Textile Design
Don’t get me wrong – I love the biting severity of winter, the layers of gray, the way the city looks a century younger when it’s covered in two feet of fresh snow. But here and there, throughout these colder months, my mind does wander to scorching hot days at the beach, watermelon, and skipping around outside in a t-shirt and shorts.
I’ve always been a lover of quilts – watching my mother create exquisite ones as a child, starting my own collection once I moved to New York City and discovered the East Village Flea and the wonders of eBay, standing awestruck before each Gee’s Bend quilt during the Guggenheim exhibition a few years back…
The history of this company is almost as wonderful as the products they make. Located behind a little church in the French town of Tarn, the Guille family factory has existed for nearly 150 years, and has been churning out socks for about 80 of those…
I’m a big advocate of cloth over paper products, if only that it nurtures yet another one of my collections: dish towels. So, like our inaugural Lo’s List post on the little Japanese cloth squares called Furoshiki (commonly used for gift-wrapping), their textile-sibling, the Tenugui (手拭い), is a shot to the heart…
Looks we live for: black, white and red (together). Stripes. Aztec prints. Capes and clunky boots. Party dresses cinched tight at the waist with a thick black leather belt. So we have to wonder… was Alice Temperley reading our diary (or maybe website) when she concocted her latest fall/winter collection?!
‘Tis the season for scarves and right now we’re all wrapped up in Swash. Founded by Central Saint Martins grads Sarah Swash and Toshio Yamanaka, this brand has all the whimsy and escape of Hermès but at a more down-to-earth pricepoint…
Etsy has to be one of the coolest places for gift giving — simply because most of the offerings on the site are handcrafted and one-of-a-kind. But, with this endless trove of offerings, a bushy-eyed shopper can quickly get dissuaded by too much good stuff…
There is nothing staid about a Balenciaga getup and that’s why we love it. For pre-fall, designer Nicolas Ghesquière unleashed a fury of color, painterly prints and funky flourishes…
On a jaunt to the Far East this summer, Lo’s List discovered Line’s Lab. Based in Macau, China, Line’s Lab is a multi-disciplinary design hub innovating fashion, products, furniture and events. Founders Clara Brito and Manuel CS arrived from their native Portugal in 2006. With its Portuguese heritage and access to textiles and production houses in mainland China, Macau seemed like the perfect place to establish their biz. “China is evolving so quickly and creatively,” Brito gushed at her studio. “To witness that and be a part of it is really inspiring.”
In need of a new carpetbag? Why not step it up a notch?! Japanese designer Christian Peau offers a no-nonsense artisanal line of leather and canvas goods ideal for the modern-day Mary Poppins, Dr. Dolittle, or Johnny Appleseed. Traditionally handcrafted using a combination of premium hides and canvas cloth in the style of Japanese canvas maekake (aprons), Peau’s line is designed for everyday life, work and play…
I don’t know whether it’s the post-summer doldrums or just that it’s — ugh — Wednesday but I am feeling in a funk! My solution for such ruts is pretty reliable though: a good scrub of the house (mmm… Mrs. Meyers basil) and some heavy redecorating! What better way to give your digs a massive makeover than kicking your wallpaper up a notch with a made-to-order Minakani print?
We heart Areaware, the artist collective based in New York. And on their roster of crazy cool product designers is Ross Menuez, who’s been popping up on our radar time and again. Menuez loves any vehicle that can carry a graphic and he’s decorated clothing, bags, accessories, plush toys and pillows…
Well, it’s September 1st, which means the kids are back-to-school and the weather should start changing soon (hurrah!). Although I really do love all seasons, there’s nothing quite like autumn in New York. You’ve got crisp cold air blowing in off the Hudson, leaves whirling down the midtown canyons and sharp and slanting afternoon light — the perfect backdrop for that bold new scarf you’re wearing! Oh, you don’t have a new scarf? Well, grab one of these unforgettable silk numbers from Forget Me Not and head off for a blustery stroll in the park.
In case you haven’t heard, Copenhagen is the word. A hub for hip designers, the city has cemented itself as one of fashion’s most promising destinations of late. Among the slew of talented young creatives there, we at Lo’s List are loving Signe Emdal. Three years ago, the textile designer and artist launched Emdal ColorKnit, a line of digital knits with eye-popping color and graphic intrigue…
We’re lamenting August’s dwindling days because it means no more crazy beautiful Mara Hoffman silk dresses! Her spring/summer collection seriously wowed, with wild florals, tight geometric patterns, a kaleidoscope of colors and inventive silhouettes…