Book Review: The Modernist

Design throwbacks are frequently expressed in the world of fashion, but in the past few years retro aesthetics have taken hold of graphic design.

The Modernist documents this fascinating design aesthetic that seamlessly fuses classical type elements from the 1950s, geometric patterns and graphic elements of the 1960s and 1970s, and the vector graphics and computer-aided montage of the 1990s. We love this book for its exciting collection of graphic design and fine art.

Click here for more imagery.

July 1, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Accessories: Lem Lem Shoes

If Patternity made footwear, I wouldn’t be surprised if it looked something like this. LemLem, the Ethiopian-made label by model and activist, Liya Kebede recently launched these wonderful slip-on oxfords. Made for colder climates with Italian Merino wool, these graphic flats are part of a beautiful initiative for female empowerment . In an effort to provide economic independence for women from Kebede’s hometown, she created a weaving studio for all of LemLem’s products. Read more about it here.

June 28, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Curating Patterns on the Behance Network

Empowering creative talent can be a daunting task. Wouldn’t it be nice if they taught it in college? Aside from first hand experience, it’s interesting to watch other professions manage the balance, making business align with creativity.

That said, any platform that provides the tools to showcase, share and discover new work is a true asset to the community and we have Scott Belsky and his dedicated team at Behance to thank for an incredible service. I crossed paths with Belsky at this year’s SXSWi, which lead to textural conversation and a subsequent curatorial collaboration. I enjoyed exploring the site and am excited to share the resulting gallery!

June 28, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Repetition Elsewhere: Leelee Sobieski

Garance Dore has a wonderful blog filled illustration, photography and relatable girly text. One of her latest posts features Leelee Sobieski in an arresting Balenciaga dress just before the Adam Kimmel show. The harsh vertical stripes and collage tanagram pattern is beautiful throwback. It almost reminds me of a vintage print I’d find in my grandmother’s closet.

June 27, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Friday Quick Links!

1. Breathtaking landscape paintings by Philip Govedare via Krisatomic
2. Robert Montgomery’s thought provoking “Words in the City at Night” project via Yellowtrace
3. Loving this broken-plate mosaic backsplash via Design*Sponge
4. Embroidered portraits by Daniel Kornrumf via Booooooom
5. Fascinated by Sandback’s tables in which patterns are created with nail via Design-Milk
6. Trippy looking Harajuku inspired nightclub via Sweet Station
7. Gorgeous psychedelic biomorphic sculptures by Angelika Arendt via Synaptic Stimuli
8. Map-love goes ceramic with Anders Hansen’s ceramic coasters of Oslo streets via This is Colossal
9. Interesting use of Chinese influences in Kathy Lam’s fashion grad school collection via Style Bubble
10. Theresa Himmer’s work stands between art and architecture via Yatzer
11. If I had this pie dish, I might be inspired to actually make pie via Design Crush
12. Interview with artist Noël Skrzypczak via The Design Files

Coverage by: Emily Gup

June 25, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Twitter Influencer: Eleanor Grosch

Eleanor Grosch is well-known for her fantastic animal illustrations. Combining a Charley Harper-like essence to her own whimsical aesthetic, Grosch is continually pushing inventive boundaries. Her work exudes a sense of delight and fun, which is clearly a mirror of Grosch’s effervescent personality, as proven by her twitter feed. Bubbling over with humorous reflections on her life, she shares her latest work, offers give-aways and happily converses with her fellow designers and admirers alike.

June 23, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik