Joynoelle is the signature line of Minneapolis based designer Joy Teiken. The Joynoelle ready-to-wear and bridal pieces are handmade and hand sewn in her south Minneapolis atelier. Every garment is individually cut, sewn and accented to ensure the highest quality and attention to detail that Joy expects.

A self-declared "lake-kid,” Joy attributes much of her creativity to spending childhood summers at her family cabin on Eagle Lake, Minnesota. Those months spent with no TV didn’t bother her and her brother: there was so much else to do and explore. The northern lake lifestyle continues for Joy today, now in the company of her son, Noel, and a big Golden Lab named Star. The lake still provides fun, inspiration and renewal.

In 1989 her mother, Jane, was dying of breast cancer. Responding to her predictable hair loss from chemo and the upcoming wedding of her brother, Joy fashioned a beret out of a vintage dress -- her first foray into the design world. Two weeks later she died, and today remains a guiding presence for Joy.

Before starting Joynoelle in 2003, Joy received her Masters in Art Education and taught high school art for many years. She was a Peace Corps volunteer in Botswana, Africa from 1993 to 1996, where she learned that living simply and having a daily purpose is the surest route to happiness.

Bill Phelps Photography