Ermie Love

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A line by one of my favorite local designers, Ermie, is full of hand techniques and artistic prints. Her Instagram is incredibly inspiring, she's constantly dyeing or sewing or sharing a friends art. Check it out @ermiegram. Oh and while we're talking about Echo Park locals, check out Beatrice Valenzuela, whos boots (5th photo down) above are on my eternal wish list.

The jewelry pictured above is also available at Ermie, by B. Zippy & Co, a ceramics artist whos work reminds me that just because you are designing something wearable doesn't mean it needs to be separate from that which inspires your art. 

Sea These

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Delightful colors and prints from Sea - Spring 2013 collection. Click images for closeups.

images via style.com, borders are vintage prints from tumblr.

Something Brewing

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Love the prints, love the jewelry, love the inspiration, love the darkness, bring it on! images via here. 

October issue of Marie Claire US

 Photographer -  Enrique Badulescu 

Model - Imogen Morris Clarke 

Stylist - Romina Herrara Malatesta

Hair - Ward Stegerhoek 

Makeup - Vicky Steckel 

Cave Collective

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All images via Cave Collective, an accessories collection that makes you re-think jewelry. 

I just returned from a trip to Martha's Vineyard visiting a girlfriend and soon-to-be mother, there's little cell phone service or internet connection to be had which was incredibly recharging. Such fresh air, great people, tasty food, beautiful clear waters and trees. Lots, and lots, and lots of trees. What a great reminder to get back into nature any chance you can get, it is the source that everything comes from and does such an amazing job at renewing the chaotic mind.

After that was a quick 24 hours in NY (it was supposed to be 48 hours, but we fell so in love with the Vineyard that we ended up staying longer) which was a bit jarring. Next time I'll do the city before the country! 

Buki Akib

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Absolutely stunning photos from Buki Akib's FELA collection - a Nigerian born knitwear designer who studied at Central St. Martins. I found these images via flygirlblog and this collection really drew me in. 

AND THEN I recalled the textile summer course at Central St. Martins I attended with a woman who was studying knitwear and was born in Nigeria and OH MY GOD. This is her! Thats right, I'm shamelessly namedropping from a 3 week course I took about 7 years ago. Damn proud of it, too. 

More so than happening to have known this woman at some point, I was shocked at my immediate connection with men's clothes. Menswear collections generally don't leave me drooling... nope, not even the handsome male models can distract me from the "classic" and "understated" designs that to me seem, well, boring. 

There. 

I said it. 

Men's clothes are boring to me unless they are inspired by the likes of Keith Richards and Jimmi Hendrix, a look that has unfortunately become a bit of a cliche in our modern times. This collection is inspired by a man I'd never heard of. Fela Kuti, a 1970's Nigerian Afrobeat musician, and his 27 wives were the inspiration for this and the women's collection to follow (labeled, appropriately, "wives").

So not only have I discovered the talents of an old mate, I've discovered the incredible life and music of an artist who also happened to live the sex, drugs, and rock & roll lifestyle of my favorite icons, and did so while controversially speaking out about the state of his government, apparently at great expenses. 

image and video found here. 

A Peace Treaty

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I've completely fallen in love with the mood and products from A Peace Treaty, and their story (as well as the story of each collection) makes the love that much sweeter. 

found here, all images and below text via A Peace Treaty

"A PEACE TREATY IS AN EVOLVING COLLECTION AIMED AT CREATING ETHICALLY-PRODUCED, ARTISAN LEVEL ACCESSORIES AND APPAREL FOR THE LUXURY FASHION MARKETPLACE.

Born in 2008, as a personal pact between Farah Malik, a Pakistani Muslim, and Dana Arbib, a Libyan Jew, A PEACE TREATY creates employment for skilled artisans working in places of socio-political strife, effectively supporting their technique and craft while elevating their products to the level of high design for an exclusive and international fashion audience.

Inspired by the hand-crafting cultures of the Middle East, Asia, South America and Africa, A PEACE TREATY was conceived when Arbib and Malik met while living in Rome. The two discovered that they shared both a love of high fashion and a desire to increase awareness of ancient, disappearing crafting traditions. Intermingling Arbib’s strong background in graphic, textile and product design with Malik’s history of developing multimedia marketing campaigns for social justice and human rights, they set about connecting discerning fashion connoisseurs with cache, boutique level artifacts from places typically seen only negatively through the media lens.

Each season, A PEACE TREATY travels to a particular region and seeks out local village artisans to re-define an accessory, designing limited edition pieces in style unique colorways. Each jewelry or scarf collection resuscitates ancient handmade textile and metalsmithing techniques that are at risk of extinction. Working with craftspeople in eight countries and injecting life and trade back into local economies, A PEACE TREATY employs artisans with above fair trade wages and invests in creating income generation opportunities for out-of-work artisans, disabled and widowed women."

Runaway from it All

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Resort 2013 runway favorites, via style.com, and some favorite images with questionable sources...

Resort is such a funny season as a designer. We invent elaborate vacations and extravagant lifestyles for our muse, anything to get her out of the winter slum. It's like the breath of fresh air after designing the madness that usually is a Fall collection, and ends up being short & sweet, with plenty of bright colors and fun prints that make you smile. Why can't every season be this playful?

1. White on White : Mara Hoffman, Jenni Kayne, tumblr mystery geodome

2. Acid Reign : Carven, Jenni Kayne, Sea, Antian scarf via Creatures of Comfort

3. Suno, desktop mystery

4. Tsumori Chisato, Mother of Pearl, Renilde Depeuter

5. Suno, Mystic Mamma

6. Jenni Kayne, Willow, Vena Cava, tumblr mystery voodoo veve'

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