photo by Eric Richardson

Photo by Donato Sardella

Photo by Donato Sardella

TGIF. Like you wouldn’t believe!!! I swear the weeks keep getting busier . . . and the busier they get the faster they fly by . . . and then all of a sudden WHAM, it’s 2010!! Anyway, I’m posting Krys-n-Jack a little late (I meant to post last month but got preoccupied) but just in case you haven’t seen their creative, fun Spring 2010 collection, here you go. I absolutely love their playful designs and their choice of models. Gorgeous!

Krys-n-Jack is the collaboration of Jacquetta O’Dell and Leslie Henry. The two met in 2003 in Oklahoma, where they maintained independent clothing lines, putting on several fashion shows. From there they moved to London, studied for a year, and then moved to Los Angeles to get out of the rain and finish school.

Leslie has worked in fabrication her whole life, perfecting her craft in not only fabric, but leather, wood, and metal. Leslie has a background in interior design and upholstery; she finishes her BFA in Fashion Design in September 2009.

Jacquetta takes on most of the design and business side of the partnership. She also oversees an Online Boutique for EM & CO and they both design out of the upscale store on 3rd St. She graduated with a dual degree in Fashion Design and Business and is currently getting her Masters in Creative Writing.

(Bio from Fashion Windows)

I’ll leave you with some music for your weekend from the infamous Kevin Nottingham. Enjoy!

PPW, or price-per-wear is often how I justify things. For instance, my favorite bag of all time is a giant black leather Coach bag sans-C’s (they don’t make it anymore) which cost over $400. I bought it back in 2001 and still use it to this day. It literally holds everything and I’ve used it a work bag, a gym back, and an overnight bag…

In the spirit of gorgeous bags that will last forever, be sure to check out BOYY bags…

(Check out the updated 2010 Boyy Soldiers bags here!)

BOYY accessories is the partnered creation of designers Jesse Dorsey and Wannasiri Kongman.

Jesse Dorsey, born and raised in Montreal, Canada, moved to NYC to pursue his burgeoning music career in 1993. Hitting the ground running – working with artists such as the Beastie Boys and Milla Jovovich, scoring music for Cirque du Soleil, having his signature music featured in award-winning feature films and DJing NYC’s hot spots – Jesse gained much exposure to the inner sanctums of the entertainment, music and fashion industries, absorbing their creative pulse like a sponge.

Wannasiri Kongman, born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, received her degree in journalism before her talent for style started quickly pushing her on her way. She was picked up as a buyer for the first ever teen division of one of Thailand’s top department stores, “Central”. And in 2003, the pull of big dreams and the big unknown prompted her to pack up her bags and move to the US. After a stint in DC, her creative urges and undying love and interest for fashion brought her to NYC’s Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) where she studied fashion design.

Jesse and Wannasiri met in NYC in 2004 and soon thereafter began their creative collaboration. The two exercised their ideas, philosophies and ambitions for 6 months before launching BOYY’s first collection – Spring/Summer ‘06. Jesse and Wannasiri now navigate the globe, spending their time and finding inspiration between NYC, Bangkok and Italy.

What do you all think of Alicia Key’s new song? Check it out on Pocket Full of Paper.

I know, I know, Mr. West’s personality leaves a lot to be desired… however, you have to admit he’s super talented. Download his mixtape at gowherehiphop.

What a gorgeous sunny morning! I’ll keep my intro short, otherwise I will go into some long convoluted digression that I’m quite sure you don’t have time for. Today’s designer is Davina Hawthorne, a fashion and textile designer producing cutting-edge clothes for women. Her work combines textiles and fashion and seeks to push the boundaries of these two disciplines through finishing, texture, function and silhouette. A combination of recycled, industrial and handcrafted techniques are used in her work. Digital print runs alongside hand stitched embroideries and extravagant recycled fabric garlands to create an exciting infusion of pattern, texture and shape. Her dresses are truly breathtaking and I love her unique draping techniques. Davina Hawthorne was one of the first labels to exhibit at Esthetica, a new area within London Fashion week dedicated to eco-sustainable fashion design. Enjoy!

* a hint at the level of my randomness: Today’s designer is Davina Hawthorne, which got me thinking about Nathaniel Hawthorne… whom I love (it is “whom,” right?) Anyway, as I was thinking about him, and moonlight sculptures and sunlight paintings, I recalled this great quote which is very applicable to my life right now, so I used it as the title of this post. Now who’s the king of randomness!?

Sorry for the Dem Franchize Boyz reference… it was just so fitting!
Before I get to today’s designer I have to say that yesterday was one of those days that’s going to take a long time to digest. I am sitting in my office (on my week off, of course, see how dedicated I am?) trying to make sense of everything. I truly feel like the luckiest person ever sometimes. I just know the greatest people. It’s humbling to have such an amazing group of friends, you know? Once I make sense of things I will try to do a better job of articulating… but for now I am just overwhelmingly thankful for it all…

Enough mushy stuff on to the fashion and my excuse for quoting Dem Franchize Boyz (again, so sorry)–
Today’s designer is Angela Johnson,  a clothing designer, fashion design instructor, Arizona fashion industry leader, fashion business consultant and fashion show coordinator with over 14 years in the fashion industry.  Angela is an award-winning, indie designer who handcrafts cutting edge, eco-friendly clothing consisting mainly of dresses created from recycled or “thrifted” T-shirts. She is best known for her “T-shirt Ballgowns.”  I mean, seriously how cool are these dresses?  A t-shirt ballgown is like my dream peice of apparel… soft and comfy but tres glam at the same time!

Today Angela’s designs can be found in a handful of physical and online boutiques as well as her website. She has a steady following of dedicated customers for whom she designs custom gowns and kitschy art inspired apparel.  I love them! Enjoy.

Lalesso is a brand I fell in love with a while back and I thought today would be a perfect day to share this wonderful Kenyan clothing line with you!

Lalesso was created by Alice and Olivia who met while studying fashion design in Cape Town. The pair traveled to Olivia’s home country of Kenya over a holiday where they were inspired by the beautiful “khanga” or “lesso” which prompted the creation of their trademark Lesso skirt. The ‘lesso’ is actually a spotted handkerchief brough to the East African Coast in the 19th century from India. Kenyan and Tanzanian manufactures loved the scarves and began creating their own, using the rich vibrant colors that you see today. (For more check out “The History of the Lesso“).

Alice and Olivia not only create beautiful clothes, they run a holistic company as well. By using the ‘khanga’ Lalesso supports the threatened cotton industry as well as the textile manufacturing industry in both Kenya and Tanzania. The fabric is hand washed in the Indian Ocean before being individually hand crafted into one of their gorgeous designs. The brand manufactures in Kenya using previously unrecognized talents of local seamstresses and tailors. They employ seven people and pay their employees much higher than the average wage. Their goal is to create beautiful garments while increasing the quality of life of their employees. I especially like their employment of the ‘beach boys.’ They describe the beach boys as a group of young men who had been type-cast as “useless outlaws” who had been “rejected from the their families.” The company hired them for their “coconut button project” where they make hand made buttons for the garments from coconuts. Alice and Olivia certainly made the right decision as the details in their clothes are yet another thing that sets them apart. Furthermore, the ‘beach boys’ lead by Mohamed, Jumaa, and ‘co.’ have shown incredible initiative with the project. “Not only this, but now have a stable and adequate income, not just for themselves but they have been re-accepted into their families as they can now contribute.”

Lalesso is definitely a brand you can feel good about buying and you’ll definitely turn heads in their gorgeous designs and beautiful fabrics!

For an interview with the designers check out Jamati Online (April 7).

Be sure to check out the Bazaar section of the site to shop (sometimes the site takes a minute to load, so be patient! It’s worth the wait!)