Fashion, Friendship & Morgan Carper

I don’t always share my day to day on Pattern Pulp. I go back and forth on how much to personalize the site, as forecasting and pattern recognition shouldn’t only be represented by my weekly activities and biased love for geometrics. I try to curate taking a step back, sorting through events after they’ve happened, to give a more neutral, well-rounded perspective.

That said, it’s fun to bring you in – beyond the world of Instagram, and share the things that I love. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to redesign the website of my dear friend, Morgan Carper.

For those unaware, she’s a wildly talented Brooklyn-based fashion and textile designer. After throwing ideas against the wall and talking about what we’d update and revamp, it was an honor to roll up my sleeves and pull out the wacom tablet to design her e-commerce experience with our friend Efy from Webinhabit.

Every time we get together, we nerd out, compare travel notes, talk about life, relationships, food, and how we try to spend our days doing what we love. I share graphic design and marketing tips while she enlightens me on fabric production, sourcing, her sisters, and the latest music I should be listening to.

Though she’s still an emerging designer, Morgan’s doing incredibly well. Her clothing is truly flattering on everyone, I’m not just saying that.

Every time I wear one of her shirts or dresses, I feel put together, relaxed and sophisticated – a tough balance when you’re moving throughout your day trying to dress for work, social events, and most importantly, yourself.

This past weekend I hosted her Winter Sample Sale at my apartment. Here are some shots of the AW12 and SS13 lines, our friends, and a few of us trying on the goods. It’s kind of amazing that almost all of the dresses, skirts and shirts are interchangeable on everyone, as some of us are tall pixies, and others are short and curvy (ahem).

Here’s my friend Nandita trying on the Tola dress. Striking, right?

There’s still plenty for sale on her site – and if you’d like the same 40% discount, you’re more than welcome to partake in the code, URLOVED, go crazy, get your holiday dress or winter coat!

I also happened to be on the hunt for a dress to wear the following night, as my husband and I were heading to the Charity Water Ball. Though a gown’s lovely, I wanted it to be a dressy/comfortable evening (it was cold and wet outside), even if that seems like an oxymoron. I ended up in the Yao dress. It was perfect and will be a wardrobe mainstay for a long time to come.

December 14, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Resource & Swatch Inspiration

If you’re in the New York area experiencing this dreary afternoon, you might find a little joy perusing the Design Center at Philadelphia University’s tumblr.

I stumbled upon it thanks to Ana Montiel’s gorgeous blog, and found myself digging deep, wading through swatch after swatch. The above pattern is brilliantly simple- it merges pointillism and geometric sewing textures.

The blog houses 200,000+ objects related to textiles and fashion, ranging from plaids and conversationals to animated gifs and embroideries.

The scans are pretty interesting, as you can see the pencil marks, stains and cataloging system that’s been implemented over time…at least prior to the internet.

Have a look and let us know which ones you love.

October 2, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Textile Tutorials in Helsinki

If any of you happen to be following along on instagram, you’ll know that I’m traveling at the moment – in the northern european capitals of Helsinki & Tallinn. As a result, Pattern Pulp postings will be a bit light up until Labor Day.

The past two weeks have been somewhat manic, as I’ve been packing up ship (we’re moving to a new apartment next week!), adding finishing touches to several month-long projects and preparing for this textile & trend trip abroad.

So back to the purpose of this post. Helsinki is having quite the year. They’ve been named the Design Capital of 2012 and the essence of the title rings true throughout the city. Everywhere you go, from the local pizza shop to the hardware store to window decals for skis, books & umbrellas, you’ll notice a strong appreciation for graphic and surface design.

One of my first stops was to Johanna Gullichsen‘s Textile Craft & Design shop. While geometric patterns are extremely popular throughout Finland, Gullichsen’s fabrics carry a durable, branded timelessness that’s easily translated to home decor.

The flagship store sells pillows, bags, chair cushions, trays and the original fabric (a somewhat common trait in Helsinki). One of my favorite pieces (that unfortunately won’t be making it through customs) is the upholstered collage chair. Overall the designs swing both masculine or feminine – a respectable and often complicated feat for any pattern and fabric maker.

August 23, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Snap Shots from Myanmar

This post is a bit eclectic and way overdue. My husband and I visited Singapore and Myanmar back in June and I have yet to really post any photos. Here are a few to start…

We travelled from Yangon to Bagan to Inle Lake. Along the way met with more crafts men and women than ever expected. The population is resoundingly kind and resourceful and every day lead to new creative findings. The woman above extracts fibers to be used for weaving.

The male puppet came home with me. I have a soft spot for handmade crafts and as a result had a full suitcase at customs. The woman, like mostly everyone else, was wearing Thanaka root- which is a sunscreen made from local tree bark.

One of the most remarkable man-made developments in and around Inle Lake are the floating vegetable gardens. They’re expansive and are anchored by bamboo. They’re moved around the lake throughout the season. Here’s a man picking tomatos.

Interestingly, textile design isn’t extremely popular in the area. Most women prefer to weave. The lead designer at this shop has assigned a design to the threads and sectioned them off to be dyed.

Once the threads have been dyed they’re wrapped around a spool. It’s important to keep them organized for loom threading (which is done by hand).

One of many looms, run by the women of the village.

Here I am atop one of the taller Pagodas in Bagan. The stairs felt like a 90 degree angle…was worth it though. The view was spectacular.

Inle Lake…

At first glance, this woman seems impressively tough. Then you look at what she’s selling: Tofu. Made me smile. It’s easy to be a vegetarian – it syncs with Buddhism.

I took so many photos of the children. They were sweet and upbeat and had the widest most beautiful smiles. If you’re thinking of visiting, feel free to get in touch, or check out this more in-depth report from Justin (my hubs).

July 30, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Textile Infused Homewear from Walter G.

Not long ago, I got an email from a good friend in living in Sydney, letting me know about a new home wear line that recently launched.

It took a quick perusal of Walter G‘s collection to know that the product was special. Made in India and Australia, with touches reminiscent of Paris and Japan, these simple, yet textural collages are beautifully applied to home wear.

Founded by longtime friends, Lauren Bennett and Genevieve Fennel, the collection is a reflection of their travels and a desire to infuse color into the Australian home.

The line includes pillows, ottomans, lamps shades and textiles. One of the most interesting parts of the site, second to the product, is the collection of artisan bios behind the craft. Have a look– you’ll learn how the process comes together.

All photos are from the Walter G’s site.

July 10, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Textiles from Shenkar's Design Department

My mother-in-law recently sent me this link to the textile exhibition at Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in Ramat Gan, Israel. I’m sharing it with you! First we have Blue and White by Dikla Ben-Ari. Below are African and Maori motifs by Eldad Trka.

Ronnie Frankel has devised lighting fixtures made entirely from disposable cutlery (forks, spoons and knives), focusing on the nature of recycling, laser cutting the elements into leaf-like sculptures. Just below are works from Erez Grenade and Levi Moore. The hand knit pieces are made of mohair and silk thread.

Edelman Jasmine’s fine prints emulate intricate stone patterns, reminding us that they’d be beautifully applied within fashion where Nuphar’s leather designs push the boundaries of etched design and technique.

Eden Koren is a watercolorist and paints on cotton paper, investigating the world of ancient seals while Natalie Walker dips cotton to achieve leather looking effects.

(Photos by Tammy Dahan, Yael Maoz & Sasha Refugee)

June 26, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik