I do not remember exactly when I first started watching Home & Family on the Hallmark Channel, but once I discovered the incredible and diverse content they produced on a daily basis, it quickly became my favorite daytime talk show. From the first season, Orly Shani has been an essential part of this show, and I had a splendid time chatting with her recently. As a fashion designer, a DIY expert, and a mother of two active little ones, Orly is the epitome of the contemporary woman who can inherently do it all! And do it thoroughly with her own flair!

RH: Orly, it is such a joy to speak with you today. I just love having the opportunity to speak with so many cast members on Home & Family.

OS: Thank you, Ruth. Yeah, it’s a great group of people that’s for sure.

It’s so nice to have a show you can turn on and know that it’s positive and family-friendly. With so many talk shows nowadays, you never know what you’re gonna get when you turn them on.

I think it’s become such a successful show for that very reason. Mark {Steines} always makes a joke at the end of the show and calls Home & Family “two hours of sunshine.” And it’s true. I think the show has a very clear purpose that it wants to try to fulfill in people’s lives, and it has really stayed true to that. Which is nice. It’s a bit of a break from everything.

I was doing some research on you, Orly, and it’s been just fascinating. Now how did you get started in all this fashion stuff?

Well, I grew up not making all my own clothes, but I made a lot of my own clothes. My grandmother is an artist; she’s a painter. As she got older, she started making a lot of costumes for the McCallum Theater, which is a big theater out here in Palm Desert {California}. She taught my mom how to sew. My grandfather had a cutting business in the garment industry in LA. So my mom and her siblings worked there when they were kids. So the artistic and apparel world has been in my family for a really long time. My mom taught me how to sew. I took sewing classes as a kid, and I really took to sewing. I loved being able to customize all my own clothes. I remember I would shop at thrift stores, and then I would just chop them up and make them fit me in a more thoughtful way. When I would wear my own designs like this, every girl would ask me to make a tank top or whatever for them too. So doing this was something I just always did.

Fashion Star with Jessica Simpson

Then when I was living in New York City, I was bartending and someone mentioned this show Fashion Star and that it was casting and looking for designers. So I auditioned for the show and ended up becoming one of the designers on the show.

Then when the first season ended, I was hired by NBC to do a behind-the-scenes series–a digital series for nbc.com–about the making of season two. This was my first time hosting anything. It was kind of this interesting world of fashion and television where I was getting to be myself on the camera. I wasn’t being an actor. I was myself and my voice and the way that I talked, but it was within a category that I loved. And that started my whole career.

I ended up getting my own show on E. That was a fashion focus talk show. Then I did Fashion Police, and I was in that world. Then it wasn’t really until I came to Home & Family that I actually started doing DIY on camera. It had just been something that I did for my own life for my own wardrobe and for my friends. It wasn’t anything I thought could be a career. At the time, DIY wasn’t what it is now. But Home & Family opened the door for me to do it as a career.

Fashion Star

So I’m curious. Did you go to college?

No, I actually didn’t. I am self-taught. I think that’s why the DIY stuff comes so naturally to me. I didn’t have any of those lessons to unlearn. DIY for me was a solution. I didn’t have any technical ability to make something from scratch. I didn’t have the proper pattern, and so I was like, “Well, why couldn’t I make this one work?” Then I would make it, and I would be like, “Holy cow, it does work!” So a lot of these projects were out of necessity. I had to figure out how to make these things because I didn’t know the proper technique, which I now think was a blessing. Maybe if I had gone to school, my mind wouldn’t have been as open to trying unconventional solutions. I might have just done it the way I was taught.

I actually understand what you’re saying. I didn’t take the traditional path to teaching, and as a result, I always thought differently than all the other teachers who had gone through traditional training. I know that regular training does work for some people, but I think everybody has to find their own path.

There is so much truth to that.

How long have you been with Home & Family?

I actually was with the show in its first season. I was a contributor originally and not a cast member. So I would come on periodically throughout that first season. But I joined the cast as a full-time cast member three years ago. At the time, I was pregnant with Blake who is now two and a half.

You have two kids, isn’t that right?

Yes, that is correct.

I recently talked with Maria {Provenzano} and it seems like the show is very supportive of mothers.

Yes, that has been my experience. And I think a lot of has to do with not just that Hallmark as a business is very family-oriented–I definitely think it starts from there. But I think when you take a step back and look at the really high positions on the show–the most important positions on the show–they are held by women. Which is really incredible. The executive producer, all of our senior producers, our talent coordinator…they’re all women. So I think there’s an ingrained understanding of what it takes to be a working mom. It’s not like, “Oh, our policy is…” No, it’s mom to mom. Things will happen and our executive producer will be like, “Hey, we’re moms. We’ll make it work. No problem.” If I’m twenty minutes late, it’s okay. They figure it out and make it work. It doesn’t seem like it’s this big decision like, “We’re going to be the kind of people that…” It’s just the way that everybody is. It’s natural. It feels very comfortable, and I know I’m very lucky.

I came back to work a couple of weeks after I had my daughter. There were significant concessions made so I could pump while I was at work. I could be the last one out of hair and makeup because while everyone else was eating lunch, I had to pump. So I needed to be the last one on set. And there was just a simple understanding and we made it work. If there’s ever any situation…you know, I’ve had days where I get a phone call from school and one of the kids is sick. When my daughter was sick, I was able to bring her to work, and she was able to hang out in our trailer and all the other family members are so sweet and don’t care. They play with her. It’s a really special place.

You know, I already think so highly of Hallmark, but when I hear these kinds of things, all these personal stories, it reinforces what I think of them. They are an amazing network. You just don’t find that so much out in the real world. I know there are companies that are family-friendly, but unfortunately, it’s still not the norm.

Oh, you’re right. We’re all so lucky. It’s such a wonderful place to go to work every day. You know, it’s like summer camp. It’s a lot of fun!

Dolly Parton

I know this is probably a really hard question to throw out there, but are there any guests on the show that really stand out as being very special to you?

We did a week’s worth of shows at Dollywood. Those were really incredible because Dolly Parton is such an icon. You know, there are these people that when you meet them–you don’t think you’ll ever get the chance to meet them and when you do–they’re everything that you’ve ever hoped and dreamed of. When I did Fashion Police and I got to work with Joan Rivers, there is something about working with someone that iconic. It’s like, this moment is epic.

Dolly Parton came on the show and I got to make a DIY coat of many colors. So I made it, and no part of me actually thought she was going to take the jacket or keep it. On camera, she said, “Oh, how sweet,” then I thought I would probably find it in her trailer. We have a free table, and we joke that there are certain projects that get put on the free table. I thought I’d find the jacket on the free table.

So we went to Dollywood, and we were doing this week’s worth of shows. We were in her hometown. It’s epic and so amazing. I made these big butterfly wings on the show. She came up to the stage for the rehearsal and brought out the jacket! She was taking it back with her to Tennessee! And it’s part of the archive of all the stuff she has. And it was there! Along with the other coat of many colors from the movie and her own custom skirt suit she had made. It is a moment I will never forget. Something that I made was in her hands, and it felt like a piece of history. I wanted to cry! It was such a cool experience. I was just blown away!

I was reading on your Facebook page about how you would like to start some kind of non-profit organization or something like that.

Sometimes I get these really good ideas, but I don’t always have them fully fleshed out. So I’ll throw them out there and let people puncture a bunch of holes in them. I want them to tell me why it won’t work and help me think about why this idea won’t work because I haven’t thought it all the way through yet.

This idea started because I have all these bins of clothes for my kids that are divided by age. For a while, we thought we wanted more kids. I got pregnant really fast with both of my kids, and this last time was a year of really trying and nothing was happening. And so it gave me enough time to reconsider. So I decided that I think we’re nuts to add more into our lives right now. We decided to not have a third. So I’ve bought these clothes that I’m holding onto thinking, “Well, if I have another boy or another girl, I’ll want to save these clothes for them.” So I’ve been thinking about where I could donate these clothes and what I’m going to do with them.

I became overcome with the idea that there are families who can barely afford Salvation Army. So what if I could sponsor a mother, like her child’s entire life just off my hand-me-downs alone. Like every age they grow out of, I could ship a box of clothes off to this family and this family will never need to shop for clothes again unless they get gifts or special things. They will always have the necessities. So I’m trying to figure out if there’s a reason why this idea wouldn’t work. I want to figure out the cons of doing it. And I understand the concerns about how can you really justify or validate that this person is for real and that they’re not taking advantage of me in some way and not really in need. I don’t know if this idea of mine would really work. Maybe it’s something I would have to do on my own. Maybe I can make a video and have people nominate someone in their community that they know of who could really use the help and deserves it. And then maybe it’s just something that I would do individually for them. It would make me so happy to know that every time I take a dress or shirt out of my daughter’s or son’s wardrobe that I would be packing it with care for someone else who could really benefit from it rather than just putting it in a plastic bag that I’m gonna drop off at the Salvation Army.

I think it sounds like a cool idea. I’d never really thought about doing anything like that. If you could figure out the logistics of it, I think it would be a great idea.

I do too. I think in some ways it feels good to give to someone in particular and not just donate to a church or another place. It’s nice to think of it going to a family and it is going to impact them for good. I am more inclined to give if I can see the recipient’s face. I think there is some meaningful value in that kind of giving. I know a church will give it to a family in need, but there’s something about that connection. And I think it would be a really meaningful thing to try to do.

Well, good luck with that. It sounds pretty fantastic if you can figure out how to do it. Hopefully, others can help you figure out how to do it.

Social media has changed so many things for the better, and so I hope that people can help me figure it out too.

Where do you get the inspiration for all these projects you do?

The cool thing about the fashion industry is how much it has changed in the last six or seven years. Fashion companies like Zara, H & M, and Forever 21, companies that don’t work off of a classic calendar…it used to be that you had your Fall Collection and your Spring Collection. And now new styles are hitting the stores every couple of weeks. The cool thing about it is that there is a never-ending inspiration because there’s never-ending new trends and new styles coming out. Just like you’re talking about social media…I don’t need to wait for a magazine. I’ve got a hundred thousand magazines on my phone just by swiping through the people whose styles I like.

As I swipe through their photos, they’re showing me new trends, exciting stuff, fun stuff. You start to see consistency. Like, “I’ve seen four or five people wearing these really cool whatever.” Like these really cool fringed-out jeans bottoms. That’s a fun trend, so why don’t we do that on a denim jacket? You take that trend and do something special and unique with it. Then I show people how to do it. Or like everyone is doing embroidery, and it very expensive and hard to do. But I bet I could find good quality patches and we could do it on a fun denim jacket. Now because of social media and the change in the fashion industry, there’s never-ending inspiration. I have folders and folders on my phone of screenshots for inspiration.

Then if you add Pinterest to it…if I ever go on there, I regularly get lost.

I actually have a YouTube show–I’ve taken a bit of a break while I did my home renovation–but my show is called The DIY Designer. On there, it’s purely fashion. On Home & Family, I do a mix. I do fashion, I do interiors, I do some crafty stuff. We always have a Christmas corner so I can do a Christmas DIY sometimes. Whereas on The DIY Designer, it’s just fashion. It’s a little more fashion-forward. It’s a little more playful. It’s nice to get to have that balance. I get to create for two different audiences. I get to fulfill both sides of myself.

I have young people who come to me now and then and ask how they can get started in fashion and design. What is your advice to these young people?

The biggest advice I could give to anyone is to do an internship in a company. It doesn’t even need to be the exact kind of company with the exact style of clothing they like. Just get a job in the apparel business. Get a job at a fashion brand. Be an intern. Do whatever you can because I think that a lot of times we glorify certain jobs or certain ideas in our mind and then we go to school for four years to study it. Then we finally get a job and you realize it’s not what you thought it was. By getting a job and seeing it firsthand and really looking at it and watching the people who have the job that you’re hoping to have one day, I think it can really help. Look at them do their job and make sure you are interested in this and that you care about it. You’ll make invaluable connections. You’ll meet people who can help you down the road who will remember when you were a hard-working hustler of an intern who really gave them your best. I think that’s really important too.

Developing that work ethic. People are going to watch the way that you work and if you were working hard as an intern, they’re gonna trust you when you launch your clothing line and you need some advice or you need a connection or you want them to put you in touch with their factory. They’ll do it if they know they can trust you. You have that relationship and they have seen you in action. You’re not just reaching out blindly. You end up making all these really important connections and friendships with people you can later collaborate with. That’s a huge part of the business now is collaboration. You’re able to benefit off each other’s audience. You know, Clothing Brand A collaborates with Musical Artist D, and it’s mutually beneficial to both. As an intern, you get to see what the inner workings are of the design and fashion business. If you want to do anything creative, I would always recommend doing an internship.

Before you got connected with Hallmark through Home & Family, were you someone who watched Hallmark?

It’s funny. It wasn’t something that my mom watched. When you’re growing up, a lot of times, you watch the channels your parents watch. We watched I Love Lucy and those types of channels. It’s funny now how I don’t know whether the brand has just grown so much or whether it’s on my radar more, but all of my friends watch Hallmark now. You know, they’ll screenshot a photo of me in the morning, and I’m like, “What? You guys are watching that right now?” Or they take a photo of themselves watching a Hallmark movie. So while I didn’t grow up watching it, Hallmark is an enormous business. It’s a really big brand and people love it. It’s a network that is constantly creating new and exciting content. I love it now, and I feel like I’m way more aware of the content they create.

I want to end with this question since I asked Maria and Larissa {Wohl} the same question. Would you like to make a cameo appearance in a Hallmark movie?

Heck, yeah! {laughs} I think it would be a blast! We work on Home & Family, and all of the Hallmark stars come on our show. We have friendships with a lot of these people now. It would be a real kick to do something in their world. I love them, and we have such a great relationship with all of them.

Well, I’ll be planning to put in a good word for you and all the Home & Family cast members. It would be so much fun to see all of you appear in one of the shows or movies that Hallmark makes, so maybe one day that will happen.

It would definitely be a dream come true.

Thank you so much for taking some time to chat with me today, Orly. I’ve learned so much, and it’s going to make watching your segments on Home & Family even more fun.

My pleasure, Ruth. Thank you for reaching out, and I hope everyone enjoys what we have in store every day for you on Home & Family. It’s such a blessing to be a part of such a wonderful show!

Again, I am absolutely overwhelmed by the extraordinary talent manifested regularly on Home & Family. I think sometimes people assume it is a show for a certain demographic or population of the country, but there is no doubt that every single cast member is replete with diverse and astounding abilities and ideas that they routinely share. Indeed, Orly is one of those wonderful artists, and her commitment to fashion and DIY is readily apparent every day on the show. She is definitely living the dream, and because the show is remarkably family- and women-oriented, mothers like Orly have all the tools they could possibly need to fulfill their dreams and succeed. While I know that other businesses out there are supportive of mothers, all too often, these remarkable women are overlooked because of their household responsibilities. At Home & Family, mothers are never asked to choose between their jobs and their maternal obligations, and that has given me such a positive outlook of the show and Hallmark as a whole.
Therefore, if you are so inclined, please tune in to the Hallmark Channel (or set it to your DVR) every weekday morning for “two hours of sunshine.” You are bound to find something that warms the cockles of your heart and/or sets your creative juices in motion. Additionally, I would invite you to check out all of Orly’s links below (including her YouTube Channel for episodes of The DIY Designer) and consider following her where applicable. In this world of conventional, extravagant fashion designers who provide clothing for the upper echelon of society, it’s refreshing to find a self-taught mother of two who is inventive enough to envision other ways to accomplish unique and stylish clothes (and other projects) for the typical, run-of-the-mill woman who has little time or money to furnish her wardrobe. I salute Orly for her allegiance and devotedness to the industry and to her family, and I cannot thank Hallmark enough for bringing this wondrous human being into my circle of acquaintances!
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