I “met” designer Mia Jafari via twitter. When I saw her limited edition silk scarves, I absolutely fell head over heels for them. A graduate of London’s famed Central St. Martin, Jafari’s collection, fancifully called Ladybirds Strawberry Cosmos, weaves her Persian heritage with her London sensibilities and iconic fashion elements  (suggestions of Cartier and Christian Louboutin are used as printed design features). What you get are beautiful, fun scarves that are ready to bring a little color and happiness to the simplest outfit.

{slam dunk}

The scarves are created with her signature style of “digi-broidery”, a style that takes traditional Eastern embroidery techniques and reinterprets them with digital stitching and printing techniques. Hmmm…I wonder if this technique will be used in textiles for interiors. I would love to see that. But I digress…

{midnight mojito}

{berrypolitan}

If you’ve been reading a while then you know that the scarves have 3 of my design elements, whimsy, wit and wanderlust.  Everything from the living room to the wardrobe should have a touch of those three.

To check out more from the Ladybirds Strawberry Cosmos collection click here.  You can also buy them here and here. Jafari’s site hints that dresses may be on the way too. I can’t wait to see those!

This past Friday and Saturday Night was the Interwoven event at the Textile Museum. I mentioned it here a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, I could only make the Friday Night performances but let me tell you, the event was pretty awesome. Even with the heat there was a great turn out and lots of captivating performances.

So where shall we start? I know, Peggy Noland…

I’m always both intrigued and perplexed by performance art. I LOVE installations, but when you throw in people I’m never sure that I quite get it. But hey I’m down, even if it’s just to play voyeur.  I’m not sure any of us quite got it on Friday and I don’t mean that as a slight. I really think  that is the point  with performance art in  some cases as with Peggy Noland’s piece. During the Q&A, she would go later to infer that beyond the Costume she wore, she also didn’t know what to expect during the performance. As a crowd we laughed, stood in awe, some even “understood” and one man got nervous ( he told me that), but mostly we took it in, with Peggy Noland before us on a lone delicate chair (hmm…that’s an interesting juxtapostion).

After a while people stopped staring at Peggy’s balloons and walked up and asked her questions, most notably “why?” by a mother with her two children. Beneath her shroud of latex, Noland remarked that above all she intrigued by the nature textiles and the transformation of objects into textiles. OK, cool. I can totally get down with the conceptual nature of her approach, even if i don’t quite get the outcome. She welcomed interaction with an openness and gentility (even when someone blew up one of her balloons in a compromising um…area)which I believe speaks to who she is as both a designer and artist. After all, she sells her wares for people to wear; fashion is a communication art and interplay is key (though she didn’t know  or see the location of said balloon). An artists, like Peggy Noland, makes me want to investigate more It almost makes me wish I was had a paper to write on her. I definitely wouldn’t mind seeing another performance piece.

Next up is the performance by the fashion collective, ThreeASFOUR. And I have to say I LOVED this performance. Through the lens of fashion as performance art, ThreeASFOUR gave DC a taste of their S/S 2010 Fashion  Show. It was collaborative with  Sean Lennon and Yoko Ono with the clothing based on Ono’s drawings, which they interpreted via fashion into prints and 3D designs. However, the performance itself is a variation of Yoko Ono’s original 1968 perfomance where people cut Ono’s clothes off. Never a dull moment when Yoko’s around!

But above, all their performance was about construction.  In the performance, each model, had a duty to fulfill; cut along the 24 numbered seams. For ThreeAsFour their are no side or back seams so lines follow the body. In the end the dress looks something like this. I know what your thinking, the dress isn’t a dress anymore. But the dress get put back together (not on stage) and the process begins anew. It’s cyclical, just like those circular seams.  The whole performance was rather grand and conceptually intriguing.

Here’s a better view two of the dresses they showed (I’m in love with the first one):

So that was my fabulous night at the Textile Museum and here I am still intrigued by the artists. Since I started going there several years back, The Textile Museum has really become one of my favorite museums. Maybe I’ll see you at the next event.

Later today, I’ll show you what I wore.

Yesterday I spent half the day out of the office for training. I didn’t see google’s homage to the 125th birthday of textile designer Josef Frank until about 1pm.

Rather touching tribute I thought. It reminded me of this beautiful Tokyo Shop, Ballantyne Cashmere,as featured in Interior Design Magazine in 2006.

{image via nytimes}

{images via girl meets glamour}

The interiors of the shop are architecturally formed and space, with the Josef Frank wallcovering adding visual interest. Frank’s work is imaginative and fanciful and in this space it’s fabulously fun and  over the top. Wouldn’t you want to shop there? But even more, there is something about looking at Josef Frank’s colorful textiles  that makes me want draw.

So this weekend as a belated birthday wish to Josef Frank, I think I will spend a little time doodling and drawing.

Happy Weekend!

xoxo,

Jessica

When you think of textiles, do you think of Performance Art? If you are in DC on July 23-24th, then you should. Those are the days when the Textile Museum is presenting “Interwoven:  Evenings in Performance.”

With themes on both nights including the exploration of rituals and constructed space in the mediums of installation, film and performance, Interwoven opens with performance pieces  by designer Peggy Noland ( who was featured in Teen Vogue) and  conceptual fashion collective, threeASFOUR ( I love when fashion comes to town) .

{a  sample work from Peggy Noland}

{images  from nyfw, featuring threeASFOUR}

July 24th will feature new works by Copenhagen-based duo Henrik Vibskov & Andreas Emenius‘ work.You can see more  samples of  their work, below as well as, here and here.

(all images courtesy of the textile museum}

Interwoven also features Q&A’s on both nights led by artist Sabrina Gschwandtner, whose own work was feature in the exhibition Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting.  It all sounds so quirky and fun, I’m not sure how they will be able to fit it into 2 nights!

I can’t get enough fashion/interior collaborations; the lines between the two are forever blurring. In particular, I’m loving Rodarte for Knoll. Inspired by Rodarte’s Fall 2008 collection, you can tell that the Mulleavy sisters brought their signature undeniable coolness of the Rodarte line to their Knoll Luxe line.

{rodarte a/w 2008; images via style.com}

Drapery Fabrics:

This is Auden. I think I’m in love…

And this is what Auden looks like installed:

Here’s Emerson:

And an example of Emerson installed…

Upholstery Fabrics:

Meet the beautifully textured Lowell…

And a close up of Lowell upholstered on a  Saarinen Womb Chair.

And say hi  to the lovely, yet subtle sheen of Byron…

and of course Byron, upholstered…

{images via knoll}

I would love to have these at home, wouldn’t you? To see more of the Rodarte for Knoll Luxe line, click here.

I absolutely love this graduate collection from designer Karishma Shahani. Today, it’s giving me lots of beautiful color and texture inspiration.

I can’t wait to see the full collection on  in the September issue of Laundry Magazine.

Tomorrow, I’m heading off to NYC  for ICFF, showroom visits and few other fun activities I can squeeze into my weekend. But I thought I would kick start my design-filled extended weekend with a wonderful Textile exhibit which opens today in DC.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of heading to the Textile Museum for a Preview of their latest exhibit, Art by the Yard: Women Design Mid-Century Britain. I’ve been looking forward to this exhibit for months The exhibit, which opens Saturday, May 15th, focuses on the textile designs  of Lucienne Day and her design contemporaries, Jacqueline Groag and Marian Mahler during Britain’s post-war period of rebuilding the nation and the esteem of  it’s citizens. The curator, also mentioned that this post-war period was a time when designers were  both celebrated and as well as celebrities.

{Lucienne Day}

Of the three women showcased in art by the yard, Lucienne Day’s work is the primary focus of the exhibit is probably the most popular of the three women.  Her work illustrates her inspiration from  fine art, the natural world and experimentation with the design process.  She is prolific, designing everything from tea towels and draperies, to wallcoverings and dishware.

{Calyx, 1951, Manufactured by Heal Fabrics}

{Sequoia, 1959, Manufacutered by Heal Fabric}

{Celtic Cross, 1969, Manufacutured by Heal Fabrics}

If you are in the DC area tomorrow, The Textile Museum is screening Contemporary Days: Robin and Lucienne Day Design the UK at the National Geographic Museum, produced by the team at Design Onscreen.  I wish I could be there, but if you are like me and can’t make it, a shorter 20 minute version will be screened at the exhibit, along with a few furniture pieces of her husband Robin.

Like mentioned before Day had contemporaries, and according to the exhibit,  Joan Groag  approached the design process through the use of sketches and collages (Day created process drawings, as well, but destroyed them when the design completed). A few of her Groag’s process drawings are also exhibited.

{Paper Dolls,  1967, Manufactured by David Whitegead LTD}

Also a prolific designer, Groag’s portfolio ranges from wallcoverings and home textiles to  furniture. There is even a laminate she designed in the exhibit.

Also manufactured by David Whitehead LTD, were the designs of Marian Mahler. Less is known about her than both Day and Groag, and Mahler’s work is more object oriented and whimsical than her peers.

{Marian Mahler}

Additionally, her work appealed to a slightly younger customer and we produced with a quicker print- production process on less expensive rayon fabrics for a broader consumer reach.

{Untitled (Bird Chair), 1953 Manufactured by David Whitehead}

Frought with devastation after World War II, Britain sought to not only to physically rebuild the country, but also the esteem of it citizens. Design played a large role in the process of rebirth. That in itself, I find inspirational.

If you get a chance to check out Art by the Yard. It’s amazing and you love mid-century design, you will LOVE it! It runs from 5/15-9/12/2010. If you love textiles or art in all of its incarnations, you will walk away inspired by the work, just like I did.  In fact, I’m going to work on a few process sketches  and explore a  few new ideas over the weekend.

Happy, Happy Weekend!

xoxo, Jessica

Every room needs a little something special, don’t you think?  I believe textiles always help with that.

I love how beautiful cloth napkins help dress up the kitchen or dining table.  I especially love these from Fey Handmade:

{block printed napkins from nina glaser}

{botanical linen napkins from be still}

And sometimes a ruffle or two doesn’t hurt either. How can you not fall in love with this Waterfall Ruffle Duvet Cover from Urban Outfitters? I love it in Celery!

And of course I can’t forget the bathroom…

{waterfall shower curtain}

Even those of us with the most casual lifestyle deserve a few touches of elegance every now and then.

I split my work week between working in a commercial design environment and a  high-end boutique residential design firm. Because of both I’m very lucky to be exposed to amazing design resources. Recently, I was introduced to Maharam’s Digital Projects. I’ve talked about my love of Maharam before and their amazing collaborations with artists but Maharam Digital Projects is my favorite collaboration to date.

This collection goes beyond what one would expect from wallcovering; these  are best described as murals. Who else but Maharam would give interior designers the opportunity to use the artwork of inspiring artists in their projects?  My personal favorites from the collection include Marilyn Minter’s Kicksilver, Ari Marcopoulos’s Dictation and Phoebe Washburn’s Wood Wall as Safari Vest.

{kicksilver}

{dictation}

{wood wall as safari vest}

From the ones I am drawn to I realized that I am more gritty glam or tough luxe than I previously thought. However, you can see the complete collection here. 

I was on Robert Allen’s site yesterday doing  research for work and I stumbled upon Design Studio.  A collaboration between Robert Allen and Sherwin Williams, Design Studio is an inspiration site currently depicting beautiful color stories  inspired by the 2010 Color Forecast. The two companies broke them down into 4 color groups, Leaf (greens), Hydrangea (blues), Terrain (earthtones) and Tulip (pinks). Below, I have selected four of my faves from each collection.

Leaf: Neo Traditional

Hydrangea: Beach Retreat

Terrain: Modern Safari

 Tulip: Chinoiserie Modern

Talk about hard to choose! All of the palettes are really amazing. To see the beautiful corresponding  Color Library from Sherwin Williams make sure you click here.