Trend: Transcendent Bookshelves

Remember the amazing work of Deborah Bowness? Her bookshelf wallpaper made the rounds near and far a few years ago. Fast forward and we have literary dilemma on own hands. Hard cover books are quickly becoming romanticized objects as digital platforms such as the Kindle and iPad become preferred methods for consumption.

As a result, artist are reacting. Zero Maria Cornejo‘s current Fall collection incorporates a bookshelf as a print in her Fall collection. Using hardcover spines to create sculpture, Miler Lagos‘ latest exhibition, Home, reveals an igloo comprised of a defunct US Navy library. The foreign language dictionaries, medical reference series, geographical studies and psychology volumes create the igloo, which, to the Eskimos, symbolizes a place where knowledge is transferred from generation to generation.

September 14, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: Confining Soft Geometrics

Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that I’m very passionate about technology in the print, pattern and color departments. As much as I love documenting the internet’s future unfold from a visual point of view, I also love finding organic solutions to daily design dilemmas.

This leads me to today’s feature on soft geometrics. Rough-cut collages have been popping up all over ffffound and Pinterest filling mood boards and music posters for over a year now- it was but a matter of time before artists and designers started applying a commercial hand, reinterpreting their voice through this jagged aesthetic.

Cynthia Rowley’s current Fall collection reminds me of a God’s eye craft project, it also looks like a texturized version of my old portfolio site, Pixel Rumor. Ana Montiel‘s most recent collaboration with Nina Ricci reveals a stunning work in progress of diamond-cut shards, texturized into the shape of a heart. Proving the iPad can serve as a canvas, paintbrush and scissors, Nathalie Chikhi has created a series of digital designs. All beautiful, inspiring and infused with a feminine hand.

September 13, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Fashion Week: Steven Alan

Color blocked palettes, playful patterns and a cool subdued backdrop were all in play at Steven Alan’s Spring 2012 showcase this morning.

While a majority of the crowd wore black to usher in the beginning of Fall, the models presented combinations of citrus, aqua and khaki hues.

Utilizing classic shapes and minimal accents, bold color and all-over pattern was abundant throughout. The show opened with a black and white suit, a bold, wearable, tailored statement.

Proving pattern can descend gender, this seashell design translated beautifully on cotton as much as it did on silk.

September 7, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Homegoods: Suki Cheema

Travel inspires all, and the upcoming Spring 2012 collection from Suki Cheema, the surface designer that once created patterns for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Diane Von Furstenberg has aligned himself with Indonesia. Keeping with the highly graphic styles we’ve grown accustomed to, the latest reel of textures are reminiscent of mosaics and tapestries.

The pillows above are from his current fall line, and as you can see, the reds are evolving into a brighter paletee just as the repetitions are becoming more intricate.

September 6, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Zandra Rhodes: Textile Revolution

Zandra Rhodes has been designing textiles since the 1960’s. Her outrageous, kaleidoscopic patterns took the world by storm at a time when markets were more conservative. When Rhodes’ work was considered too taboo for traditional British manufacturers, she took matters into her own hands, sewing her own dresses and pioneering print and production as a unified process. She’s been a iconic pink-haired working legend ever since.

Zandra Rhodes: Textile Revolution: Medals, Wiggles and Pop 1961-1971 is a exciting book that showcases her earliest and wildest designs. Featuring previously unpublished textiles, drawings, and archival images combined with fashion photography by Clive Arrowsmith, Guy Bourdin, Henry Clarke, David Bailey, Helmut Newton, and Richard Traeger, this stylish book is a must for anyone interested in textiles, patterns, fashion and fashion history.

August 26, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik

Do's & Don'ts of Brocade Coverings

There’s both a timelessness and modernity to brocade patterns. Just as camoflauge has evolved into a seasonly staple, so has the brocade for numerous industries, including stationary, lingerie, fashion and home decor.

There’s a bit of irony in today’s comparison, as the styled setting from this month’s Anthropologie catalogue juxtapose to the faded and taped Delta terminal reveals the do’s and don’ts when applying a large graphic repeat. When applied appropriately and in context, the design can sell the story and emit the appropriate mood. When applied carelessly, any notion of luxury is lost, making a mockery of the entire execution.

August 10, 2011 | By: Shayna Kulik