Disenyo

It's about time...

2009-07-01T07:45:00.000-04:00

Hooray!!! The Specials 30th Anniversary Celebrations!

The Female Landscape

2009-02-01T16:53:00.007-05:00

Must continue with French lessons ...

Photos by Matthew Gauchet, with clothing by Marie Labarelle, from a performance of The Female Landscape by dancer Marie Barbottin, with Adèle Blanchin on the didgeridoo.

Film of some of the performances are available.

I love Bill Cunningham, I do...

2009-01-24T13:09:00.004-05:00

there are so many reasons for my affection, but here is one more.

Rina Matea Trunk Show at Henri Bendel: January 17 & 18, 2009

2009-01-15T01:04:00.002-05:00

I'm presenting my millinery collection at Henri Bendel this weekend. I hope you can make it.

New Year, New Dolls

2009-01-11T22:12:00.005-05:00

Some new dolls for the new year...

Introducing Soline, with her black bob and green eyes, and the sweetest clothes -- a pink cami with matching shorts, a lace-edged purple-dotted skirt, and the prettiest green coat. And leather ballet slippers, of course. She currently lives in jan & äya, located at 99 Franklin Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

And here is Capucine, with her brown bob and brown eyes -- fashionable in her blue-dotted cami and shorts, light denim skirt, and lovely blue fern coat. Yes, also in ballet slippers.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T20:51:00.008-05:00

Happy New Year!!! I spent the last days of 2008 in the most beautiful place - and I resolve to visit again and again. Sending my warmest wishes for a happy, peaceful, and prosperous 2009!

Yay, Antony!

2008-12-04T13:29:00.004-05:00

Sorry I've been MIA, but I'm buried under hats and doll-parts. Soon, I'll be attempting another escape from under the pile to post pictures of what I've been up to and to invite all of you to come out to Bendel's in a few weeks to check out my millinery offerings.

In the meantime, I'm completely happy because I got my first Christmas gift -- tickets to the Antony and the Johnsons show at Town Hall this February. I AM SO HAPPPPEEEEE!!!

Yes We Can

2008-11-04T13:21:00.000-05:00

Warmi

2008-10-19T17:45:00.002-04:00

Realizing I wasn't going to Paris for Thanksgiving this year, I went on a French blog search and found AUREA, a Paris-based blog sharing the most wonderful images and discoveries. It is there that I found and was smitten with Warmi. From Franco-Colombian Sylvia Sanchez, Warmi is a wonderfully feminine and unique collection of knits. Look at these pieces ...

D, let's meet later this week. You have to teach me how to knit!!!

Paul Newman

2008-09-28T15:02:00.004-04:00

Paul Newman's craft was acting. His passion was racing. His love was his family and friends. And his heart and soul were dedicated to helping make the world a better place for all.

- Robert Forrester, vice-chairman of Newman's Own Foundation

Makié Clothiers for Women

2008-09-24T17:15:00.003-04:00

I've already said how much I love Makié Clothiers for children. I just found out that they now carry a collection for women. Yay!

At home with the Toledos

2008-09-23T08:37:00.000-04:00

Reading this led me to this, which is a spread on Ruben and Isabel Toledo's midtown home. Light-filled, packed bookcases, art and fasyon everywhere, and hula hoops!

Photos by David Allee.

The hula hoops are for exercising in your beautiful party frock. It reminded me that I've been wanting to try this. There are even more interior shots here.

I do love Isabel.

And Ruben is a post of his own.

Random Interiors

2008-09-22T21:23:00.006-04:00

I recently threw out a collection of interiors magazines - some dating back to, well, a looong time ago ... when stacked heels were all the rage. Saying hello to the post-uggs age, I'm scanning some favorite images. Unfortunately, impatience with the scanning process has resulted in less than perfect, that is, tilted images. Some more favorites to come. Most bloggers take blog breaks. I'm the reverse, and disappear from here quite often. Maybe this will be what makes me a regular around these parts. On to my first Random Interiors post ...

Maybe it's the chill as the season turns (my favorite season, I love you autumn!!!). I love the warmth this room exudes (and the slight eccentric air about it).

MUJI fits in my apartment!!

2008-09-17T19:58:00.007-04:00

So...I need this bed. Seriously. [I suffer from "small apartment" syndrome. My studio is "Tokyo-sized."]

Is it at the flagship Muji Store on 42nd Street? Sigh....

“Because there is complexity in purity. Elegance in plainness. Intricacy in streamlining. Richness in reduction. Depth in minimalism. Surprise in uniformity. Innovation in re-use. Cool in the avoidance of cool. And there is true sophistication in simplicity.”

Literally translated, Mujirushi Ryohin, MUJI’s original name, means “no brand quality goods.” I heard they put labels on everything the minute they hit the Big Apple!!

Thoughts, Candy?

Daniela Gregis FW08/09

2008-09-17T14:19:00.007-04:00

Loving these looks for the upcoming cold season from Daniela Gregis (summer's Master of Linen). Although, I pass on that hat in the first photo. What is that?

Successful Chanel Advertising?

2008-08-26T00:00:00.006-04:00

Is the above ad selling Chanel eyewear or the art of the Chanel tattoo? I spotted one commuter on this morning's 6 train who bought into the body modification message. Maybe Candelaria Cruz, Chi Chi, or Chloe Clamdigger? Or maybe a rabid olympic fan who went to a discount tat artist? Disturbed.

Playing with Paper: Mary Janes

2008-08-07T10:35:00.002-04:00

So many deadlines - hats to block, dolls to sew, papers to shuffle and re-shuffle. It's during these times that I take a little break and pick-up something completely different. I've been thinking of taking a shoemaking class, but not before I complete my millinery courses. For now, I'll have to make do with making paper pairs. This book will show you how.

For other paper projects, how about one from Hermès? For your very own Kelly Purse, follow this post from the amazingly generous Summer Allen-Gibson of Design is Mine.

Shiseido Vintage Advertising

2008-08-03T11:05:00.000-04:00

I came upon these beautiful vintage advertising images from Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido and just had to share...

More lovely examples here and here from flickr user tomish*'s.

Speedo/Comme des Garçons Swimwear Collaboration

2008-07-16T15:00:00.001-04:00

Imagine if I showed up poolside in this:

It would be one thing if I proceeded to swim a medley of freestyle, backstroke, breast stroke, and butterfly. But I'm in the pool a lot because I'm in love with this class where we do aerobic kicks and drills in the water (ala that Bill Murray pool scene in Lost in Translation). My favorite part is where we use those noodles to stay afloat while pretending to be seahorses. Cool, right? Don't knock it until you've tried it.

So, I don't think the LZR Racer that Speedo and Rei Kawakubo designed for the '08 U.S. Olympic swim team will be appropriate. I like the non-olympic styles - I can envision a seahorse wearing these (especially that first collection). Alas, still not available in the states!

2008: Third Collection (Current)

2007: Second Collection

2006: First collection

Dior SS09 - millinery confections

2008-07-07T11:30:00.002-04:00

Time is just going by so fast! Images from the Spring and Summer 2009 haute-couture collections shook me out of the lassitude that has been, so far, characteristic of my Summer 2008. Shake! Shake! There's work to do!!!

Aren't these hats from Dior just beautiful? And I'm one to avoid the animal prints.

Photos by Jean-Luce Huré for The New York Times.

Goodbye, Ms. Tudor.

2008-06-20T10:19:00.003-04:00

Some sad news.

minä perhonen SS08 + minä perhonen books

2008-06-13T10:50:00.002-04:00

I've been remiss in not publicly obsessing over minä perhonen's current collection. So let me make up for that.

Akira Minagawa is Master of the Fabric Universe. Did you happen to see the three-part series of his work?

minä perhonen 1 textile

minä perhonen 2 embroidery

minä perhonen 3 prints

Each volume is £25 at Selvedge. For those outraged, I saw them at the Bryant Park Kinokuniya for a friendlier $25.

And so I can say I'm not falling behind, here's a look into the AW08/09 collection.

Coming Home

2008-06-06T17:32:00.011-04:00

For two months now I've been listening to K.D. Lang's Watershed. I can't even begin to describe the little flutter within me when I hear the opening strings of Coming Home. The magic of music, right?

Well, just a few minutes ago I received a phone call from D with the wonderful news that she's coming home! Magic! Flutter! My dearest friend, I am so happy for you! Yay!

I couldn't help myself, this is too perfect.

Coming Home {Lang/Pitch}

oh sweet sorrow
let's write the book
tomorrow

for I caught a glimpse
been obsessed with it
ever since

my eyes no longer weak amongst the clarity that you pronounce in me

won
you have won
my illumination has begun

I'm happily indifferent to the ones who have consistently been wrong
and all that once confined us like minutiae at its finest now is gone

oh sweet sorrow
let's write the book
tomorrow

my eyes no longer weak amongst the clarity that you pronounce in me
I'm happily indifferent to the ones who have consistently been wrong
and all that once confined us like minutiae at its finest now is gone

and all that lies before me like the asphalt lures me forward towards home

home
coming home

Maggie Taylor + Enjoy the Weekend!

2008-05-30T13:15:00.000-04:00

Some fascinating fairy tale images from digital artist/photographer Maggie Taylor. Check out her images for Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland from Modernbook Editions.

My bestfriends from fourth grade are in town this weekend! Yay!

J. Morgan Puett, Part Two

2008-05-29T11:10:00.003-04:00

I recently wondered about J. Morgan Puett, which led me to Mildred's Lane - her home and the name and location of her latest project/collaboration/experiment/life-as-art/artist colony.

“What I’m really interested in is the future and what it looks like,” she said, and “in inventing a future through history and material culture and art.”

Read the rest of Alastair Gordon's NYT article here. Be sure to see the rest of Phil Mansfield's beautiful images of JMP's home/life/home life/refrigerator as gallery space here.

Santos, if you visit Mildred Lane, will you swing by NY and visit Brooklyn?

When a Gloomy Bear Gets Cold

2008-05-28T22:30:00.000-04:00

We all know and love Gloomy Bear. But, what, no one told me about Gloomy Bear Gloves?! Winter, come back!

And did you meet Oink Le Rouge?

*All found yesterday afternoon, while making a quick gift purchase at Yoyashop.

Susan kae Grant

2008-05-21T10:00:00.007-04:00

I just discovered Susan kae Grant's work. I love these haunting and moody scenes, a production straight from the artist's subconscious (from JR Compton for the Dallas Arts Revue):

To bring the imagery out of her subconscious into photographs, Grant slept at a University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center sleep center, where each time she reached REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, indicating the onset of dreams, she'd be awakened and asked questions about the imagery she was experiencing. The gallery has an impressive photo showing the artist plugged into all the high tech electrodes.

---

Oh, and not that she reads this, but -- Happy Birthday, Mommy!

ICFF 2008: 3form's Play Capiz Collection

2008-05-19T10:00:00.007-04:00

Another capiz shell-centric (and dog-centric) post.

I live in a loft, and I'm always on the lookout for 3form's latest ecoresin-panel offerings for when I imagine I can afford to renovate my place. I can never pick a favorite material - seaweed, flowers, twigs? Well, I could never pick a favorite until now. And so I'll have a housewarming party after the panels are installed. The invitation will come from The Capiz Palace, and you'll know it's from me.

ICFF 2008: Tay Trading

2008-05-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

These lamps from UK-based Tay Trading caught my eye because they reminded me so much of traditional Filipino lighting. Made from fibre glass, these fixtures capture that pearly luster that is characteric of capiz shells. And sure enough, there is a Filipino connection.

ICFF 2008: gino the dog

2008-05-18T12:00:00.002-04:00

I'm dog-crazy, so of course I oooh'd and ahh'd all over Gaia & Gino's pet line, gino the dog. This is such a swanky dog house. Designed by Brian McIntyre, the Loop house is made of leather, with a hypo-allergenic-covered memory foam that is upholstered in a choice of fabrics.

The Chew toy is designed not to inhibit poochie's natural inclination to attack that favored-furniture-part that are the legs, but to prevent damage. Indulgent pet parents will appreciate this.

The Supremes at the V&A

2008-05-14T11:00:00.006-04:00

London's Victoria & Albert Museum just opened The Story of the Supremes from the Mary Wilson Collection, which traces the evolution of the Supremes' style. I wonder whether a look into their evolving hairstyles will be included? Anyone London-bound? Bring me? D, should we plan a trip?

And I just love this poster from their 1965 Lincoln Center concert.

2008 BD+ [Brooklyn Designs: Design Accessories Market]

2008-05-13T07:00:00.004-04:00

This is the second year of BD+ -the design accessories market at Bklyn Designs. Last year's market had ventilation problems, and I remember visiting on a particularly humid day. This year the market was at the Tobacco Warehouse, under a tent on the grounds of the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park. I loved the location! But that's me, I'm not too sure the BD+ exhibitors appreciated the chill.

The weather gave my friend Sveta of Pip-Squeak Chapeau a chance to model her shoulder warmer, which she was wearing when I stopped by her booth to say hello. Sveta continues to create her charming folk-infused clothing, home and fashion accessories, and has even started making dolls. Hardly civil wrongs, these torts are the epitome of right and grace.

I loved browsing through Lotta Jansdotter's booth, which I left empty-handed not because I couldn't find anything, but because I was overwhelmed with all the choices! Lotta is the master of nature-inspired minimalism, and I'm a big slobbering fan. Some favorites: the Echo Cushions and the Cross Apron.

It was great to see Tina Shoulders of Laidback Home. I loved her collection at last year's market, and I continue to admire her collection of street-inspired home accessories. Only Tina's sense of play and obvious design talent can bring us patterns made from breakdancers and skulls. And her collection is expanding! Be sure to check her site for her upcoming bedding collection. I suggest a future expansion into wallpaper - but then, I may be biased as I am a wallcoverings nut (see previous post for evidence of wallcoverings-affliction).

New York Design Week starts on Saturday!

Bklyn Designs 2008

2008-05-12T10:00:00.002-04:00

I spent the past week running around with a childhood friend searching for her new apartment for when she, her husband, and their daughter move here next month. Seeing beautiful apartments, rat holes, former rat holes in the midst of renovation, and the Carnival that is the Manhattan Apartment Search put me in the right head for this year's Bklyn Designs.

After seeing so many bare white walls for rent, I swooned over all the innovative designs for wall coverings at this year's show.

From ASTERISK DESIGNS, handmade venetian plaster wallpaper:

and venetian plaster, which is marble dust and wax, on burlap

From POST LOGIC STUDIO, William Morris-inspired patterns using animal motifs. (Their wallpaper collection will be debuting on their website in August.)

And I think I'm going to order these beautiful wall decals from dVider.

Sinotique's beautiful bamboo wall just took my breath away. Check out their other pieces here.

And even though this piece had nothing to do with a wall, I did fall in love with Palo Samko's wooden bird mobile

Steampunk

2008-05-08T13:00:00.004-04:00

My people, my people, where art ye? I'm really loving Ruth La Ferla's article on the Steampunk Movement in today's NY Times Style Section. I went through something of an Edwardian/Victorian phase in college, which I was still sportin' when I moved to New York, but soon abandoned after being confronted with the humidity. Once in a while, I will still wear a vintage lace blouse and dust off the waistcoat, but alas, it rarely goes with my sneakers, which are essential footwear when walking home to Brooklyn from midtown. Be sure to check out Robert Wright's images accompanying the article.

FOR A GIRL by Yoko Omori

2008-04-30T07:25:00.000-04:00

Just because I picked the more muted and neutral-toned images from Yoko Omori's For a Girl shouldn't lead you to think that this book, a collection of Omori's work as a stylist, isn't full of brilliant color, whimsical patterns, and, as always, fascinating worlds inhabited by the beautiful, albeit somewhat eccentric (nothing wrong with that!), people.

Maira Kalman at The Met

2008-04-29T11:45:00.003-04:00

I was thrilled to find Maira Kalman in the latest issue of Departures Magazine. Apologies for the non-blogging - inspiration has been elusive lately. But I can never resist my hat-idol, Maira - especially as she paints her way throught the different wings of the Met.

Drool-worthy

2008-04-08T17:53:00.001-04:00

Greubel Forsey's Double Tourbillon 30 degree, $425,000

"I want a Green Coat."

2008-04-06T15:13:00.006-04:00

...pronounced our friend Sohini, upon my latest visit to the City.
"Um...grass green?" I asked.
"Sea Green?" guessed Cindie.
"Green...just green." She replied. "Like the Crayon."
It's still chilly, not winter chilly, but new Spring Chilly.
"See..." she pointed, as we saw an incredibly hip chick walk down the block on Madison Avenue.

This is what we saw. I get it.

Comme des Garçons for H&M

2008-04-03T15:00:00.009-04:00

I'm getting heart palpitations!!! Read here.

*Photo from CDG AW08/09.

Rina Matea: Lucia

2008-03-27T09:00:00.013-04:00

Severina and Matea are the names of my grandmothers, and I'm naming my little collection of handmade pieces Rina Matea -- after these two wonderful women. I only have the sweetest memories of my mama and lola, and each piece I make carries with it a little joyful thought inspired by these amazing women.

Four Years Later: Ibbie

2008-03-25T13:01:00.011-04:00

In 2004 I took a trip to Tokyo, and after Mika Kato, Yayoi Kusama, Hina dolls, Muji, and Puroland, it's no wonder I came back to New York telling everyone who cared to listen that I was going to start making dolls and toys. Since then I have been making dolls for friends.

Friends, meet Ibbie (named after one of my favorite people in the world, Isabel Consuelo T.):

And since she's everything like Isabel, Ibbie has a big, generous, and kind heart.

Inspiration for Play

2008-03-16T11:24:00.008-04:00

I've been working on a few projects when I am able (late at night, crack of dawn). I know, I've promised to post some pictures of some completed projects. But not yet. In the meantime, take a look at some sources of inspiration:

English artist, Julie Arkell. Available at John Derian.

Jess Brown. Available at Twig.

Apolline a Paris. Available at Orfeo.

Herzenart.

J. Morgan Puett, Part One

2008-02-26T19:00:00.032-05:00

Ever since I read this post on AT last year, I've been meaning to find out what's been going on with J. Morgan Puett. D, do you remember her shop in SoHo?

It was on Wooster. The shop was another world - filled with her memories of a childhood in the South and her clothing that struck a balance between beauty and practicality. Her pieces were always imbued with a sense of history and place, and very wearable. And for me, the memory of her shop is always inextricably tied to Kelly & Ping's pad thai, which was a few doors down. Sorry, JMP! I guess this is where my strong attachment to the South and my Asian roots intersected.

With a move to rural Pennsylvania with her family, she has been working on a variety of art projects. One project in particular caught my attention -- Cottage Industry:

In Charleston, SC, I have created a small business in a vernacular structure, in response to issues of commerce, history, and labor in the city. A new clothing collection is at the core of the project!

One of my favorite designers, in one of my favorite towns, doing what she does best. Isn't everything just beautiful? This particular project is from 2002. I wonder whether the collection is still available, and where?

UPDATE: Mildred's Lane.

Amagasaka: Nagoya Shop

2008-02-24T16:18:00.013-05:00

I know it's been a little heavy on Japanese design discoveries, but there's so much to discover! While searching for more information on Michiko Tachimoto's new work, Janetta World, I came across the website for Amagasaka, a Japanese lifestyle store in the city of Nagoya. Below are some images from the book launch of Janetta World posted on their blog.

The shop's blog is where they keep folks informed of events that they host in their space (related to art, design, cooking, music) and new products offered at their shop. There's also a tea salon! Some beautiful finds from them:

Bird prints from Atsushi Toyama:

A book of brass animal bookmarks from Minoru Takeuti:

And finally, the Netherlands via Japan, Cloissone "Shippo" plates commissioned by Cibone Tokyo, and made by former Droog member, Dutch designer Hella Jongerius. More on her work later.

All photos are from Amagasaka.

Michiko Tachimoto

2008-02-20T10:29:00.012-05:00

Check out Michiko Tachimoto's new work, Janetta World, which is a book of paperdolls wearing the native costumes of the world. And don't miss her firm website, Colobockle, which is a treasure trove of her beautiful illustrations and other work. For a sample, below are her drawings for Hans Christian Andersen's The Emperor's New Clothes:

Ao Daikanyama: Tokyo Shop

2008-02-19T09:26:00.005-05:00

Ao Daikanyama. Beautiful fabric pieces - clothing, accessories, home goods. To keep up with their shop news, google translate might induce a headache, but the images will soothe.

Jens Laugesen F08

2008-02-16T09:38:00.010-05:00

This is making my frontal lobe twitch with these varied images, which is to say that I don't dislike the look. These, however, I love (although I do worry about the first model):

Different Like Coco

2008-02-12T11:38:00.001-05:00

I leafed though Different Like Coco at a bookstore around the holidays, and was really charmed by it. Elizabeth Matthews has written and illustrated the fairy tale story of Coco Chanel, an underprivileged orphan who liberated women's fashion from corsets and later gave us the little black dress.

For a sobering look at her life and her influence, there is a short chapter on Chanel here. The gist of which is captured here (sixth paragraph down). Oy, winter makes me morose sometimes. Okay, enough of that.

Here's some Chanel fun with Kaiser Karl:

Muslin

2008-02-09T13:28:00.004-05:00

I promised I would post more projects here. So here is a project I am doing with a friend. Just playing around right now, and we'll be ready to show the finished pieces in a few weeks - still waiting for our fabric vendor to come through for us. Hmmm, looking at muslin this closely makes me think of buttercream. I must be hungry.

I heart those Presh Belts!

2008-01-24T21:20:00.002-05:00

A revisit to my weekend of shopping a couple weeks back, you MUST see

these belts. Thumbs up, says my pals in NYC.

D-in-Beantown's Shopping Diary

2008-01-13T23:12:00.002-05:00

Saturday - Boston's Newbury Street.

Newbury Street, arraying off the Southwest corner of the Boston Public Gardens, is Boston's Fifth Avenue, where you can walk through Chanel, Burberry, Intermix, and see high-end glitz and glamour. It's where the high-end hairstylists and expensive perfumeries line up and hawk their offerings.

12:30pm: Hopped the T, walked from Chinatown, across the Commons, through the Public Gardens...a couple of thoughts in my head.

I was in need of updating my jeans. I checked out some of the fancier styles, but I'm an unusual petite, so these ultra-long pant leg things for $250 bucks isn't going to work for me.

1:30: I always find myself at the Gap, and ran away with a couple pairs of their higher-end dark-rinsed straight legs with stretch denim. Rules: lowrise, slim fit, straight leg opening, indigo-grey with faded leg.

2:00: Cole Haan's. DEFINITELY HIT THAT BI-ANNUAL SALE! I mean it.

The Air Genie Ballet...mine, mine, mine. Ballet flat with NIKE AIR Technolgy in metallic kidskin with brass ornamental buckle. Fully leather lined. Fully padded leather-wrapped sock lining. Flexible, lightweight rubber sole.

2:30: Picked up soap from Sabon, they were giving some samples that smelled like.... I don't know, they make the smoothest, creamiest soap...you almost want to eat it.

Went home satisfied.

Sunday - Boutique hunting in JP.

10:30: Breakfast on Center Street in my own J.P. My neighborhood in Southwest Boston is full of historic mansions, and surrounded by green parklands designed by America's first urban landscape artist, Frederick Law Olmstead (1822–1903), who defined the Boston landscape when he designed the Emerald Necklace, the park system that runs through Boston. He is also responsible for the grandeur of Central Park in Manhattan.

Center Street is lined with antique stores, casual restaurants, and amazing boutiques. Like Berkeley, Park Slope Brooklyn and Sausalito, the offerings are artisan - jewelery, hats, scarves, purses, t-shirts....

11:30: Tried to get a haircut and touch up the golden tresses, but it was closed. My stylist at Fresh Hair on South Street was a wizard at the long layers, and evening out my thin-crown, clumpy locks at the end thing that is going on. I was bummed.

11:45: Street hat shopping at Salmagundi, an indie hat-shop 2 blocks away. A great young couple opened the place on my street in October, and have been hailed as the best in the city, greatest selection, knowledgeable in the urban headgear industry, and a pleasure to chat with. They're throwing a little party for the new restaurant that is opening next door.

Love the scarfs, the gloves, the belts, and clutches.... The owners tipped me that the new 2008 Spring purses will be in stock in 2 weeks. The fact that they are 2 blocks from my house may mean I need to start bartending to make some extra cash.

Left today with a Grace Hat, in white, red and green, to go with my new winter down coat. There is a storm hitting the Boston area tomorrow after all! Another foot of snow? I needed a new hat.

12:00: Fire Opal. What can you call Fire Opal...I guess it's like those California boutiques that sell artisan creations: housewares, jewelry, clothing, scarves, accessories....

I kept something behind the counter 2 days ago, and Steve, the owner, called me with a reminder that it was time I came and got it.

Sigh.

Fell hard for their Presh belts, vintage silk fabrics incased in an antiqued buckle, with soft leather hand-dyed belt. Mine is a yellow silk with small chinois flowers, and the belt is dyed a very deep brown to go with jeans and work clothes.

Went home.

Notes:

It's more fun shopping in JP, and dangerous, because you get to know the owners. It's too easy to stop in for a look and leave $300 poorer. Seriously.

You buy into the whole artistic sensibility and their casual boutique familiarity.

While you can say NO! on Newbury, or Fifth Avenue, or Market Street in San Fran, here, your defenses are lower. I mean, mine are.

Spring accessories notes: C, I am feeling that Southern California - Hollywood Glamour meets Cowgirl Soul thing. I am seeing my belt go with turquoise boots, tank tops and chunky necklaces....

Margaret Howell

2008-01-09T17:47:00.002-05:00

I've always been partial to menswear, which may be why I'm loving these looks from Margaret Howell AW07. Classic and timeless--dare I say, even a little bit staid, but in a good way.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2008-01-01T11:23:00.001-05:00

Sending sincere wishes for a peaceful, happy, and healthy 2008! A new year's resolution: to get started on the million projects I have planned and to post them on disenyo as they evolve and are ultimately realised.

D, it was so nice to see you and catch up - gossip, observations, recollections, and laughter - you with your wine and me with my diet coke. Sohini and Arka.

Giles Deacon

2007-12-28T08:57:00.001-05:00

D and I are currently obsessing over all kinds of chunky knits and winterwear. These previous posts just reminded me of Giles Deacon's Fall 2007 Collection. All the amazing knits - pretty fabulous, I think. And notice the headwear - making me weepy during the holidays.

D, I can't wait to see you this weekend!

More Funky Chunkies...

2007-12-23T22:09:00.003-05:00

Loved the pics from Paris!!!!! I didn't know you went...btw, am planning to see you in NYC next weekend, and can't wait.

I had a couple of pics to add to your Funky Chunkies piece from last week (oh, and the So Cold Your Ears Are Going to Fall Off commentary, don't you just love winter....)

I'll be sporting my new Mischa Lampert when I come see you in the Big Apple for pre-New Year Festivities! D-in-Beantown's pics for the winter, whilst I dash through the snow, on a one-horse open sleigh:

From NYC designer Mischa Lampert's 2007-2008 Collection:

Prorsum, by Burberry:
Chunky beanie, by Burberry:

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

2007-12-21T19:25:00.002-05:00

More holiday cheer from the winter issue of Marie Claire Idées (my new favorite magazine). Happy Holidays everyone!

Winter Calm

2007-12-15T22:11:00.002-05:00

That nor'easter is here - just in time to possibly delay my morning flight out to California. Okay, no stressful thoughts. How about some calming Christmas images? Images of exterior holiday decorations? From the current Winter issue of Marie Claire Idées.

Funky Chunkies

2007-12-14T13:35:00.002-05:00

Did anyone see "a stitch in time" in this month's Marie Claire? Styled by Tracy Taylor and photographed by Diego Uchitel on location in the Kingdom of Bhutan. You're in the Himalayas - and it's cold. Of course you're thinking fasyon. Some of my favorites:

Giles Deacon scarf (Beautiful. Pro: will provide ample personal-space barrier during rush hour. Con: a heavy piece that will surely get caught between the subway doors.)
Alessandro Dell'Acqua cardigan (I adore this piece)
Twinkle by Wenlan scarf (who will show me how to knit something like that?)

Tamar Mogendorff

2007-12-06T08:00:00.001-05:00

I'd like to live in the world of Tamar Mogendorff's creations. I was walking past ABC Carpet & Home recently, and I really should have just climbed up into that window display and settled in. Will that kind of infraction bar my visa application to Tamar world?

Image from Erica Tanov Holiday Shopping Event invite.

Christian Lacroix. Histoires de Mode

2007-12-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

Les Arts Décoratifs invited Christian Lacroix to present his first retrospective--to commemorate his twenty years in fashion. Having the museum's massive fashion holdings at his disposal and, of course, his own House's collections, Lacroix has mounted a historical fashion expedition. This is one man's personal take on the history of fashion. The exhibit is organized around themes: black and white, polka dots, colour, Hispanisme, Liturgie, etc., and shows the evolution of each theme through the ages.

To say that the exhibition is a visual feast is to state the obvious. If you are a fashion nerd like me, you will be clapping your hands and jumping up and down, albeit secretly (although I couldn't help myself in front of the Liturgie section), at the exquisiteness of it all: the delicate fabric, beading, embroidery; the bold color, cut, graphic; the fierce hat, headpiece, veil; the disturbing symbolism, vanity, ostentation. Sigh. I want to go back.

The book accompanying the show can be found here.

Christian Lacroix, Histoires de Mode, Le musée des Arts décoratifs; 8 novembre 2007 - 20 avril 2008.

Random Paris Shots

2007-12-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

Jardin des Tuileries

Les macarons from Ladurée
Tour Eiffel
Le Petit Châtelet
Eco Bag from Colette
The Louvrerue Grétry
Gerhard Richter

Random Paris Shops

2007-12-03T09:50:00.002-05:00

I took these photos early last week, when Christmas was only slowly starting to pop-up all over Paris.

At La Droguerie.

Ohnona. An atelier boutique on r de Marivaux.
I loved this display of cuffs and collars.
At Tartine et Chocolat. Does anyone else love their children's fragrances?

Absolutely stunning flowers at Sébastien Mengozzi on av George V. Vanna White was stateside, so here is John.

Hats at Hermès.

Librairie Polonaise on bd St Germain.

Galaries Lafayette

So cold that you feel your ears are going to fall off...

2007-12-02T13:00:00.001-05:00

To the rescue:
Neck-warmers in baby suri alpaca and chunky alpaca/wool from pip-squeak chapeau, etc.
Cowl-neck scarf from Michael Kors.
Cashmere balaclava from Barneys.

Asiatica by way of Kansas

2007-11-20T19:28:00.003-05:00

Based in Kansas City, with trunk shows traveling around the country, Asiatica arrived in Brooklyn today via a mailed holiday greeting, aka, very pretty catalog. Some of my favorites:

Aoki Ryota silver lined porcelain bowl
Five Japanese papier-mache puppies
Reiko Ishiyama oxydized silver bracelet

Supermodel Sofa

2007-11-19T20:13:00.002-05:00

Tell me about yourself. Canapé a la Reine by Phillipe Coudray.

Tell me about your look. I can never run away from my Louis XV roots, but I'm all about fashion, you know? I'm always thinking of new and bold combinations to create something fresh and exciting.

What are you wearing today? I wanted to out-Paul-Smith Paul Smith. This is the Jura Stripe Velvet from Watts of Westminster. Isn't it fabulous?

Quite stunning. How do you deal with all the attention? How do I deal with it? What's to deal with? I love attention!

What do you like to do when you're not working? I love to curl up with a nice book - in some cold and drafty corner of the family castle. Right now I'm reading The Social Contract by Rousseau.

Thank you, Bloesem!

2007-11-19T17:24:00.001-05:00

Imagine our shock when we found out that Bloesem, one of our favorite blogs, had included us in their "recently discovered" list. Bloesem is an unfailing source of the most wonderful works of art, pieces of craft, home furnishings, and other beautiful items.

Thank you so much, Irene! We're tickled! D did a couple of cartwheels to the Culture Club's I'll Tumble 4 Ya. I ate a coconut cupcake to celebrate (okay, okay, I nimbled on two more when I got home) and listened to the original cast recording of Pippin. Yay!

more minä perhonen

2007-10-19T07:58:00.001-04:00

The fall/winter collection is making me swoon. I know, I'm obsessed. Obsession - that's the way I roll.

Goodbye, summer... minä perhonen

2007-09-17T18:54:00.000-04:00

I only knew of minä perhonen from its collaboration with Fritz Hansen, so designer Akira Minagawa's clothing collection is such a wonderful discovery. Light, delicate, refined - now I don't want summer to end.

all kinds of everything

2007-09-15T09:33:00.000-04:00

sunshine and holidays
postcards to write
budding trees
autumn leaves
a snowflake or two

all kinds of everything
remind me of you.

By Dana. All Kinds of Everything won the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest.

Le Bouton Studio

2007-09-07T12:30:00.002-04:00

Le Bouton Studio makes oh-so-beautiful clothing for women and children. Lisa is a modernist at heart--with an eye towards clean and simple forms, a refined appreciation for textures and color, and a really high standard of craftsmanship. Here she is with the dress she made for me--the second photo makes me think there was some waltzing going on during the photo op. And yes, I am an amazon, and yet I feel gamine in that dress. Thank you, Lisa!

The Le Bouton shop is preparing for the debut of its fall collection. Bookmark the link and check it often. I'm sure you'll find something you'll love. Lisa also keeps a journal, where she shares everyday scenes from her life with her adorable muse/daughter, Frances.

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace

2007-09-03T21:49:00.001-04:00

As I have seen in one autumnal face.

From Elegy IX: The Autumnal by John Donne

Piña

2007-08-21T00:27:00.001-04:00

Day

Night

My mom just sent me a huge stash of natural fabrics made from materials such as pineapple and banana. These are the old-school eco fibers--organically produced, and are traditionally used for Filipino formal attire for both men and women. The embroidery is amazing in its intricacy, and is usually positioned on the fabric in anticipation of how it's going to be used in a piece of clothing: butterfly sleeves on a woman's dress, the front of a man's barong? My favorite piece is the geometric one above. I've had a small collection for a while and a few ideas for their use, but mom's infusion of material is making me want to sit down and just start making.

Hat Anatomy: One in Ten Auction

2007-08-20T19:09:00.001-04:00

Wrong side of the fabric.

The blue satin lining makes an appearance.

Hot cha cha. Well, not really, but nice 'no?

The light blue bridal satin lining wanted to say hello, but the brim was having a bad interfacing day due to the humidity and refused to be photograped alone, acquiescing only to a couple of group shots.

The Everyday Cloche is a deep crown hat made from patterned upholstery fabric, with a silver buckled self-fabric belt and a short curvy brim. It is lined in a blue bridal satin. This is size 22 1/2. As part of the One in Ten Auction, you can bid on the Everyday Cloche here. To explore other amazing handcrafted pieces, look here.

The Making Community

2007-08-18T17:57:00.000-04:00

Photo from bara.

As a student-milliner and novice sewing enthusiast, I've turned to creative and craft blogs for inspiration and validation. The making community is a generous and supportive one—marked by a joyful nature.

Early in June, Eireann Lorsung’s mom suffered an aneurysm, which they were told only one in ten people survive. Thankfully, her mom is on her way to a full recovery. Eireann is a poet and artist, and when she decided to organize an auction of handmade pieces to raise funds for her mother’s medical costs not covered by insurance, I knew that I was going to sew a hat for the auction.

A lot of beautiful handmade pieces from a variety of artists and crafters are waiting for your bids. Please check it out here. To learn more about each piece and its maker, please peruse the main auction site at One in Ten.

Bidding will begin tomorrow, August 19th, and will continue until Friday evening (August 24th), so go, Go, GO!

Our lips are sealed...

2007-08-06T01:30:00.000-04:00

The Specials, Fun Boy Three, The Colourfield, The Lightning Seeds -- some of my favorite music.

Terry Hall is the common thread.

Fresh Figs with Goat Cheese and Peppered Honey

2007-08-05T16:15:00.000-04:00

Recipe Find!

I had some of this at my favorite French Bistro, the Cafe Divine, on Washington Square Park in San Francisco.

From Epicurious.com:

I was recommended having this appetizer along with gazpacho and some crusty bread on a hot night.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

12 fresh figs

1/4 cup soft fresh goat cheese

1. Combine honey and pepper in small pitcher; you may need to melt the honey a little to blend.

2. Starting at stem end, cut each fig into quarters, stopping 1/2 inch from bottom to leave base intact. Gently press figs open.

3. Spoon 1 teaspoon cheese into center of each. Arrange figs on platter; drizzle with peppered honey.

This magical cafe has large scale artwork and jazz music, great french pastries and an amiable atmosphere. Outside, a large park fronts a gorgeous chapel in the heart of San Francisco's North Beach Italian neighborhood. The park is a restful haven, full of running doggies and small babies playing underneath windswept pine and eucalyptus trees.

The weather today is a perfect Mediterranean, moist and breezy, warm with overcast clouds.

Hardware Notes

2007-08-02T01:15:00.000-04:00

Pictures above and immediately below from Pottery Barn - Small Spaces.

C, you know my moving history. Having spent several years in less than 200 sq. ft. (it did have a killer corner view over Manhattan, in a building that filmed Spiderman, the X-files, Superman, Batman, and many others), I moved out west for a few months and enjoyed a glam view over San Francisco Bay from a 500 sq. ft. multi-room pad with crown molding, hardwood floors, bay window, full kitchen, dining room, and foyer (not to mention closet space that was so big I didn't need a bureau). But the story continues...

For many reasons, I chose to leave my lovely Russian Hill view and hit it back east, this time Boston-Beantown. I wanted to stay in Boston itself and have been pricing some great apartments in fascinating historical neighborhoods that are still within walking distance to my new office.

But the challenge is returning to what will probably be less space. Um, 350, maybe 400 if I am super-lucky. And a one-room studio with a kitchen just sort of part of the wall. Maybe. So, how do you make 400 sq. ft. look like 1,200 sq. ft.? I thought I would research some room divider possibilities...

Check these out:

Ceiling Mounted Hardware, at Pottery Barn (right). It lets you get some curtains and partition a room with some really pretty fabric, straight down from the ceiling wherever you feel like hiding something (like a full-size bed).

Even JC Penny has their ceiling mounted curtain rod hardware starting at $14.99 (picture above left, used as a canopy over the bed). I think I'm going to need some help when I move back east. :-D

Some other cool hardware was this great Wire/Cable Rod Set by Mt. Drapes:

Designed to be mounted on the inside of the window jamb or on facing walls, the cable rod system is custom fit when installed. A hint of Nickel or Brass: a curtain rod system that makes the world feel a little smaller and the view seem larger. Recommended for light weight draperies only. Up to 16' of cable included. Easy installation instructions included.

I'm thinking about hiding my bed behind a long cool sheath of semi-transparent silk, or maybe some magnificent embroidered chinese cloth. I imagine long panels of amazing fabrics falling vertical from the ceiling, blocking out my unsightly bed-sitting-in-the-living room/kitchen/dining room.

What have you done?

Roman Hol{l}iday

2007-07-31T08:30:00.000-04:00

Roman Holliday. 1983. Happy high school days.

Roman Holiday. 1953. Gregory Peck. Audrey Hepburn. Eddie Albert. Happy Vespa.

This post was inspired, in part, by the rediscovery of a long-lost favorite on wexford girl.

Here come the babes...

2007-07-30T10:47:00.000-04:00

I know, that sounds like the treatment for a typical beer ad.

But, hooray, suddenly everyone I know is blessed with a new addition to their family: James and Kay have Sofia, Pete and Elsa have Alisa, and Edu and Blanche have Luca Ysmael!!!

Three years ago, a similar thing happened -- everyone I knew (at least it seemed that way) was welcoming a new bundle into their lives. So off I went to happily purchase some japanese pattern books with the intention of sewing a few fashionable pieces for all the new bouncing babies. However, instead of pretty and dashing baby clothes sewn by my own hands, I resorted to store-bought toys, clothes, toys, and more toys.

This time I promise to put those pattern books to good use. And take a look at some of the images from these books -- just begging to be made...

From Makie Clothier designer, Yuji Ogata (who I've already raved about --Shims + Sons just recently blogged about the same book). (Book is pictured on the left.)

2004 ISBN 4-579-10996-1

{for Luca Ysmael}

{for Sofia}

2005 ISBN 4-309-28008-0

{for Alisa}

And, of course, extra bloomers for everyone!

Antonio de la Pedrera

2007-07-26T09:01:00.000-04:00

Hi, D! I just wanted to let you know that this junior designer has a new design assistant! Meet Tonio (because we're close like that) de la Pedrera y Mila de Barthelona. He's great! Just spot-on design sense, and such a humble guy -- when we were choosing silk burlap for an armchair, he insisted that the focus be on the fabric and not on him! Oh, and he took me aside (so that the other designers wouldn't hear) and said that covering the armchair with burlap, even silk burlap, would make anyone sitting on it look like they were perched on a feedbag. Wow, I love that candor-- and so discrete!

Will be back soon...

2007-07-12T22:59:00.000-04:00

Dearest D, here's a shot of Venice Beach for you. We'll get together soon, we will! In the meantime, I'm catching up with work and will start posting again as soon as my pile disappears (strategically hidden behind my laptop's screen).

Bebel Gilberto performing at Bimbo's 365

2007-06-19T23:06:00.000-04:00

C, Bebel is playing 2 blocks away tonite, at swanky Bimbo's 365 club, at the bottom of the hill from my apartment.

Give a listen, to those not yet touched by her smooth bossa nova, do you speak Portuguese?

(Actually, I didn't score tix, but it's a thrill that she's performing only 2 blocks down the hill on Columbus Avenue!!!)

Bio: At age nine, Bebel performed with her mother and legendary Jazz saxophonist Stan Getz at a Jazz festival in New York's Carnegie Hall. Back in Brazil Bebel performed and recorded in the soundtrack of the children's musical 'Os Saltimbancos' written by Sergio Bardotti and Chico Buarque which created a major impact. Later on Bebel joined an experimental theatrical group and was a member of the founding team of the performance space 'Circo Voador' (Flying Circus) at Ipanema Beach. In this group she met singer/songwriter Cazuza, who became a close friend and soon a major rock star in Brazil during the '80s-2007.

How I'd Like to Change the World

2007-06-11T19:47:00.001-04:00

Taking Action for Animals

Laidback at Brooklyn Designs

2007-05-13T15:45:00.000-04:00

I had a chance to stop by Brooklyn Designs last Friday, and a wonderful discovery is Laidback. I was able to chat quickly with the line's designer, Tina Shoulders. Using hip-hop culture as her inspiration, her pillows are all silkscreened on 100% cotton denim and, in keeping with the theme, each finished with an exposed metal zipper. I always thought of denim and home design as mutually exclusive, but Tina might be changing my mind.

Unfortunately for the vendors located at 81 Front Street, which housed the design mart debuting at this year's show, the venue had ventilation problems that produced hot and humid conditions, resulting in lethargic shoppers. I'll be posting a few more discoveries from the show in the next few days.

I know they're scary, but...

2007-05-10T00:33:00.000-04:00

A conversation from long ago...

D-in-SanFran: "Can you get me one of those Santos dolls when you go back home to the Philippines?"

Republic of Candy: "No, they scare me."

An interesting piece, pictured below, is called the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception. On display for a time at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City, the accompanying plaque reads, Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, 18th century Hispano-Philippine Ivory, partly polychromed and gilded, with glass eyes and silver halo; H. 10 in. (15.4 cm). Gift of Loretta Hines Howard, 1964 (64.164.243). Chinese ivory carvers in the Philippines and on the mainland as well produced numerous religious figures for export to Spain and the Americas via the Manila Galleon route. Although conforming to the iconography of the Catholic church (such as the pose of this Virgin), their Asian origin is usually unmistakable in their physiognomies as well as the style of their drapery.

From Preserving Saints: Devotional Art of the Santero, by Alex Castro, Center for Kapampangan Studies (my dad's province):

Santeros are artists who carve and paint santos, images of saints, reflecting one of the oldest living traditions of religious devotion practiced by Hispanic Americans. Carving santos is an enduring Latino tradition from Central and South America, the American Southwest, the Caribbean, the Philippines, and Spain.

When Spanish missionaries came to Christianize [the Philippine islands], they brought with them religious pictures and images of saints that became potent instruments of evangelization. These artful images were used to demonstrate the power of the new religion over paganism...soon, carved "santos" were replacing primative anitos in home altars, becoming the new focus of household devotion. Thus began a tradition of santo-making in the country-and from Manila to Pampanga, local santeros practiced their craft by carving thousands of holy images copied from estampitas and styled by their imagination.

In the Philippines, Alex Castro writes, "Santo-collecting came into vogue in the 1930's, although earlier than that Trinidad Pardo de Tavera raised eyebrows when he started using santos as decorative accents for his house rather than for their originally intended purpose.... The antique trade boom in the 1960's-1970's hastened the demolition of hundreds of church altars and generated criminal syndicates, sometimes in cahoots with antique traders. Many a precious santo has been lost in this unscrupulous fashion, like the 1984 disappearance of Cavite's Soledad de Porta Vaga."

Isabella Blow

2007-05-08T13:07:00.001-04:00

I just read the sad news that Isabella Blow has left us. Muse to Phillip Treacy and the ultimate supporter of the millinery arts, she will be missed.

Headwear from Philip Treacy. Photo by Steven Meisel.

The OC

2007-05-07T22:51:00.000-04:00

I never called it that when I lived there. No one ever did. Sometimes, I do miss it.

That wallpaper...

2007-05-03T11:30:00.000-04:00

A Tale of Two Sisters, the popular K-Horror film, is a study in happy wallpaper made moody.

Gems of the City - Architecture at its Best

2007-04-19T20:59:00.000-04:00

A sampling of San Francisco's Gems of the City, a list of the top 25 buildings in the City By the Bay, compiled by the American Institute of Architects' San Francisco Chapter, reported by SFGATE.com.

Here is the list:

Religious

Grace Cathedral, 1051 Taylor St., 1928, Lewis Hobart

St. Mary's Cathedral, 1111 Gough St., 1971, Pietro Belluschi, Pier Luigi Nervi and McSweeney, Ryan & Lee

Temple Emanu-el, 2 Lake St., 1926, Arthur Page Brown

Swedenborgian Church, 2107 Lyon St., 1894, Arthur Page Brown

First Unitarian Church, 1187 Franklin St., 1888, George Percy/1970, Callister Payne & Rosse

Residential

Plaza Apartments, Sixth and Howard streets, 2006, Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects and Paulett Taggart Architects

Curran House, 145 Taylor St., 2005, David Baker + Partners, Architects

3200 block of Pacific Avenue, houses from 1900 to 1913 designed by architects including Ernest Coxhead, Bernard Maybeck, Willis Polk and William Knowles

Russell House, 3778 Washington St., 1952, Erich Mendelsohn

Haas-Lilienthal House, 2007 Franklin St., 1886, Peter R. Schmidt

Commercial

San Francisco Federal Building, 90 Seventh St., 2007, Morphosis/SmithGroup

1 Bush St. (former Crown-Zellerbach Building), 1959, Skidmore Owings & Merrill and Hertzka & Knowles

Hallidie Building, 130 Sutter St., 1917, Willis Polk

Transamerica Pyramid, 600 Montgomery St., 1972, William Pereira

JPMorgan Chase Building, 560 Mission St., 2002, Cesar Pelli

Historic

Palace Hotel, 2 New Montgomery St., 1909, Trowbridge and Livingston

Circle Gallery, 140 Maiden Lane, 1948, Frank Lloyd Wright

Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon St., 1915, Bernard Maybeck

War Memorial Opera House and Veterans Building, Civic Center, 1932, Arthur Brown Jr. and G. Albert Lansburgh

Conservatory of Flowers, Golden Gate Park, 1878 (restoration architects, 2003: Architectural Resources Group)

Civic

M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, Golden Gate Park, 2005, Herzog & de Meuron and Fong & Chan Architects

City Hall, Civic Center, 1915, Bakewell & Brown

Yerba Buena Gardens: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 1994, Fumihiko Maki; Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater, 1994, James Stewart Polshek; Metreon, 1999, SMWM, Gary Handel + Associates

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 151 Third St., 1995, Mario Botta, Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum

Palace of the Legion of Honor, Lincoln Park, 1916, George Applegarth

Source: American Institute of Architects

Knitting Lifestyle

2007-04-14T13:17:00.000-04:00

I owe my greatest activities to my friends' ideas and inspirations. Just do it, like Nike says....

C mentioned a month ago that she's going to learn how to knit. She posted a few pics of design by Proenza Schouler (jazz-age-inspired coat) and Diane von Furstenberg (oversized cardigan), and wanted to bring in the pictures to her knitting circle.

I was definately inspired and checked out the scene here. To my delight, San Fran is a knitting town....

Fabulous yarn stores are easily within reach, offering hand-dyed wool, merinos, silks, mohair, cotton, and high-end thready blends that shimmer and shine on their spools, cones, and balls. Chairs are set up inside the store near windows, inviting you to start your project then and there, surrounded by other knitting enthusiasts.

If you are a knitter, you have to go to:

Artfibers (designer yarns in magnificent colours), SF Financial District, Sutter Street, for the company, and the really cheap knitting classes!

The Craft Gym, Bush between Polk and Van Ness, for their Start-to-Finish Knitting Basics series, perfect for those starting out. I was lucky, when I signed up, no one else was able to attend, and I got private lessons from Leah, originally from Maine, where parents have a designer yarn store....

The Urban Knitting Studio on Fell in Hayes Valley, for their cables and twists classes...

Jon's Knit Blog, for some fashionable projects by a hip city blogger. Check out his miles and miles of stockinette stiches entry, he is so cute....

...and so many more stores than I can count. In North Beach on my walk home, through Grant Avenue, there is an unnamed store that I encourage you all to try to find. It's a giant knitted products storefront, where I left with a turtleneck poncho and a parisian knit wrapped sweater with small flowers along the v-neck....

Delicious Offerings from Artfibers Yarn Catalog, with names like Haiku, Golden Siam, Kyoto, and Alfabeto....

A Fisherman's Cable, from DCist, my current project....to practice basic cabling technique and to combat the cold fog here on the Bay....

A basic poncho with pompons: pattern by the Craft Yarn Council.

Inspiring Projects:

And for more advanced knitting...

Katy, a blogger in Argentina, provides a wonderful pattern for her Saxon Braid poncho, below:

So Many Hats...

2007-04-13T02:42:00.001-04:00

so little time. Millinery Boot Camp winding down.

Tuareg Jewelry at Sujaro...

2007-04-09T22:11:00.000-04:00

Head of an Oba (Chief)

Above:

Origin: Benin, Nigeria Composition: lost wax caste bronze

This bronze head is thought to represent an early Oba or Chief. The Oba has reigned in Benin, Nigeria with his ancestors, since the 15th century. Since that time, bronze heads in the image of the Oba and other royal court officials have been caste using the lost-wax method and given as a tribute to the Oba and royal family. They were kept as possessions to demonstrate the prestige and power of the royal family. Historically, the head would be placed on a royal altar, and displayed as signs of the wealth of the Chief. The hole in the back of the head was originally intended to house an ivory tusk, which would protrude from the head and also be an object of prestige. The holes in the face are thought to be made to function to hold a veil of beads.

...or, how your friends show you more of the world. Last year, I met a new friend, K from Chicago, who attended a training seminar with me here in San Fran, for certification of a predominant software in our industry.

During the week here, she discovered a fantastic African gallery near our offices in the financial district. Sujaro.... purveyor of African Textiles and artwork. We spent nearly two hours downstairs in the cellar gallery, filled with totemic idols and feathered gods, wood and bead and stone and bronze and copper and paint, (C, much like our Southern Philippines, the statuary and beadwork and textiles from the different tribes and villages were so beautiful.) She told me that she and her brother went on a visit to Africa some time ago and brought back some wonderful artwork and statuary from their travels, a few pieces carried by hand rather than checked into the luggage cargo.

K pondered the jewelry case last and we learned about the Tuareg Tribe of Niger, West Africa. She left with 2 beautiful pieces of silver and onyx.

From the gallery website:

Traditionally the Tuaregs, including the Koumamas, were nomads living in the Sahara desert. Some of the family have now settled in Agadez in northern Niger. Agadez is an ancient town at the crossroads of the camel caravan trade routes.

Every piece of Koumama jewelry is handmade, and most pieces are variations on the traditional designs. Some jewelry is made by the ancient lost wax method. First a piece of jewelry is carved in wax. The figure is then encased in clay and fired. Next liquid silver is poured into the mold. After cooling the clay is broken off and the silver piece is cleaned, filed and engraved. Finally, carbon is rubbed into the silver to highlight the engraving and the jewelry gets its final polishing. Other jewelry is made by first pouring molten silver into a small trough to form a bar. The bar is then repeatedly heated, pounded and shaped.

Lilly Daché

2007-04-09T09:19:00.000-04:00

I'm in the midst of a self-imposed millinery boot camp that is running for another week, so posting will be light until then.

In the meantime, enjoy some images from Lilly Daché: Glamour at the Drop of a Hat, a small exhibit currently at The Museum at FIT. Lilly Daché's popularity during the millinery heydey of the thirties and forties was extensive--so much so that during a strike in the forties picketing workers displayed signs that read, "Please do not patronize Lilly Daché, America's foremost milliner." The show is a chance to learn about her life and a rare opportunity to see her work, which is testament to her imagination, talent, and skill.

"But the right hat on the right head is poetry."

Pillbox hat with silk, velvet, and cotton flowers in shades of pink, c. 1948.

Fashion illustration, c. 1950

Wide-brimmed hat in black straw covered in heavy off-white cotton lace with silk bows, c. 1965

All images from the brochure that accompanies the exhibition, organized by the graduate students in the Fashion Institute of Technology's MA program in Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice.

San Francisco's Best Kept Secret

2007-04-08T19:08:00.000-04:00

Shh...

On Grant Avenue in North Beach. Unpretentious old-school tailor shop. Mod-Fab coats in embroidered wools. $300 and above, depending on style and materials.

The best...

Al's Attire.
1314 Grant ave.
North Beach San Francisco 94133
alsattire@earthlink.net 415-693-9900

Attention to Details:

Hand-Embroidered Label with your name on it:

My favorites:

THIS WEEK'S YUMMY THINGS

2007-04-08T01:15:00.000-04:00

Louis Vuitton Trunks for some great times abroad.

A fabulous sketch or print, above, Gunnar Norrman, Kust, Drypoint, 1983, at the Fitch-Febvrel Gallery.

Burberry's Icon Collection, a magnificent fur-trimmed leather trench.

Cinnabar bangles in Chinatown.

Pito Tubes for Traveling...all TSA compliant....and they don't spill a drop....

Deanna Gibbons, Milliner

2007-04-03T17:10:00.000-04:00

My favorite milliner is the talented and whimsical Ms. DeAnna Gibbons, a San Francisco local who has worked in wholesale, retail, and bridal millinery since 1990. Her own business specializes in custom headwear for both men and women. In addition, she has worked as a milliner for the San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Ballet, and American Musical Theater of San Jose. BA, San Francisco State University; studied, SACI, Florence, Italy.

Her theatrical confections span the gamut of style history: from Film Noir (below), to fantastic whimsy (pale blue sailboat hat, paired with Vivienne Westwood at the De Young), to darling sunhats for days on the water in the summer, and ending with daring cocktail hats for an evening in Paris, or at the Academy Awards (paired with the uber-talented Erin Mahoney, dress designer, San Francisco.)

The cocktail fedoras with Erin Mahoney's gorgeous and sleek evening wear literally took my breath away. There was the combination of relaxed elegance, and a sassy nod to hiphop glamour, with hand-moulded drapings accented in feathers and leather.

Best of the Bay, 2006's What We Love....:
From 1930s-style cloche hats to chic holiday creations, DeAnna Gibbons teaches the basics of fit and form in her popular millinery classes. Her studio, Brimming Over, has kept San Franciscan heads fashionably covered for 16 years, and Gibbons has outfitted both the San Francisco Ballet and Opera. But don’t let her credentials intimidate you. The three-session workshop will guide you through the fundamentals of hat making, and you’ll emerge with a chapeau of your own design.

Photoshoot at Alfred Hitchcock's sprawling 200 acre estate in the Santa Cruz mountains. Pics by Dina Scoppettone. Black asymmetrical brim hat with brown leather by Deanna Gibbons for Brimming Over (www.brimmingover.com). Corpse's black fedora with pink feathers by DeAnna Gibbons for Brimming Over (www.brimmingover.com).

Highlights from SF Fashion Week 2006 and Preview of the 2007 Collection, Dresses by Erin Mahoney, hats by DeAnna Gibbons for Brimming Over.

The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death

2007-04-03T14:30:00.000-04:00

When writing about purchasing a dollhouse for her goddaughter, D mentioned The Overlook Hotel, which, I swear, is the reason my mind came up with Frances Lee Glessner and Corinne May Botz. I am neither morose nor morbid by nature.

In 2004, The Bellwether Gallery showed "The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death":

... photographer Corinne May Botz explores a collection of eighteen crime scene models that were built in the 1940's and 50's by a progressive criminologist Frances Glessner Lee (1878 – 1962). The crime scene models, which were based on actual homicides, suicides, and accidental deaths, were created to train detectives to assess visual evidence. Like a forensic detective herself, Botz meticulously re-traces Lee’s footsteps with her camera and lights. Her large-scale color photographs shrewdly frame the idiosyncratic and haunting details from these captivating murder scene dollhouses. Such noir fiction shuttles between the detective photography of Weegee and the dollhouse narrative photography by Laurie Simmons to explore the dark side of domestic life.

D writes: The photos here demonstrate how the dioramas of gruesome unexplained deaths draw you in, that the lighting and shadows, the colors and positions of the small bodies in a perfectly reproduced little room provide the viewer with an omnipresence. You are there as a witness to the crime, and seek clues around the devasted scene, trying to solve the mystery that is displayed by the artist. Even with dolls, and displayed in miniature, the giant You-the-Viewer shudders.

Knitting Circle

2007-04-02T02:06:00.000-04:00

Some innovative designers from Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting, currently at the Museum of Arts & Design through June 17th:

Erna van Sambeek: Floral Gown’, 2004 (cotton, textile glue, cotton backing)

Carson Fox : Hair Filigree #5, 2004 (wire, hair)

Hildur Bjarnadóttir: Doodling, 2005 (Tatting, cotton thread)

Dave Cole: Lead Teddy, 2006
(lead ribbon, hand knit over lead wool armature)

Spring Blooms at Posie

2007-03-27T16:45:00.001-04:00

I walked past Bloom today, admired the costly pretty things, and ran straight to the corner grocer for my own more affordable blooms. It is unfortunate that those of us who live in the city often have to pay for fresh flowers, but imitation flowers in vases just don't cut it. Having grown up with a mom with a thriving orchid nursery, fake flowers in a pot or a vase still make me wince.

There is, however, a kind of synthetic bloom that I love, and those are Alicia Paulson's boutonnieres and barrettes. Ms. Paulson makes her blooms from a variety of fabrics, all rich in color, pattern, and texture, and with a flair that produces such charming beauties. Pin the boutonnieres to your scarf, lapel, or bag (I've ordered one boutonniere, but I'd like to order more to pin to my plain white drapes when tied back - maybe for that special dinner party one of these days). The barrettes are great for keeping your tresses off your face and in place (unless in place is in your face).

Sugar Roses from Posie Rosy Little Things

Pouf Boutonnieries from Posie Rosy Little Things

Blossom Barrettes from Posey Rosy Little Things

There's more to see and admire at Posie, including bags, stuffed animals, scarves, and crochet patterns and kits. An innovator, Ms. Paulson was one of the first to offer the now ubiquitous open chain capelets. (The capeltes are no longer for sale, but the pattern is still available.)

My Favorite Milliner: Kelly Christy

2007-03-26T22:26:00.003-04:00

In the catalogue for Inside Design Now, The 2003 National Design Triennial, Donald Albrecht writes of my favorite milliner:

In the age of mass-produced fashion, Kelly Christy holds out for customization, transforming her clients into eccentric actors in the drama of city life.

As an aspiring milliner, I count Kelly Christy as one of my inspirations. I still remember the first time I walked into her little shop on Elizabeth Street in Little Italy. That was right around the time that Café Habana had just opened a few doors down, and the neighborhood was starting to be called Nolita. (The shop has since moved to Broome Street in Soho.) Maybe my mouth was slightly open as I stood there in awe of her beautiful creations, a little afraid of touching the rich felts and soft straws. I examined my favorite shapes, each trimmed with a distinctive band, a feather, or some other treasure. Tickled.

Kelly’s designs are traditional, but with a nod to the contemporary, and often with a witty twist. Until then, I had satisfied my hat lust with a mad ebay addiction, which deprived me of the joys of a custom fitting. I stalked the little shop for a few years before I finally broke down and just had to have a hat all my own. Kelly is terrific, as she guides you in picking the shapes that are most flattering, and invites you to pick out the trimmings for the millinery confection that she is about to create.