What started with a test of creativity — make something "black and moody," not the usual pink florals — has grown into one of downtown La Grange's most distinctive storefronts. Vagabond Botanical, the botanical design studio founded by Jenna Fowler, is marking roughly 10 years in business, a milestone that traces a path from basement to full-service creative studio.

Fowler, whose background is in fashion design, built the business on an aesthetic that sets it apart from a traditional flower shop. Vagabond's work spans seasonal outdoor containers, interior plant styling for private homes and boutiques, and large-scale botanical installations for hotels — clients who want something designed, not just delivered.

The studio got a second engine in 2019 when Nicole Drai came on as a business partner. Drai's route to co-ownership is its own story: she attended one of Fowler's succulent parties as a client, fell for both the plants and the business model, and eventually made the leap from engineer to co-owner. She now runs operations and project management, the structural side that lets Fowler focus on design. The La Grange Business Association, which featured the studio in a recent member spotlight, described the pairing as complementary — Drai's operational strengths enabling "seamless service and white-glove execution" alongside Fowler's creative vision.

For La Grange residents, the studio represents the kind of locally rooted, design-driven business that gives the downtown district a draw beyond chain retail. Whether you're a homeowner looking to refresh a front porch for the season or a boutique owner wanting a living installation that stops foot traffic, Vagabond sits in a niche that few local businesses occupy.

The 10-year mark puts Vagabond in a category most small businesses never reach — and in a downtown that has seen its share of turnover, that kind of staying power matters.