Monday, February 28, 2011

Rock your Maxi dress

Yes, this season the maxi dress is in, and the best way to display your favorite prints is in one of these dresses.The upper structured bodice and the long flowy length makes a strong statement. Chic, comfortable, powerful, and flexible is what this is. Formal, informal, with flats, with pumps, with hats, with clutches, with satchels, with totes with chunky necklaces and wooden bracelets or silver bangles it's all good......and this is a must have this season! 











Friday, February 25, 2011

Birds of a Feather



I've been brainstorming concepts for an early fall line for children fabric. Something new and refreshing that touched upon those classic fall colors and imagery. In my research I fell in love with the concept of feathers as a visual representation of fall leaves. Here are a few snap shots of my initial conceptual drawings and musings. I also ended up sketching a little model for the garment I'd place the fabric on :)
Enjoy!
-Gail

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Sarah's SPRING Wish List

1. Tory Burch Spring 2011 DREAM dress 2. Jeffery Campbell shoe god 3. Asos leopard skirt 
4. Newspaper nails from Luuux  5. Rachel Bilson's whole look 6. Asos printed blouse 
7. DIY party blowers! from Martha

So, we love collages. Can you tell? This time around, we are using our love for arranging pictures to show off our Spring wish lists. Starting it off, is me, and this is what I am drooling over for Spring. What got me inspired was Tory Burch's dreamy and creamy dress with a beautiful punch of color. For Spring, I would like to go neutral, from my shoes to my nails, then add in some hues of orangey-reds. I still can't get over leopard. The Asos printed skirt is a perfect way to wear it for Spring. Finally, you may be wondering why I put do-it-yourself party blowers on my list. Well, I am SO excited for Spring that I just thought I should make it a celebration!!!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Wrap Us Up in Color


Found on Eat Drink Chic and made by Niki Jones, these quilts made out of printed saris have got us feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Although these vintage fabric blankets were what caught our eye, when we visited Niki's site, our minds were blown with the wonderful goodies that were in store. With no two items in the collections made alike, there adds a whole other level of uniqueness to her products offered. 

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Our Latest Obsession: Milly



During our daily blog browsing, we found a delightful printed dress on You Are My Fave (one of our favorites). That dress is from Milly's Spring 2011 line. We love the whole styling package that Milly was kind enough to offer us. From the turbans (and amazing gold hats, can we have one please?), to the mixing and matching of bold, statement-making prints, to the lovely coral painted lips. My favorites (Sarah) are the two chevron-y floor length looks. If you love Milly too, you are awesome.

Monday, February 21, 2011

CHEERS TO CHAMBRAY!!

 

 

This season I’ve been inspired by the blue like cotton woven fabric that resembles denim better known as chambray and it is in this Spring/Summer 2011!!
Chambray is also produced in other colors and not only do you find it constructed into garments, but it’s also used for home décor.
This material does not need screen prints, nor appliques to stand out, its one of the few basic fabrics that stand out on its own all you need is the ideal top, bottom or accessory depending on what chambray garment you have!
What’s not to like about this fabulous lightweight fabric? It’s easy and effortless to combine, casual, chic and fresh in the summer. What chambray piece will you pick for this Spring/Summer?

Friday, February 18, 2011

From reference to print sketch idea


Following last Fridays posts inspiration in patterns in nature, I have for you a small sample of nature to textile print design process. The picture is of a beautiful mushroom purchased at the Farmers Market. I love the overlapping curves of mushrooms, it gives its form a very petal like feel without screaming "flower". I played around with this idea and adapted it into a classic rose fabric layout. It was a nice piece to create for fun.

-Gail

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Knits to Smile About




We found these fun-loving knit items through The Look See blog. In using our great journalistic research skills (aka...reading) we found out that these colorful knits were made by Annie Larson. We just love her use of interesting patterns and color combinations. Her photos are pretty great too! To see more..and shop! Go to her site.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Tote to Support!


Yesterday we posted about Marni's new Spring line and mentioned the Marni Charity Project. We think it is so important to encourage the vast imaginations of children that we thought we should follow up and share some of the products that were done for this cause. These canvas tote bags (perfect for your green shopping experience) showcase the artwork of under privileged children. Proceeds from the purchases of these totes go towards educational and developmental programs in schools that encourage creativity. Check out this article that was written when Marni's Charity Project was first started.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

We Heart Marni

Marni's Spring 2011 collection

In case you haven't noticed, we have been dedicating Tuesdays to our favorite designers that aren't afraid of bold, colorful prints. This week, we pay tribute to Marni. When visiting their site, I was excited to read about the Marni charity project. It supports the imaginations and creativity of our future generations. You can find out more here.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Stylit: Your new bff to help you plan your day!

I recently received the most practical gift for those who have passion for fashion and could use a little help organizing those inspiring thoughts on what garments to splurge on for the upcoming seasons! Creating my own inspirational boards by cutting and pasting the most wanted items of the season and also auditing my closet to combine fresh outfits for everyday success is key! This daily fashion planner is such a  fun daily project, not only will you have great fun but it will help you strategize your shopping choices!! This nifty fashion planner was created by Beth Jones of B Jones Style and you can find it at Etsy.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Prints and Patterns in Nature





Its Friday, and what better way to start the weekend than by getting inspired. I tend to take a massive amount of photographs of textures and patterns in nature, the way they overlap, intersect and create a beautiful whole picture by the sum of its different parts fascinates me. Here are some of my favorite coral and shell pieces. Enjoy!

-Gail

Thursday, February 10, 2011

The Bold, The Beautiful, and The Black & White

1. Style Bop 2. Nordstrom 3. Amelie Boutique 4. House of Harlow 1960 5. La Garconne 6. Alice by Temperley
7. 12th St.

We adore color, and in this case, it's all the colors in the world combined, made even more brilliant by being paired with the absence of it. Have I lost you? I am talking about the always stunning black and white combo. Such boldness needs to be celebrated. Helping us toast to the classic b&w, are our amazing choices we have featured above. Enjoy!


Wednesday, February 9, 2011

For a Good Cause: The Taproot Foundation


So yes, it is a couple weeks into February, but better late than never, no? Our featured charity of the month is definitely worth the wait. The Taproot Foundation is making it happen by offering much needed resources to organizations tackling social change. Their mission is to "lead, mobilize and engage professionals in pro bono service that drives social change." They do this by providing companies that focus on improving society with the marketing, design, technology, management or strategic planning resources they need. For this, they are our featured charity for the fabulous month of February. You can read more about their cause on their site here.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

The Eden of Erdem


Pics from behind the scenes at Erdem's Spring show

Step into our fantasy: the garden prints of Erdem. London Designer Erdem Moralioglu's new Spring line, that is. He made fashion world's mouth water with his breakout Fall collection and now he has tempted us once more. We are just mesmerized by his fanciful printed looks. You can see them all here.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Eco friendly is Marketing Friendly


Every large corporation will have its moment in the spotlight as its production ethics are scrutinized or  its production / manufacturing process impact on the environment is called into question. By the sheer size of these companies, problems are bound to happen. In my opinion, the factor that makes a real difference is how the company responds to the problems and what changes it adopts for the long term. H&M faced serious criticism last year for its clothing disposal process. In answer to this, the apparel giant will release a collection of clothing aiming at being completely eco-conscious. Featuring organic cottons, linen and recycled polyester, H&M aims to make this a permanent fixture in their stores. It makes me hopeful that eco-friendly options can be made available at larger apparel chains. To see more of their collection, click here.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Kanizsa interpretation into prints



What do you see?
The Kanizsa triangle is an optical illusion first described by the Italian psychologist Gaetano Kanizsa.
Your interpretation may be that of the outline of a triangle with a white upside down triangle over it. Of course that isn't what has been drawn there is it? In Prints and fabrics a lot can be done with our minds ability to fill in the blanks and interpretation of information. Here is a sample print using this technique.
For more information on the subject check out Dr. Weinschenk post, here

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Paper Print Perfection



We found these dreamy designs on the lovely little blog of Cafe Cartolina. From that site, we learned this was the art of Grady McFerrin. You can find his designs on paper products, ranging from journals to sticky notes. You can find more at Chronicle Books.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

La Pattronera



Two out of the three of us that make up Ma Okyo, hail from the great country of Peru. Fellow South Americans, Argentinian-based La Pattronera, not only share our our passion with the continent, but for textile design as well. We just love their fresh and funky style they bring to their prints. Above are some great, "springy" designs that go along with our day-dreaming for the warm weather to come. 

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Color Splash

Jonathan Saunders Spring 2011 line

Yes, it is still chilly and rainy where we are, but with all our favorite designers launching their Spring lines, we can't help but think about the sunny days of the season to come. Nothing has the essence of Spring like Jonathan Saunders floral, pastel frocks. We just loved that he combined those with some bright, striped belts.

Jonathan Saunders Scarves

Luckily, his bold and bright scarves are available now, so we can make it through the final month of Winter.