A British & Japanese Dreamscape

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If you’d like to lose yourself in the Alice in Wonderland of brands, visit Swash London. The illustrations are intricate, eerie and beautiful. The founders, Sarah Swash and Toshio Yamanaka met at Central Saint Martins and merge their British and Japan roots seamlessly.

Swash have created anniversary scarves for Barneys and Le Bon Marché, exhibited handmade balloons at Liberty and adorned 5 floors of Isetan with Candy prints and giant animals. Other store projects include those at Tomorrowland and HP Theatre in Japan, Gago in France, RA in Belgium and Cochinechine in London.

March 13, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: Pill Culture

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Let’s start by saying I’m not a pill taker. I take medication when it’s prescribed, but that’s about it. I like my vitamins in the form of vegetable smoothies and cringe when I watch my grandmother swallow five horse pills at once. That’s me, then there’s Western civilization. Our culture bows to medication- both legal and illegal forms. We’re so obsessed, that our products, our art, our logos and our fashion consciously and subconsciously reflect that.

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These items all reference an escape from reality. The pillows from Future Perfect and Bridid Berlin poke fun at the obvious, while this Rx logo is an honest representation of what’s hanging in my local Duane Reade. To me, it’s unfortunate, though impossible to ignore. Our obsession with happiness, stimulation and fulfillment has us distracted from life, it’s meaning and the effort required to achieve satisfaction.

March 11, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

#Jacques by Aronow

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You’re a guy getting dressed for work this week, acknowledging that a) winter’s still going strong b) life’s always a juggling act and c) it’d be nice to throw a sharp/casual look together without having to over think it. This is where Elliot Aronow and his creative prowess comes in. Aronow’s been teaming up with brands for a while now, curating their collections and offering advice to a generation overwhelmed by options. He just launched a line of ties that transition from work to the weekend. In his own words…

I designed and produced 3 styles of #jacques by Aronow ties for our debut winter 2013 collection. The first is a cashmere/wool blend with yellow tipping, the second is a green/grey flecked Donegal tweed with polka dot piping and the third is a black/green number made from %100 Loro Piana cashmere.

They were offered in a pre sale format to a select group of homies and sold out immediately. The idea behind making ties from sturdier suit fabrics was to create a “weekend tie”, something that could work with a blazer and jeans, sorta of a Andy Warhol Factory circa 1974 sort of look. That mixed with tweedy punk rock.

The ties are handmade in New York by TieCrafters, a wonderful business. They clean, shorten, customize ties and are great people. The next edition will be with Brooklyn Tailors and will drop some time in late Spring. They’ll retail for under $85. Click here to follow along for the ride.

March 4, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

Accessory Pairings for Work

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Let’s talk accessories and styling. I’ll start by saying that I’m not a style blogger. While I’m relentlessly observing and tracking creativity and taking tabs on art, accessories, design and fashion, I’m a behind-the-scenes girl, one that’s obsessed with how the dots connect.

I research and write about color and pattern trends for numerous fashion and technology companies and thought I’d share a few glimpses into my own wardrobe, as mixing and matching requires a new gameplan for every meeting. Have a read on The Ampersand Blog, as I shared my thoughts with the lovely ladies over at M.M. LAFLEUR.

February 28, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

Rugs for Pillows from John Robshaw

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John Robshaw‘s a household name, producing textiles and patterns for the ABC Carpet-loving customer. His latest collection of pillows is an extension of his Bungalow rugs. Using sophisticated color palettes and a sturdy woven fabric, the block prints are imperfect and appealing in a unique way.

February 27, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: Conversations in Cross-stitching

It’s an interesting phenomenon when DIY techniques are applied to luxury homegoods. You peruse the store thinking, my goodness, I could make that, then probably never do. The technical finesse and process behind what looked like a simple execution is rarely realized in the moment. Case in point: These clever burlap needlepoint pillows from ABC Carpet and this cross stitched living room set from Furniture Row on Greene Street.

This highly exaggerated design works well in other scenarios as well- particularly in retail display. I snapped this typographic lace signage during a trend trip to London last year while at the Converse store on Carnaby Street. Simple and ingenious, wouldn’t you say?

February 19, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik