Showing posts with label style. Show all posts
Showing posts with label style. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

SF Chinatown on The Bold Italic


The Bold Italic understands and knows my people.
I love the way they have been capturing San Francisco's Chinatown. From Chinatown Sartorialist exploring senior styles to a tour of the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory – these articles bring back so many memories of my youth growing up in the Bay Area and being in San Francisco with my family every weekend.


This was my Ning-Ning's (grandmother on father's side) uniform: some sort of quilted floral patchwork silk jacket or wool cardigan paired with a baseball cap / hat... usually from Snap-On because my uncle is a mechanic. My Paw-Paw (grandmother on mother's side) who is still living at 95 likes to say the more colorful the better because she wants to feel vibrant and happy... and what good is it if I can't see her. ha! I love them so.



I used to visit my Boc-Paw (great grandmother) at a senior's living center and the Lee Family Association in Chinatown. Always hanging clothes drying in an assortment of colors & prints and always a hot pot on an electric stove in her little room with piles of Chinatown papers and calendars. Chinese people love their calendars.... I don't know why.



When I was 4 or 5 years old, we went to visit Golden Gate Fortune Cookies because my Paw Paw recommended my mom take her kids to see how the magic happens. It was along an alley and rinky-dinky. I don't recall much lighting, just natural light radiating from the open doors. The ladies were so nice. They showed us their process: how the cookies came out warm and flat (! -a life-changing revelation for a preschool aged Chinese-American) and how with their swift hand movements around a metal thingie (technical term), they formed the iconic shape. What a rad thing it was to carry off a baggie filled with warm, sweet smelling FLAT fortune cookies.





Thank you. Too many memories to recount.

p.s. Special shout-out to Accidental Chinese Hipster

All images via Bold Italic.






Thursday, April 3, 2014

A Current Affair : Pop Up Vintage Marketplace


Helloooo Spring! This season's illustrious vintage shopping heaven, A Current Affair is happening Saturday, April 5th. With a over 50 retailers and private dealers, this unique marketplace offers "inspiring vintage collections that are relevant within the realm of contemporary style."

Kittens, your eyes do not deceive, Dita von Teese graced last season's show. Along with people admiring and expertly edited clothing + accessories,  you can also go for the music by KCRW's DJ Marion Hodges and open bar sponsored by Peroni.  | Costume Designer Kristine Karnaky of Miss KK with Stylist Shirley Kurata. Shirley will be curating inspired styles on display that will be available for purchase.

Vendors will bring their rare and one-of-a-kind items, including local collectors and co-producers of A Current Affair, Richard Wainright's NEW/FOUND and Joey Grana's Scout, as well as those well-traveled: We Are Tribe (Kansas City), Maeven (Brooklyn), Desert Vintage (Tuscon) and MERCY vintage now (Oakland).


Joanna Williams of supremely rad global marketplace, Kneeland Co. Mercado curated last December's gift market; Hillary Justin of the line of limited run and unique goods, Bliss and Mischief; Linde Sayles of the sweet vintage studio, Just Say Native | lovely antique dresses at Adored Vintage


Shiva Rose of The Local Rose along with local fashion editors including Ali Hoffman (Refinery 29), Merle Ginsberg (The Hollywood Reporter), Natalie Alcala (Racked LA) are this show's host committee | Tracy Conti McCarty, vintage huntress and magical artist of Prism of Threads


And, here's an insightful peek into the event with Richard and Joey.

A Current Affair
Saturday, April 5
12:00 - 1:00 Preview | 1:00 - 7:00 Show
Cooper Design Space
860 S. Los Angeles St., Los Angeles, CA 90014

$10 general show / $20 preview ($8 / $16 in advance until April 4th). A portion of the proceeds go towards non-profit animal shelter and welfare organization, No Kill Los Angeles.
all photos courtesy of A Current Affair

Friday, March 28, 2014

Visit : Parachute Market - Let There Be Light


The Spring Equinox was celebrated this past weekend with the third Parachute Market, themed "Let There Be Light." The seasonally inspired design fair and marketplace is conceptualized by Coryander Friend, a production designer living in Laurel Canyon. With her high priestess-like ability to orchestrate just-about-anything combined with a keen interior design eye, she brings together over fifty designers, makers and artists for a 2-day weekend in Downtown Los Angeles. This edition featured site-specific light installations, edibles, collectible books, furniture, one-of-a-kind objects, music curation by FYF Fest's Phil Hoelting and Parachute's continuing partner of vintage fashions, A Current Affair.

There is definitely a kinetic creative energy happening in LA that runs a thread through everyone here. Inspired by all the incredible folks who do the making, I turned my camera on the artists rather than just their product. 


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Stylist extraordinaire, Agnes Baddoo creates a multitude of magic from her numerology-inspired, Everyw'air Sprays to her exquisite leather goods that wear beautifully with age.


Wendy Polish and Lara May Meyerratken. Like Agnes and almost everyone at Parachute, these lovely ladies are multi-disciplinary talents.



Wendy is a freelance designer with clients that include rad LA shops Chay and Moon Juice, maker of limited edition silk-screened home goods such as her Heart Pillow collaboration with Beth Katz of Mt. Washington Pottery and co-creator of Le Feu de L'eau (above) – a gorgeous line of delicately scented candles. 


Lara is musician El May with the gift of creating insanely beautiful paintings. She concocts a mixture of minerals specific to each gem that she illustrates, thus giving it's glorious dimension and depth while remaining airy and dreamy. 


clockwise from top left: Sophia and Walker Watts | Brook & Lyn | Future Eyes worn by Sabine, daughter of Sheryl Cancellieri of Eastside Handmade - coming up April 19th (photo courtesy of Future Eyes)


Melanie Abrantes holding her wares | Melanie's cork planters and vases with beautiful paper flowers by Blooms in the Air (photos courtesy of Melanie) | a peek at the Rolling Shoppe of Half Hitch Goods | BKB Ceramics based in Joshua Tree


Wofum's Annabel Inganni with her daughter | The colorful array of prints created by Annabel are incorporated into home and office goods in collaboration with her husband, Brendan Sowersby of 100xbtr, a furniture and product design company


The ladies of Ermie represent! | Morgan Peck Pottery whose work is greatly inspired by architecture. | Unearthen is Gia Bahm, a stylist and jewelry designer based in New York City creates mostly with crystals, but I was very drawn to these sweet bronze cast Palo Santo incense holders



The always awesome Linde of Just Say Native | Insanely ethereal textiles of Anton Nazarko who works with Raquel Allegra | Bari Zipperstein's radical pottery line, BZippy and Company


Melissa Tolar of A Question of Eagles | Their work encompasses ceramics, jewelry and unique handmade quilts by Melissa's mom, Marcia | delicate enamel ring bowls by Melissa


The ceramic and wooden kitchen good and home goods by Knotwork is a collaboration between Linda Hsiao, an industrial and eyewear designer and Kagan Taylor, woodworker and co-founder of KnowhowShop, a design / build firm


Specialty Dry Goods is Edie Kahula Pereira. She treads lightly on this earth with her creations: bags, wallets and the sweetest potholders you've ever seen (!) with a focus on utilizing discarded surplus materials, linen & alpaca yarns, natural vegetal tanned hide and 100% USA grown organic wool


The magnificent crew that showed their vintage collections under A Current Affair's light inspired set-up: Rhianna of Mixed Business, Erin of Tavin, Richard Wainwright of New/Found and co-creator of A Current Affair, a vintage pop-up with it's next market April 5th | Linde of Just Say Native

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And the food, oh the deliciousness that was there!

Sí Paletas serves up ice pops in delectable combinations as avocado/chocolate and cucumber/melon/mint | the gentlemen of Horse Thief BBQ | almost too beautiful to eat, fresh from the ocean creations by The Ceviche Project (original photo here)

Lauda (right) of Sno Con Amor creates an updated twist on Raspados - Mexican Snow Cones

I wasn't able to capture all the edibles that were curated by Chef Nina Clemente and Gardener Tricia Mazure. Also included were Zen Bunni Chocolates, Flying Zepoli, Moon Juice and Handsome Coffee Roasters.


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And ever-present was the space-specific light art installations by:

Environmental artist and industrial designer, Doron Gazit of Air Dimensional Design and Frozen Flow

Sculptor Jason Meadows whose work has been exhibited at the Tate Modern and the UCLA Hammer Museum

Designer and architect Johanna Grawunder is based in Milan, Italy and San Francisco, CA with work that spans from large-scale public installations to limited edition furniture

Tahiti Perhson who creates large scale, intricate hand-cut paper installation




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Like always, I wish I was able to capture all of the goodness there:
Heather Levine, Place 8 Healing (Azalea Lee makes beautiful leather pouch necklaces. She also does crystal healing and flower essence therapy), Vacation Days (as I'm now more of an Angelo, I think I should complete it with the Griffith Park Trails Scarf!), Victoria Morris Pottery, Wrk-Shp's concrete pendant lighting, Barbara C. Rourke's beautiful weavings (which is only her side hobby that she whips up when she's not flexing her supreme interior design muscles at Bells + Whistles) and many more - see vendor list here

.... Too much chatting, not enough picture-taking!

Big hugs, congratulations and thank you to Coryander and all the amazing folks who create the radness that fills the Parachute Market. 


Thursday, March 13, 2014

Los Angeles Fibershed


Los Angeles Fibershed is a cooperative effort to bring attention to the concept of bioregionalism. With a focus on local fibers and local labor in combination with a commitment to high design, they are a functioning model of "slow fashion." Their mission is here

This Saturday evening, they will be hosting an opening reception for their pop-up at Space 15 Twenty that combines a shop, exhibition space, installations, live demonstrations and educational events – lectures, movies and workshops – dedicated to educate the local community about the soil to skin process. 

Included will be raw fiber and yarn from local farmers and handmade clothing, accessories and home goods by LA based artists made of locally sourced materials. Such items include pieces by Amabelle Aguiluz, Janelle Pietrzak / All Roads, Elanor Lynn and other amazing talents. 



Los Angeles Fibershed will also be host "reskilling" workshops at Space 15 Twenty throughout the next two weeks (see below), movie nights and a Sunday flea market. An ongoing live installation piece will demonstrate how a garment is made from start to finish: Fibershed members will transform the gallery into a collaborative studio space and work together for the duration of the exhibit to create a one-of-a-kind soil to skin garment. Visitors are encouraged to drop in, watch demos, ask questions and feel samples of wool and local materials.



The Workshops sound awesome to say the least! You can sign up for individual classes or for 3 with a discount of $10 off each class. Each instructor is donating all or a portion of proceeds to fund the expansion of LA Fibershed. 

Sat March 22, 1-4pm - Wet Felting with Jo Abellera / KKIBO
Wed March 26, 7-9pm - Foraged Bamboo Backpack with Eugene Ahn
Sat March 29, 3-6pm - Cochineal Dyeing with Ashley Thayer / Maricolous
Sun March 30, 10am-4pm - Pine Needle Basketry with Nanette Sullano / Waanaki
Sun March 30, 12-3pm - Plant Based Watercolor Workshop with Jo Newman


Pop Up: March 15 - March 30
Reception: Saturday, March 15, 6-9pm
150 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90028



Friday, December 13, 2013

Visit: Ojai Rancho Inn's Deck the Halls

Scenes from last weekend's 4th Annual Deck the Halls at Ojai Rancho Inn where the the entire inn is converted into a festive holiday pop-up shop with good vibes, good folks, rad makers, bakers, musicians and shop-owners. 


the amazing stained glass work of David Scheid (right)

Heather Levine Hanging, hanging in the lobby

"PALO SANTO means HOLY TREE in Spanish. It has been used as a spiritual remedy for purifying + cleansing since ancient times." - on the front desk.

Agnes Baddoo and her lovely goods | Eric Trine's airy sculpture for the lounge area


Room 17 had a lot of awesome in one room: Rachel Craven textiles (Rachel is also the co-founder of The Echo Park Craft Fair along with Beatrice Valenzuela, who had her wearable wares here, too) | Victoria Morris pottery | Heather Levine ceramics  

clockwise: Outdoor jams with Folk Steady | Kathleen Whitaker jewelry. This one is my personal favorite.  | April Napier ceramics


selections from Otherwild with co-owner Rachel Berks


BZippy and Company ceramic vases and necklaces, designed by artist Bari Ziperstein. I'm digging the hands wrapped around the vases and her necklace color combos.

a beautiful mosaic hearth from Full of Life Flatbread feeding good stuff for the folks here

Hushi Handmade embroidered textiles

JuJuMade's ceramic and leather jewelry came about as a way to be creatively free from the technical side of being an industrial designer. 

the exquisite, Black Crane by Momo Suzuki | Alexander Yamaguchi's equally thoughtful line. My photos do no justice to how lovely their clothes are, so please click on the links.

Kat and Roger's rad pottery

I'm in love with everything from Niki Livingston's textile collection, Lookout and Wonderland

Kieley Kimmel creates very chic, yet cozy knits as well as wovens that are light and fluid with cool silhouettes. 

clockwise: Clark and Madison handcrafted, sure-to-be-heirloom travel bags and accessories | Osei Duro's vibrant textiles and garments are made in LA and Ghana through traditional hand dyeing and weaving | Beads of Esiteti "is a fair-trade social business dedicated to empowering the Maasai community of Esiteti/Embarinkoi through the selling their traditional beadwork."


clockwise: Tranceessence wild-crafted and organic perfumes oils and absolutes | Kathryn Bentley's stunning jewelry, Dream Collective. I am really coveting the evil eye cuff (or evil eye ring or the quill necklace or ... )

clockwise: the nice folks from Rock Rose Provisions staying cozy as night falls | Hand Eye Pictures' fun photo booth - complete with under-the-mistletoe-set-ups | the scene near the pool with Erik Junker's painted artwork | Sama Sama's set up, making delicious baos (buns) out of a cute yellow trailer


KKIBO knits and hangings. The sweater on top is kid-sized (!) | Gravel & Gold's fantastic prints


I wish I was able to take photos of everyone and everything! But, I did have two rambunctious boys nearing bed time as we headed out through this magical exit. They had a blast: dancing to the bands, chasing each other through the meadow, doing 360 twist jumps off the platform, making friends with various dogs (hi Poochie, Frankie and Franz!) and popping into the rooms to check out the good stuff inside!

Thank you to all the artists, designers, shop-owners and chefs who were at this special event, letting me snap pics - and especially to Chris and Kenny from Shelter Social Club for bringing everyone together. As I'm new-ish to LA, it was so great meeting all the lovely people there.

p.s. Many of these artists and designers will be at various other events with the holidays quickly approaching. Their works are also available online through their site or stockists. So, no worries if you missed Deck the Halls this go-around. But, it's worth the trip for next year!