Pattern Pulp

Spring Strollers with Åsa of Stockholm




asaofstockholm1

Spring has sprung in Manhattan and that means stroller season has once again returned.  As I enjoyed a leisurely Saturday afternoon of people watching and casual reading in Hudson Park, I watched gaggles of moms pass by- each with a luxury stroller darker than the next.  I found it odd that no one had decorated their hood, a prime canvas for art.  At that very moment, Åsa Rodgers and her beautifully accessorized stroller walked by. Pattern Pulp was lucky enough to catch up with her for a brief chat.   “As a new mom I quickly found that the stroller and diaper bag were to become my main accessories, and in my case I was not  ready to give in to the dull and practical products I saw in the stores,” said Rodgers.  Using her design background, Rodgers quickly solved her own dilemma by launching Åsa of Stockhom Baby Collection from her Tribeca studio.  

asaofstockholm2

Over the past year sales quickly increased as mothers began approaching Rodgers on the street and resultantly became walking advertising for her.  “I wanted something unique and beautiful that reflected my own personal style. My inspiration came from great fabric designers who incorporated impeccable quality with playful patterns that I knew my son would love!”  In addition to dressing up strollers, Rodgers’ collection now includes matching diaper bags, nursing bibs, baby aprons and booties.

Packaging: Carrying Patterned Protection




planned-parenthood1

Though today’s post could easily have been grouped in with yesterday’s brights, I felt like it deserved the spotlight. Proper Attire, Planned Parenthood’s latest campaign, addresses the issue of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases among 18-25 year olds.  While viewing Fangohr‘s latest projects, I stumbled upon this website and was awestruck by the clever and creative packaging.  Though simple, this campaign is a groundbreaking idea.  Strategically directed by the creative thinkers at Naked, Proper Attire is a fashionable approach to protection.  The condoms have been positioned as a must-have fashion accessory that women would be proud to carry and retailers would be willing to sell.  Let’s hope people’s penchant for vanity leads to better decision making.

Collections:

planned-parenthood2

Yigal Azrouel’s collaboation with Proper Attire can be found at Bungalow 8, W Hotels The Store, NY Fashion Week and his online store.  The general collection is a product of Planned Parenthood.

Fashion: Bold and Optimistic?




diane-von-furstenburg2

Diane Von Furstenberg’s latest window display showcases mismatched patterns and fabric textures throughout her dress and bag collections.  Referencing bright and iconic summer shapes, reminiscent of j.crew flip flops and Tory Burch tunics, DVF’s approach to the upcoming season is blaringly optimistic.  That being said, I’d be curious to see how the recession translates into next year’s spring/summer collection, as today’s economical dip was hardly a factor when these ensembles were designed over a year ago.

L.A. Styles

halsea21

While in Silverlake last month, I stumbled across Sally Bartz’s collection of handbags under her newly founded company, Halsea.  Inspired by west coast colors and summer icons, Bartz’s crab monograms and bamboo squares decorate luggage, tote and weekend bags, providing a breath of fresh air from LA’s hipster styles.

London Styles

jensen-getwellman

UK designer, Peter Jensen has a playful eeriness to his work.  While he’s an acquired taste for some, his playful pairing of graphics and tailoring requires introspective buying on the customer’s part. This parrot pattern is representative of Jensen’s homage to the animal kingdom.  Carl M. Wellman infuses Brazilian, Italian, English and Japanese floral themes with biodegradable packaging for Le Marchand Du Cacao.  A stunning combination of high and low materials.

Service: Stripes for Dummies




stripes-tartans3

I was recently alerted to Stripe Generator while perusing facebook updates this morning.  Noah Brier, a friend and fellow blogger, posted this stripe-making website to his list of running favorites.  Though I immediately laughed at the idea of designers needing assistance in pairing lines together, my dismissal was quickly silenced by the seemless usability of the toolset.  Spacing, color, background and direction can all be manipulated, similar to iPhoto’s editing capabilities.  Once I played around a bit and made a few patterns, I clicked through to Tartan Maker, an equally impressive site for designers not privy to Pointcarré.

Homegoods: Quilting Your Diary




cristie-wright

Most of us are too impatient to let ideas evolve overtime without overwatering them.  Christie Wright of Brooklyn, NY, embraces the idea of storytelling as a strategy for designing. “Building by Leaving,” one of her latest creative endeavours, embraces the idea of growth through location and experience.  Sewing rungs together from various fabric swatches, her ladder grows over time, accumulating new colors, shapes, and patterns.  In an effort to understand growth, escapism and personal history, Wright’s creation is reminicient of a modern day Rapunzel.

Trend: Kid Friendly Clouds




tsumori-chisato-dress

Though we’d typically hold off on our cloud postings til late March when pairings can be aligned with April showers, cumulous floaters have proven inspirational as of late.  Åsa Dahlbäck, a graphic designer from Sweden, creates sharp textured markings to form bold fluffy dimples.  Utilizing the largest markers in the box, Tsumori Chisato’s cloud dress portrays a dreamlike state, obscuring clarity with harmonious violets.

rose-clark

In a playful salute to “partly-cloudy” weather reports, Rose Clark’s collaboration with Sinem Erkas reveals a portable balloon installation series for fashion and art magazine, Exit. Continuing along bold and witty lines, the users of we heart it, found amusement in this hungry gutter by The 6emeia Project.  Harmless street art to make you smile.

alisonfoshee

Fusing photography with playful attainability, these pastel clouds encourage conceptual daydreaming.  Alison Foshee, of  California, explores the potential of everyday objects in her dynamic collages.  Here she has layered an assortment of stickers to form whimsical colorful droplets.

cloud-3d

Cloud and rain inspired accessories have infultrated the marketplace in a variety of forms.  This blue wooden sculpture by Flatland OK, solidifies unattainable pairings.  Modernizing Ming Dynasty Era alcove beds, Courtney Skott of San Francisco has carved out pixelated cloud patterns in an effort to decorate her “room within a room” concept.  Feminizing this concept, necklaces and other curious jewelry findings can be located here.

Tracking Repetitive + Awesome.
On Instagram.