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

Textiles: People in Print

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I’ve been holding on to these photos for a while, but to me, they have a timeless feel. These patterns are reminiscent of children in a schoolyard jumping rope or playing red rover. Holding hands, like paper dolls, these black and white motifs are expressive and organized all at once.

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The first two photos are from Selfridges in London, and the pillow above is from Milan. They’re darling, and artsy and have a mature, whimsical feel to them.

March 5, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

Vintage Textures & Gestures

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Our very own Kimberly Hall, otherwise known as Nottene, is a triple threat. She excels in womenswear, ceramic design and fashion illustration. This collection’s lovely, isn’t it? Each print represents a piece of clothing for sale in her Etsy shop. To us it sounds like a mega deal, as the accompanying illustrations are tucked into each package along with the garment. Very refreshing. Go have a look for yourself.

March 1, 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

Textiles: Orla Kiely's Summer Ships

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It’s hard to think of summer when you have a space heater 12 inches from your feet, but last week the team at Orla Keily instagramed a print that I freaked out about. Behold the loose illustrations and horizontal nautical whimsy. I immediately took a screenshot for a later posting, then dug around on her site for more of the same. These ships are just as playful and pattern lovers have a lot to look forward come Spring. Have a look for yourself!

February 22, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

Hunting for Homegoods in BA

Who here’s heard of Paul? Before heading to Buenos Aires, I knew nothing of this magical land of homegoods. After seeing it on many a friend’s Foursquare list and my own Fortnighter itinerary, I was determined to visit ‘the Merci of BA.’

The store is located off the main road down a peaceful gardened path. For the New York readers looking for a comparison, it has an ABC Carpet meets South American vibe throughout. It also feels a bit like Corso Como of Milan.

The home accessories are high-end, comfortable and air on the side of neutral. The patterns when enlarged are sketchy and imperfect, and when smaller are even prisms of geometry.

These knitted mounts are interesting. I’m not a fan of taxidermy, but this interpretation takes the edge off in a delicate way. They feel like creatures of the netherworld.

Everything’s mixed and matched with subtle embroidery, soft texture and screen-printed detailing. Though a star is a star is a star, I was still drawn to this Sabe Bonito pillow- it has a seasonless appeal that you just want to curl up and read a book on.

January 16, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik