Ladies & Gentlemen Studio began designing its own products at JOIN, a Seattle–based design collective that was started in 2008 by Jean and Dylan’s friends Jamie and Brian of Iacoli & McAllister. Through that experience, the team discovered a resurgence of independent design in the state of Washington. When asked what their ultimate goal is as designers, Lee says that they want to have a design studio “that allows us to explore constantly.” Above all else, they “want to make sure we can try new ideas, do collaborations, learn new things, and gain new experiences.”