaining must have in my home. It comes out when we are making cocktails or sharing freshly shucked oysters needing a squeeze of fresh citrus. I love how it elevates the experience of a small but essential act of a lemon squeeze, and when it is not in use it is busy being adorable on the bar cart.
Marina: I always have beeswax taper candles at home from the shop and it makes dinner feel cozy and special.
Lana: My All Roads table runner is the perfect color and texture to lay a foundation for all the food that comes over for our regular Summer backyard potlucks!
