For the managing owner/director of the lifestyle concept retail store, Wildseed Living, Edna Narrido Luer says Las Vegas has a way of surprising you.
“I actually never thought I would ever live here,” said Edna, who had previously called Chicago and Los Angeles home. “But this city has changed over the years. It has definitely upgraded itself in a way I had never imagined.”
The Filipino native who opened Wildseed Living in the heart of Town Square Las Vegas in the summer of 2021 said her store, in a way, represents what Las Vegas is now: A melting pot of cultural experiences from not just across the country but around the world.
“When people come into my store, they often say they have never seen a place like this. It’s just beautiful,” said Edna. “It’s interesting because, at first, I thought I wasn’t going to fit into this town. I felt like maybe I would be an outcast in some way and that I wasn’t going to do well as a business. But so far, it’s been really great.”
When you step inside Wildseed Living, you do feel like you are entering an experience curated to resemble places and people that have become a part of Edna's life story. It's filled with distinctive furniture and decor, one-of-a-kind gift items, jewelry, clothing, and wellness and skincare brands. Edna works with vendors, manufacturers, and designers from around the world, including Indonesia, the Philippines, China, India, and Thailand. She said the inspiration behind her current business began years ago while she was on a very different career path.
“I am originally from the Philippines, but I came to the U.S. when I was 16,” said Edna. "I lived in Chicago in the 1970s and was exposed to all the fashion, design, and architecture the city could offer. Then I moved to Los Angeles and got into the medical field. I exported scientific equipment, minicomputers, and industrial instrumentation throughout Asia, Europe, and Australia. While I was overseas, I was exposed to these beautiful things. Before you knew it, I started collecting all these pieces, and they were all over my house and even in my backyard! I guess that’s when I knew I wanted to run it as my own business.”
In the 90s, Edna opened “Out of Asia” in Los Angeles. This successful wholesale import company catered to boutiques, high-end stores, interior designers, hotels, and restaurants, as well as movies and TV shows in the entertainment industry. (Out of Asia was rated "Best in LA" for Asian furniture by Los Angeles Magazine). This was the time when she started traveling more to do product research while doing product designs and developments for her clients. Edna became known to all her clients for her connections with sources of distinctive and unique pieces from all around the world. Her work even expanded to Las Vegas before she moved here. She had worked with major hotels and casinos to beautify global tourist destinations from Mandalay Bay to the Tao Restaurant & Nightclub inside the Venetian.
Right before the pandemic, Edna said she was done with the “congestion” of Southern California and decided to move to Las Vegas and open up Wildseed Living.
“I love that since we opened, we have been able to offer many things for my clients, including home interior design services, staging, and furniture rentals."
When it comes to design inspirations, Edna says she loves to Juxtapose the old and new. Her motto: Inspire with love, style, and grace."
"I still like classic, but I always add an oomph to it - combining everything from European to Japanese to organic and earthy materials from all over the world.”
Since its opening over a year ago, her Town Square concept store has become a place where her customers come to find unique pieces they can’t get anywhere else in town. Walking around the business, you can get a sense of the global adventures Narrido-Luer has been on throughout her life.
“I bring to the U.S. all the natural and organic materials from all over Asia. I helped introduce Rattan and other natural fibers here to people on the West Coast.”
Aside from home decor, Edna aims to share her love of fashion with her customers, with everything from clothing to jewelry. The bright-colored clothing with exotic styles brightens her shop, and it’s clear she enjoys mixing the modern and vintage and everything in between.
“I am definitely working with my clients to style them, and a lot of people in this town do come in, especially before they go to events and parties. We are really unique amongst the other stores here in Town Square. We even have had other business owners here in this complex stop by and get pieces from us.” She even just finished interior design for a client with a new home in MacDonald Highlands.
As for the name “Wildseed,” Edna says that her life has inspired that word because she has tapped into so many different things in her life and career. That experience has taught her to always bring in all things that are interesting and share them with her community.
“Las Vegas is definitely a special place to work because people come from everywhere, and my work allows me to provide them with inspirations and reminders of things they may be missing from where they come from.”
When people come into my store, they often say they have never seen a place like this.