Every morning I wake up and delete a lot of email. We all do. I always read the Fashion Redef newsletter though. It’s inspiring, succinct and a daily digest that keeps me abreast of what’s happening in the fashion industry. They analyze the sexy and the obscure in a clever and refreshing way. Yesterday, HK Mindy Meissen, the curator, called out this quote from Nike CEO, Mike Parker. It’s everything – and essentially the whole backbone of Pattern Studio.
Any artist will tell you it takes research, inspiration and drive to create something meaningful. Whether you have to leave to find yourself, create and recreate til it feels right, or surround yourself with likeminded makers, we all have our methods for production. Here are a few posts that triggered that for me. Enjoy!
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1. Beautiful color stories from Dubai.
2. Nigerian nostalgia and magnificent hair styles.
3. Summer sand and tire patterns at the beach.
4. Poking around Tel Aviv for inspiration.
5. Bergdorf’s accessory and window collaboration with the art world.
6. Singapore art fair pamphlet.
7. William Eggleston’s marker drawings.
8. Raquel Allegra’s dyed textile installation in Paris.
9. Organizing seeds to make lace.
10. Mirrors, neon and lucite with Autumn de wilde.
I’m out on the west coast this week, working remotely. Airbnb was good to us, as we found a lovely spot by Abbot Kinney, five minutes from the beach, complete with bikes and an oasis of a backyard. In between few-hour design bouts at the computer, I’m visiting local retail, meeting with designers and eating the colorful fresh food California’s known for. If there’s anything I should check out, please let me know- I’d love to hear your suggestions.
On another note, I just read the awful news about the Boston Marathon. It feels weird posting content while gut-wrenching reports are coming from the east coast. My heart goes out to the families of those who were killed and injured. Thankfully our writer Chelsa and her fiance, Dennis are safe and sound, though obviously shaken. What an awful thing to happen at such a positive, inspirational event…
I’ve been living in a new apartment since September and the street’s a rather commercial one. It’s filled with banks, steakhouses, furniture showrooms and the Fed Ex and UPS headquarters. When you’re rushing to the train, it’s easy to miss the charm, but when you’re lingering, noticing the details, the gems start to pop. Here’s a beautiful find along Greenwich, just north of Canal St.
The color blocking and pale palette represents the summer months ahead and it inspired me to make a stripe, then a plaid, then experiment some more.
Here are a few darker compliments filled with contrast. They’re reminiscent of men’s outerwear – specifically the snow gear that’s about to get packed away and stored til the Fall.
I’m super excited to introduce the newest member of the Pattern Pulp team. Kimberly Hall and I met at the design mecca of conferences, Alt, where we connected at Erin Loechner ‘s famed resource party.
Hall’s a master in textile design, receiving her MA from Central Saint Martins after receiving a BFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. She’s also studied draping and millinery at FIT in New York. Currently a Senior Designer for Womenswear at Coach, Hall is best known for her baking, not cooking, drawing, not painting and French, not Spanish.
Her weekly PP column will focus on the inspiration process and the role it plays in design. From inspiration to execution, follow along as she shares her visual stories.
What does a baking experiment have to do with Phillip Lim‘s latest Spring collection? Organic starbursts and lots of em. As designers, we’re inspired by the most obscure elements- gum spots on the sidewalk, condensation on a shower door, an imperfect hem. Here’s a nice parallel of two worlds intersecting for a beautiful before and after.
Baking photo courtesy of Jamie Kramer