Tatiana Tejedor and Joel Benjamin at the School of Fashion Design

            Thursday night, I attended the Tatiana Tejedor/Joel Benjamin Reception at the School of Fashion Design on Newbury Street. It was an intimate gathering for an installation of Tejedor's fashion design and Benjamin's photography. Mannequins showcased her graphic, screen printed pieces, while his photographs of the designs lined the walls.

             Tejedor's designs reminded me of Mary Katranzou's wildly graphic dresses and gowns. Both designers create wearable patterns using pictures of nature and outdoor environments. One of my favorite pieces of Tejedor's was her suit covered in city lights.

Boston Fashion Week's Emerging Trends: Lisa Loveday

         The woman behind Lisa Loveday’s second collection is a survivor. “She’s clothed in the wreckage,” she said of her grunge-meets-modern-art designs. “She’s someone who’s not quite human, trying to become human. But I think in the end she just ends up being herself,” she said. The prosthetic pieces on the clothes  represent blood, guts, and burnt debris.

          An array of worn and processed materials are handmade elements. Loveday shredded, bleached, knit, and weaved most of her fabrics. She used cotton twill, acrylic, and wool, as well as some recycled fabrics. One of her pieces is made from recycled silk. “It’s really a one of a kind because it doesn’t exist anymore,” she said.

          She also used chunky, hardware to contrast the fragile layers of material. “I needed something that was really strong because it’s basically holding the whole piece up,” she said about one of her torn dresses.

          Surely, Loveday’s designs are not for the everyday wearer. “You can’t really adapt it into an everyday fashion,” she said. And she is fully aware of the bold statements they make. “I don’t want to compromise my work.” She envisions her clothes on the red carpet or as performance pieces. “Ideally, if Bjork would want one of my pieces I would be more than happy to make one for her!” she said.

         Loveday is a fresh face in the industry. “I’ve had my own studio for about a year...so I’m still fairly new,” she said. She recently graduated with honors in fashion arts at Seneca College in Toronto. While in school, she won an award at the Hempel International Awards in China. “I’m still not up and running completely at this point, so I don’t have anything for sale or wholesale. I just do custom work,” she said. For now, she isn’t certain of her next step in her career. “I have something sort of in mind, it’s more really strong pieces,” she said. “Everything I do is kind of big. It makes some big statements!” 

To see more of Lisa Loveday's work go to her Facebook page.

Boston Fashion Week's Emerging Trends: Thaddeus Du Bois

          One of the last events during Boston Fashion Week was the Emerging Trends fashion show. The day before the show, I attended the press event at Cyclorama - Boston Center for the Arts so I could meet some of the designers who would be showcasing their pieces.

          Thaddeus Du Bois’ handbags immediately intrigued me. His table was set up at the back wall of the room, yet his intricate metalwork stood out among the racks of clothes next to him. One bag, a saddlebag style with twisted tentacles emerging underneath it, hung from a metal stand as if it belonged in a gallery. I could tell right away that these handbags are intended for more than just their utilitarian purpose.

Narcosis w/stand - $32,900

          “I view them as sculpture. I love the idea that they can be sculpture at home that you don’t put them away in a closet, then when you take them off their stand and carry them out...they change in context and content everywhere you go,” Du Bois said. Narcosis, the aforementioned saddlebag, is one of his couture pieces. Priced at $32,900, it is also the most expensive piece in his collection. “Narcosis is one of my couture pieces where there’s only one and there’s only ever going to be one,” he said.

Miss Adventure w/stand - $4,200

          Another showstopper in his collection is his Emy Clutch.  “It’s all about glitz and glamour,” said Du Bois. Made with mirror polished aluminum, white deer skin, and 23 Swarovsky crystals, it’s designed for a walk down the red carpet. “The paparazzi snapping all their photos with the flashes, with the mirror polished aluminum, it’s going to reflect all those flashes and I really think it’s going to look like a ball of light in your hand, which I think is so cool. But it’s also going to ruin some of those photographs because the flash is going to reflect,” he said. With such a reflective surface, it also doubles as a mirror for touching up makeup throughout the night. “So [there’s] no reason to leave the party, and it’s definitely going to attract some attention,” he said.

Emy Clutch w/carrying trunk - $4,200

“It’s never in another country and I really want to stick to that. As I grow my line I really want to keep it all US made and US sourced.”

 

          My personal favorite of his collection is the Elson Bag, a rugged, versatile piece he made at the request of his art friend in Alaska. “She’s the type of girl [who] wears a flower dress and combat boots and she rides a motorcycle. She paints,” he said. So he created a bag that fit her lifestyle. It was big enough to fit her sketchbook, had a pocket for her pencils, an outside pocket for her cell phone, another pocket inside, and a flap closure. To be extra secure, he also added a zipper closure so nothing could fall out of the flap. As if these didn’t make the bag functional enough, he created straps that can transition from a shoulder strap, to cross-body, to backpack. “She loves it. It fits her personality so perfect,” he said.

Elson Bag - $3,200

          With all of his thought into what a woman wants, it would seem as if Du Bois has been designing handbags his whole career. However, he happened upon them in an unexpected way. In 2005, he was working as a suit salesman at Nordstrom and would see women buying handbags across the aisle. He thought they were ridiculous for buying the same bags until one woman told him, “Look at them as sculptures. It’s about the hardware.” And everything clicked. “At that point there was a spark for real in my head and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, handbags are the coolest thing ever!’” he said.

Romano Bag - $3,800

          For now, Du Bois makes his pieces himself, by hand. “So I’m in my studio with a torch and a welder and making it,” he said. He gets all of his materials within the US. “The leather is all sourced in the US. The hide comes from a tannery so it’s US cows that are tanned in Tennessee,” he said. As he expands his line and hires others to help, he intends to maintain this standard. “It’s never in another country and I really want to stick to that. As I grow my line I really want to keep it all US made and US sourced,” he said.

Ella - a purse he made for his wife to take to church

          However, he doesn’t want to grow too fast. He would rather keep production levels low to keep the couture, luxury, and personal elements of his brand. “If I can keep the production 300 or even well under, then I think that’s going to hit the market that I want to keep it exclusive,” he said. He values connecting with each customer over becoming a household brand and enjoys talking to the people who will be owning his bags. “I know they’re going to pass it on to their children or someone else is going to get it and it’s going to have the story that goes behind it,” he said.

To view and purchase Du Bois’ handbags and sculptures, visit thaddeusdubois.com.

Trixy Starr Adds Playfulness to Anyone's Jewelry Collection

       There's so much jewelry out there that it can be hard to find a truly unique piece that sets you apart. You can fall in love with a unique turquoise ring in a boutique one day, just to find out there's an identical ring at H&M the next week. Personally, I don't want my jewelry to look like anyone else's. It's one of the most important aspects of my daily style and I'm always on the lookout for imaginative pieces.

        This is why I was so happy to discover Taryn Wittlin's jewelry line, Trixy Starr!  I received a special package from Taryn just in time for an early birthday present! She sent me the "On Tour" necklace from her Rainbow Starr collection. This is one of her many letter pieces that I love. She creates necklaces, earrings, and bracelets using plastic letters to spell out words like, "bite me," "create," and "radical." Other pieces incorporate colorful metals, vintage toys, playful cutouts, pompoms, skull beads, and teddy bear pendants.

         My favorite thing about her brand is the message she conveys about staying young. Her jewelry is meant to add a carefree and lighthearted attitude to your outfit, regardless of how old you are.

"I realize that not everything is for everyone and I never take it personally.  It's more that I just feel sad for them, because they think they're too old to have fun. And to me, age is nothing...we are meant to play, laugh, be silly, enjoy, and have fun forever!  There is no such thing as 'too old.'"

- Taryn

         My boyfriend actually introduced me to Taryn after meeting her during his summer in LA. I didn't get to meet her in person while I was out there, but we corresponded through email and I could tell right away that her fun and bright designs match her upbeat personality. She gave me an exclusive interview about how she started designing and what goes into each piece she creates.

Jenny: You were born in Canada, when did you move to California and why did you decide on a change?

Taryn: I basically followed my brother out here. We have always been bffs and he moved here to pursue a career in music. I would have followed him wherever he went- and I am SUPER grateful that he chose L.A.!!!

J: How did you get started designing jewelry? 

T: I have been passionate about designing jewelry pretty much since I was born!  My birthday parties growing up ALWAYS involved making jewelry with my friends in my parents' backyard.  My mom & I would go to the local craft store and buy tons of candy-colored beads and string for all my friends to make cute stuff with!

J: Where did you go to college and what was your major?

T: I went to Dalhousie university in Halifax, Nova Scotia (Eastern Canada). It's sooooo beautiful there!!!  My major was women's studies. I didn't really know what I wanted to do so I chose something I knew would be interesting.  

 

J: Is jewelry what you have been pursuing as your career since college, or was it an unexpected route?

T: Honestly I always just made stuff for my friends and I to wear, I never really thought about doing it as a career, but when I was in college, a good friend pushed me to try to sell my stuff to a boutique, and so I did, and it worked!  They bought my styles on the spot, and sold out within a week.  After that I never looked back. I knew this was going to be my life!

J: The style of your jewelry is very unique! Explain the inspiration behind it and how it reflects you and your personal style. 

T: Well, I actually started out doing more vintage style jewelry. I used to take apart vintage stuff and re-work it with modern chains and stones, giving it my own personal flair.  But as I got older, I started returning to my true heart!  I've always LOVED pink and purple, sparkles, hearts, stars, My Little Pony, and anything that had pop colors and 80's flair.  I still mix those two aesthetics together in my one of a kind pieces, but I also have styles that aren't one of a kind, which involve more chains and plastic, and less vintage components.  I'd say my two biggest inspirations are:

1. My Little Pony!!!  The colors, style, and magical energy of these exquisite creatures fuels my creativity.  

2. The band PHISH.  Their music is epic, and their lighting designer, Kris Kuroda, uses all the colors of the rainbow like a ninja... the lights are beyond my wildest dreams!!!  

I was also a rep. for Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Lovers, as well as tokidoki, in my early years living in L.A.-- which definitely added to my affinity for cute pop style!  And then I went to Japan with my husband and literally died of joy when we got to Harajuku.  The rest is history ;)

J: How is your jewelry made? Do you draw out each design first or create it as you go along? Do you handcraft every piece of jewelry or do you have people helping you? Tell me about what goes into the process from start to finish. 

T: I don't usually draw my ideas. I prefer to have raw materials in front of me, and I place them the way they're meant to look.  I often feel like it's not even me designing, more like they design themselves, ie. there is some guided energy from beyond doing all the work!  I just use my hands to put them together.  For my one-of-a-kind pieces, I am the one making them.  For the styles that are reproducible, I make the first sample, and then send it off to my incredible production team in Thailand, who handcrafts the rest.  

J: Where do you get your materials? Many of your pieces include things like cassette tapes, unique charms, animal motifs, and letters. How do you find these in sufficient supply?

T: I have been collecting vintage toys, cassettes, jewelry, etc. for many years.  The one-of-a-kind styles feature these vintage finds.  The rest of the components come from the fashion district in downtown LA.... a very radical and FUN place!!!

J: What is the difference between your Trixy Starr and Rainbow Starr collections?

T: Rainbow Starr is the "fast fashion" sister line to Trixy Starr.  So basically Rainbow Starr retails for $20 and under, and Trixy Starr is usually $28 and up.  

J: How do most people react to your jewelry? What are some negative things people have said and what are some positive things they've said?

T: Usually people comment on how unique and playful my jewelry is.  I've heard people say that is has great energy and that the colors are bright and fun!  People often think it's a kids line, which it isn't- although I do see it as fun for the whole family!!!!  It does get to me, however, when people say it looks like a kids line, and that they could never wear it themselves because it's just too young.  I realize that not everything is for everyone and I never take it personally.  It's more that I just feel sad for them, because they think they're too old to have fun.  And to me, age is nothing... we are meant to play, laugh, be silly, enjoy, and have fun forever!  There is no such thing as "too old.”

J: What has been the biggest challenge starting your business and how have you overcome it? 

T: The biggest challenge for me has definitely been that I didn't have any startup capital, so I haven't had real money for advertising, which is a key component in building a brand.  I've overcome it by continuing to move forward passionately, without fear, and with the knowledge that when there is a will, there is a way!!!!!!!!!!!!  I will just keep going until it pops!  

J: What do you enjoy doing other than designing jewelry?

T: I love fashion. I love styling, I love putting outfits together, and I LOOOOOOVE music ;)  Music is my medicine.

J: Any big future plans for your business, career, or life?

T: I plan on continuing to spread positive love and energy around the planet with these bright, happy styles.  I'd love to one day expand into apparel, shoes, bags, and toys.  I'd also love to have kids, so I can style them up in tons of cute Trixy & Rainbow Starr gear.  And finally, I plan on continuing to see as many Phish shows as I can for the rest of my days in this lifetime, as it such a source of pure love and light-- something this world needs much more of!

Be sure to check out Taryn's jewelry on her website here shoptrixy.com and follow her on Twitter (@TrixyJewels) and Instagram (@trixystarr).

Thank you so much to Taryn Wittlin for giving me the opportunity to feature your creations and to Andy Cahill for taking the pictures in this photoshoot!

A Midsummer Night's Dream

     Summer is halfway through! Every other year of my life I wouldn't be saying this with such an upbeat fervor, however this is the first summer I've wanted to be over! Don't get me wrong...I love swimming, the hot weather, week-long trips, and sleeping in...but there's nothing more I'm looking forward to than starting a new phase of my life at college! I've been doing everything I can to prepare for move-in day, including going through my whole wardrobe to figure out what I'm bringing with me (the hardest part being my shoe collection). I've done most of my shopping but I'm still looking around for a laptop. I'm so excited that it seems college is all I can think of! However, sometimes I realize that I should just step back and enjoy the relaxing summer I have because it won't be around forever. Here are some summery things I'll be dreaming of tonight...

Elie Saab's visionary Fall 2011 Couture collection.

Chanel's latest and greatest nail hue.

A breathtaking ocean view from a white-washed beach house.

A design for the engagement ring I'll have someday.

A bookcase full of fashion history and designer biographies.

Kissing a frog so I can turn him into a pair of these Lanvin wedges.

Minimalistic necklaces with a touch of dazzling stones.

Eating tiramisu in Rome.

New ways to style my hair for the summer heat.

My plans for the future. 

Sweet dreams!

OMG I'm in Love!

Alice + Olivia Resort 2012

     The second I saw this collection I was in awe! The colors are just bursting with psychedelic excitement, the accessories have me totally crushing on mod accents, and I've never wanted to wear a floppy sun hat more in my life! The punchy contrast of black on white is perfect with hot pink lipstick and the handful of patterns among the mostly solid fabrics are totally what I've been craving this summer. The espadrilles and platforms are refreshingly updated and my favorite part...every bit of these breathable looks appear to be exceedingly comfortable! This is just the collection I would love to live in all summer long and certainly the vision I'll have in mind when I pack for my trip to South Carolina!