Friday, December 31, 2010

skinny little vase concept



i have been in love with the work of david hicks for quite some time..and i came accross his business cards last spring, and their beauty and simplicity stayed on my mind..
and then i bought some of this gorgeously packaged pasta..which eerily had that hicksian vibe i was so fond of..so i sketched out these skinny vases last month as an ode to this look...knowing that they would be a great addition to the 2011 spring collection.
i am not quite sure what color combos we will use..but jessica already threw 5 of these yummies..and i cannot WAIT to see them come out of the kiln in color! stay tuned..

Thursday, December 30, 2010

ice sculptures

when i was in my 20's i dated a guy my friends nicknamed "the nudnik".
he took me on a trip to the middle of pennsylvania so that we could watch an ice sculpture competition. oy.
to say the least, it was unbearably painful. and i think that was the end of the guy.
but to this day i enjoy the ice before they make the sculpture way more than after..i mean right?
need i say more?

Monday, December 27, 2010

angela liguori

one of my favorite card designers is my friend angela liguori of carta inc. she has just opened a new studio in brookline ma. that is an absolutely stunning white gem. i love how clean and white it is..oh how i wish i could be so tidy! i have collected a number of her ribbons and papers over the last couple of years, and my favorite gifts this year were wrapped in paper and antique ribbon from angela. the red and white twisted string is a basic, and a must have for your wrapping room.

Friday, December 24, 2010

slim aarons photography

we are truly jet setting it today home from utah and our big ski vacation in deer valley, and it put me in the mind of the early jetsetters, and the photography of slim aarons. (cz guest above..babe paley below)
here are some people of an earlier time who really knew how to strike a pose, and vogue!
i love the technicolors, and the chic locales.
i am thinking about fall collection 2011, and these images provide plenty of inspiration..
this is so me!
here we are just enjoying a picnic en plein air. "pass the iced tea papa!"
i love these people below..aren't they the best?"

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

design god: emilio pucci


for me it doesn't get any better than pucci! another of my design heroes emilio really knew how to live, and he designed everything, from dresses and handbags, to airplanes and skis. when i am thinking about a new collection, i am always drawn back to signore pucci. as i was doing some research this evening i came accross a wonderful list of ten things that one should know about the designer, and so i thought that i would pass them along here..the list is fab!

1) Born in Florence, Italy to one of the oldest noble families

2) Avid sportsman who swam, skied, fenced, played tennis, raced cars and was a bomber pilot in WWII3) Discovered after the first clothes he designed were worn by the ski team at his college in Oregon.
4) Known for geometric prints in a kaleidoscope of colors which lend to a space age yet 1960′s vibe.
5) Pucci was the first in his family to hold gainful employment in over a thousand years.

6) From his fashion house in Capri he developed casual wear in bold colors and prints in lightweight materials such as Capri pants.

7) The popularity of his clothing skyrocketed when consumers discovered his lightweight fabrics. They could all be packed into one bag for travel.

8 ) Hired by Braniff International Airways to update their image by designing new clothes for the flight attendants.

9) Designed the three bird motif for the Apollo 15 mission patch.

10) Marilyn Monroe was buried in one of Emilio Pucci’s dresses.


Tuesday, December 21, 2010

design crush: trina turk

when i get revved up to start my designing for a new season, i often turn to trina turk for inspiration.
it is probably obvious to see why i like trina..we are certainly kindred spirits with our love for color and pattern..but in addition i am drawn to the lifestyle of the trina people.
i mean i love these folks! who are they? do you know them? i don't! these are certainly the party people..right?
i can't get enough of this sunny funny life by the pool beach airport..just breezing by us..with their brightly colored frocks..i want in!
and puhlease!! the dudes are just to die for! do you know these guys? please introduce me because i am in love!
this vignette with fabulous heels just left here in this fantasy space..is perfection..can i go here? how did you know i just love limeade?
i think trina turk is a designer goddess. she truly gets it with her styling, and all her beautiful clothing, accessories, and now home looks. i bow down.

Monday, December 20, 2010

newport gate

we developed this pattern last season, and we all loved it so much we would like to see it again for spring in a few new colors, and a couple of other shapes. a very tall vase would be pretty, and so would a great cake stand. stay tuned..we will be working on it in the next couple of weeks, just in time for the gift market in february!

ewport

Friday, December 17, 2010

off to the mountains

we are headed off on our winter holiday to go skiing, and i wanted to kvetch a while to y'all..because i haven't a thing to wear!! so upsetting. in my mind, i will look like mrs. kennedy.
but in reality, i am afraid i will be resembling our friends in the photo above. wahhh! i have my old faithful 60's red ski hat..check! my moth eaten cashmere sweaters..check! the matching hole filled black cashmere scarf..check! and some scary fiber unknown, practically plastic grey slacks from banana republic in the 90's that seems to wick away the water..and i pretend are hip vintage skiwear..check!
maybe i need this stuff! check!
right?
i mean..would it hurt anyone if i had a much deserved little chanel shopping spree? a girl's gotta look the part if she wants to shuss with pride..right?

Thursday, December 16, 2010

fur vests!

this morning grabbing a cup o' joe i glance down at the style section in today's NYTimes, and noticed the new uber urban trend of wearing fur hats and fur boots, as well as, bulky sweaters with fur vests instead of a coat in the winter which they describe as now being too cumbersome! hey, try dragging this thing around town!
when i was at a stylish event last year in new canaan i must have seen 7 women sporting this confusing trend. i cannot figure out for the life of me how this look works. the times (the voice of "reason) explains that the look was pulled from the ski slopes..but if you ask me it is more from the lodge rather than from the hill...can you imagine trying to move in one of these things?
oh..and best of all..every time i look at the ladies in this "IT" look i can't stop thinking about satyrs and cave girls. really!! i am so confused..is this cute? no i say, put that thing down girls!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Chance



when i was a girl i dreamt of owning a store that would sell striped things, particularly the classic french fisherman's blue striped shirt audrey hepburn (and picasso, and coco chanel, and, and...) wore. i loved marimekko everything, but i thought i would do them one better. as i have mentioned on this blog before, i never got over my striped shirt craze, and this season i am sporting 3 in my closet!
on top of that, i have always been obsessed with vera neumann, and had another dream of one day being just like her..to the point that my friends made fun of my signature, and would imagine my signing just "jill" in lots of other media.
this week i discovered a delightful website Chance which has both the shirts AND vera scarves! imagine?! and the colors are so anally perfect..with only red white and blue pieces shown..
they also have a section of the blog called discoveries..which is super charming and includes lovely photos, and videos of things the owners are fond of.
these are in a portrait section..
and the music video below is from the norwegian band Kings of Convenience..so cute!