Long weekend...

I'm heading out early to enjoy the long weekend...you do the same!! See you next week.

Lyell

Emma Fletcher injects a sense of old-world charm and femininity into her Lyell collection that often escapes modern clothing. With fine details like pleats, pintucks and lace trims offset by lush silks and velvet, Lyell embraces a refined definition of glamour. Take a look at the gorgeous Fall collection here, and don't forget to cross your legs at the ankle...not the knee.

Glint Jewellery

Kate Wood emailed me recently about her collection, Glint Jewellery, and I just loved the delicacy and organic nature of the pieces. Her materials include freshwater pearls, quartz, brass, and vintage materials. The entire collection is thoroughly feminine in the most classic sense. Take a look here and contact Kate to stock.

Perfectly Imperfect

As former head designer of Three dots, Jadie Kadletz knew her way around a comfortable tee shirt. Combining that knowledge with a need to support environmental preservation, Perfectly Imperfect was born. The clothing is simple and easy, inspired by the wabi sabi way of life, which dictates a belief in simplicity, quietude, and rustic beauty. The collection is for now primarily tees, dresses, and layering pieces, but I expect there will be much more in the future of Perfectly Imperfect.

photo credit: the greenloop

Survey

Please take a moment to answer the short 10 question survey to the right. One participant will win a sweet Amy Bengtson necklace, similar to the one featured. Thanks a lot!

Eley Kishimoto

Mark Eley & Wakako Kishimoto introduced themselves in the early 90's with a reputation for incredible print design. After displaying their work on the catwalks through Loius Vuitton and Alexander McQueen, they launched a womenswear collection. It's certainly not hard to see why they're still called upon to design textiles for everything from interior design to cars; these guys are masters of print & pattern. The collection is broad, and includes lifestyle items like fabrics, glassware, and wallpaper. All of which are fabulous indeed.

EFive Design

EFive Design is the brainchild of Candy Woolley, another designer of many disiplines. With products ranging from home decor to earrings, Candy has recently introduced her version of the croc trend. Made from farmed hornback Nile crocodiles, the belts are all hand made to order and come in a variety of colors. The designer pulls from her Spanish origins to inject a sense of color and exoticism into her collections, check out the belts here.

Habitude

It wouldn't be a stretch to say Laura Chapuis launched Habitude right from her backyard. With the vision in mind for an organic fashion business, Laura moved to Texas and realized that most of the organic cotton in the US is grown in...Texas. Using sustainable materials such as hemp, silk, and organic cotton, Habitute exemplifies a casual and simple lifestyle. Easy, everyday pieces that are good for you and good for the planet.

Alabama Chanin

I read about Alabama Chanin last week through Holly and completely agreed that this designer deserves a few mentions. A multidisiplinary designer, Natalie "Alabama" Chanin creates limited- edition jewelry, clothing, furniture, soft goods, and fabrics. What a mouthful! Using a mixture of new, organic, and recycled materials, all products are hand crafted by artisans in the USA. For the purpose of this blog, I've focused on her jewelry collection, which is a lovely collaboration between metal and fabric. The website itself is a joy to peruse, with amazing photos and hidden gems, you could spend hours there. Don't forget to check out the shop.

I've been tagged...

almost forgot that I was tagged recently by Lavish magazine....here are 7 random facts about me.

1- I listen to an 80's mega mix when I'm working...culture club, cyndi lauper, goerge michael, lionel richie....and i love every minute of it.
1.5- in keeping with the above...i find no shame in singing off key
2-sometimes on the weekends I eat dessert for breakfast
3-i am simply obsessed with interiors and anything home design
4-my husband made me start clothes-pin because i was constantly chewing his ear off about fashion
5-i laugh out loud...really loud...a lot...
6-if a songs got a good beat I can't help but dance...i can often be found waiting for a walk sign and tapping my foot to a song in a passing car
7-i'm a tomboy at heart...i like the smell of gasoline

i shall tag flygirls, modish, sub-studio, shake your beauty, stereoette, and oh joy.

Boyy Handbags

Boyy Handbags embody a sense of nostalgia, dreamed up by two friends who were inspired by their childhood antics. Using grown up materials like Italian lambskin, linen, and canvas, the bags reveal clever attachments and straps that transform each piece. Totes become bucket bags, duffels become shoulder bags, and laptops bags become handbags. Check out the collection here, there is also a online shop option.

John Patrick Organic

I love the unabashed simplicity and comfort of John Partick Organic. The Fall '07 collection is understated, sexy, and meant for repeated wear with staples like vegetable tanned leather coats and Mongolian cashmere tunics and cardigans. Although his fabrics are sourced from Switzerland to Japan, the Fall collection has a decidely all-American feel...modern, comfortable, with a hint of modernism. There is the sense from this line that John Patrick is building something much greater...as he puts it...'I envision a world where people will say of course it's organic!'

Bettye Muller

After realizing that her assortment of 500+ shoes was more than a mere collection, Bettye Muller decided in 1998 to launch her own label. Inspired by vintage fabrics and styles, the collection is much more diverse than many contemporary collections; I'd guess the chunky heels and square toes in many of her styles are probably very welcomed by an older woman looking for comfort and style. I've shown my two personal faves here that can add sass to any outfit.. any age.

Unearthed

Sisters Karen & Gina Koenig launch their Unearthed collection of exotic accessories in early 2007. The cuffs, earrings, and necklaces are crafted from a range of unusual materials including stingray, snakeskin, crocodile and alligator. Although not appealing to everyone, I grew up around these very leathers with the jungle as a backyard so I find it very familiar. The sisters use materials from local tanners who in turn use materials that are the by-product of food sources. Find Unearthed here or through their etsy shop.

Sika Designs

I was really psyched to come across Sika Designs; in part for my love of prints but mainly for the modern interpretation of traditional fabrics. Designer Phyllis Taylor pairs upated West African texiles with thoroughly modern trends. Baby dolls, trench coats, and voluminous shirt dresses all get a dose of these bold and bright prints... now who said we efashionados weren't cultured? Sika is London based but contact them here to stock in the US.

Ciel

UK based designer Sarah Ratty is behing fab eco conscious label Ciel. Utilizing faux fur, organic cotton, recycled fabrics and enviro friendly dyes, the collection has some of the best "green" offerings. Sweet dresses, alpaca knits, tees, and even super cute undies made from organic cotton make up the Ciel line. Sarah emphasizes her desire to design for 'people who don't want to sacrifice style for content'.

photo credit: adili

Mohop Shoes

I heard about Mohop a few months ago, but it wasn't until I saw Rena in the flats that I saw how comfortable and cute they are. Designer Annie Mohaupt designs and makes each pair of shoes in her Chicago studio using molds that she designed and fabricated herself. The shoes are composed of rubber soling made from recycled tires, birch plywood core, and topped with veneer. Ribbons are sold separately so you can truly customize each shoe; check out the gallery to see how others wear their Mohops.

photo credit: the greenloop

Summer Friday- Amy Tavern

I love the simple shapes that Amy Tavern emphasizes with her jewlery. Using only basic metalsmithing techniques, her jewelry expresses a fascination with small scale objects, shapes, negative space, and visual movement. Amy also does incredible wedding rings by commission, styles are displayed on the site.

Samantha Treacy

As you can probably tell, I'm really loving the Fall 07 Samantha Treacy collection. Subtle prints, chunky knits, exaggerated shapes, and the resurgence of the almighty dress pant all stike a balance between her signature feminine looks and striking tailoring. It was a tough morning picking these looks but feel free to enjoy and browse right here; showroom info is here.

VPL (Visible Panty Lines)

Normally considered a fashion faux pas, designer Victoria Bartlett made VPL into a unique fashion statement. Launched in 2003, the collection is reflective of comfort, functionality, and individual style. Victoria sought to bridge the gap between underwear and sportswear with her concept of 'underwear as outerwear'. The collection now includes accessories, with comfy tote bags that hug the body like a...well.. like a second skin.

Sissi Rossi

I just couldn't pass up posting these beautiful bags from Italian company Sissi Rossi. As it's getting closer to Fall, most people are already thinking about the rich layers of wool, cashmere, and of course the final accessory...the bag! I started in this business working with luxury Italian designers and the real designers don't make trendy bells & whistles bags. The bags from Sissi Rossi are minimal on hardware, handmade, and are a beautiful update to a wardrobe year round. You can contact them directly to stock.

Summer Friday- Rajul Paris

I love the handbags by Paris designer Rachael Hampton. Rajul Paris is a lovely collaboration of leather and fabric (often silk) and feature pleating, quilting, or vintage details. They're very feminine but still offer the toting capabilities of ...well... a tote bag. The site is in french but there are English translations here and there; and really oooh and aah is the same in every language.

UPDATE: Rachel has kindly offered readers 15% off any handbag on the site! Enjoy...

Promo code : clothepin15 (or clothespin15?)

Good until the 31 of August

Rockabella London

Rockabella London is a hip new jewelry collection from Charlotte Strodl (you guessed it...based in London). Charlotte started her career at Jimmy Choo so I'm guessing her ability to be on the pulse of style is well honed; the collection features ultra long necklaces with pendants that range from bold clusters to single pearls. Materials include natural stones, freshwater pearls, and crystals for a bit of bling. Oh behave! Purchases are made through paypal or contact Charlotte to stock.

Hetty Rose

This is a shoe lovers dream! UK designer Henrietta Rose Samuels custom makes these beautiful shoes by hand. Henrietta reworks vintage materials, primarily Japanese kimono fabrics, into ultra feminine footwear that looks and feels personalized. Gorgeous and sustainable to boot...I'm so in love. Check out Hetty Rose to custom order or stock these gems.