Locals World


Expand horizons. Cross borders. Open doors.

Locals World — About

Where Creativity Meets Connection

Locals World is a creative studio and private collective that brings designers, artisans, and conscious brands together with the communities that inspire them. We celebrate authentic culture, thoughtful commerce, and the art of connection, creating experiences and collaborations that leave a lasting impact.

Our Story

Founded by Valerie Jana, Locals World began as a vision to explore the world differently — not as a visitor, but as someone seeking meaningful connections with people, places, and craft. Growing up in a small town outside the city, Valerie learned the value of community, creativity, and the stories behind every hand-made item. Locals World was born to bridge creators with communities, empowering brands to share their story and connect with conscious audiences.

Our Mission

We exist to:

  • Amplify women-led and artisan-driven brands.

  • Support local economies and independent creators through meaningful collaborations.

  • Build communities around shared purpose, connecting makers with people who care.

  • Transform experiences into story, craft, and culture, helping every brand leave a lasting impression.

What We Do

  • Editorial & Storytelling: Curated city guides, seasonal gift guides, and features that highlight hidden creative gems.

  • Brand Partnerships & Creative Direction: Strategic collaborations that align purpose, story, and presentation.

  • Locals Closet: Pop-ups, capsule collections, and experiences that connect conscious consumers with designers.

  • Community Building: Spaces — online and in-person — where creativity, commerce, and connection grow together.

Visionary, Founder and Creative Director

Hi, I’m Valerie — founder and creative director of Locals World. I grew up outside New York City, studied in Madrid, and have lived in places that taught me the language of neighborhoods: markets, cafés, boutiques, and the quiet rituals that make a city feel alive. My work brings together styling, creative direction, and storytelling to highlight makers and the human moments that create belonging. Locals World is my invitation: slow down, stay curious, open doors, and find home anywhere.

Michelle Andrea, Creative Partner

Mish B. Photographed at Hotel Esme in South Beach

Locals World — Brand Manifesto

Our Manifesto:

Locals World was created for those who wander with intention.
 For the ones who seek meaning in small moments. For the ones who know that home is not a place — it’s a feeling.
We believe in expanding horizons.
 In crossing borders — internal and external.
 In opening doors to new places, new people, new possibilities.
We honor presence — slowing down to notice the warmth of a café, the music in a market, the handwritten sign outside a boutique.
 We celebrate the beauty of the overlooked: the artisan around the corner, the shop you pass every day but never enter.
We treasure curiosity as a compass, belonging as a practice, and dreams as doors to walk through.
 Be present. Be curious. Be open. Expand your horizons. Cross borders. Open doors.
 Find home wherever you go — and in whoever you are becoming.
LOCALS WORLD — Where everyday life becomes a place of discovery.

“Connection is a lifestyle — and every city has a story worth belonging to.”

Connection is a lifestyle — and every city has a story worth belonging to. Locals World exists to help people feel connected — to place, to craft, and to themselves — through stories, experiences, and communities that open doors across borders. Connection through story. Community through place. Power through choosing with intention.

Why We’re Here

To redefine connection through creativity.
To strengthen local economies by uplifting artisan and women-led brands.
To bridge designers, communities, and conscious consumers.
To create beauty with purpose, story, and soul.

Locals World is a creative studio and collective connecting designers, artisans, and conscious brands with the communities that inspire them.

We craft editorial storytelling, brand collaborations, and curated guides that bring local culture to life — from coast to coast.

Through strategic partnerships and design direction, we help emerging brands expand their reach with integrity — aligning purpose with presentation, and story with style. Our work lives at the intersection of creativity and connection, blending visual storytelling, curation, and human insight to build brands that resonate deeply.

In collaboration with our community of muses and makers, we publish seasonal gift guides, city features, and digital collections that spotlight women-led and artisan-driven businesses around the world. Each piece, product, and partnership reflects our belief that creativity is community — and that true value lies in authenticity, not volume.

Through Locals Closet, our fashion and lifestyle arm, we curate capsule collections, pop-ups, and in-person experiences that connect conscious consumers with designers who create with intention.

At its heart, Locals World is a movement toward meaningful commerce — one that bridges culture, craft, and community through storytelling and design.