I’m starting to think it will never stop snowing. It’s out of control. Just the other day, I found myself wandering around my street repeatedly pressing my car alarm button in the hopes I’d hear a muffled “beep beep” from beneath one of the many mounds of snow containing a car. Anyway, instead of constantly complaining about the cold, icy, snowy weather here, I thought I’d do my best to embrace it with fashion (see, glass 1/2 full, I’m working on it!). Hence today’s hot (pun not really intended but it sorta works) indie brand Rosetung. Rosetung’s designer has a background in fine arts and loves crocheting. She prefers natural fibers like wools, silk and cotton, as well as steel, paper and bamboo and incorporates them into her unique, fun, and decidely cozy designs. I love her snowman’s vest (middle)!

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I starting the week off with Cyndi Lauper… yeah. It’s like that. I’ve been on this strange modern day hip-hop/cheesey 1980s kick lately. I’m always nervous the person sitting next to me on the T is going to get one listen to my iPod mix and think I’m a total nut (which actually wouldn’t be that far off base….) Anyway….

Today’s brand is Soi Distant, a brand designed by Rawan Alami and manufactured in the West Bank.

Alami, a Palestinian who grew up in Jerusalem, came to Canada in 2002 by way of Great Britain. She enrolled in the Academy of Design and studied fashion marketing for a year before she founded Soi Disant, her company that she hopes will bring Palestinian cross-stitching to North American markets.

“I want to open Western eyes to Eastern culture,” she says over the phone from Jerusalem. “Westerners have a different idea of what Palestine is. It’s not a desert or a typical third world country. We’re on our way to modernizing.”

What makes Soi Disant even more unusual is its labour force. The clothes are made by 20 women at a factory in Bethlehem, working through a Palestinian women’s co-op. She purposely chose to work there, she says, because “I wanted to help people. So many women there are unemployed, and they are very good at cross-stitching.”

All the designing is done at her office here and she goes over to Jerusalem to supervise production. Her clothes, mostly tops, are “trendy, but with a touch of Palestinian culture.”*

I love her designs, especially the grey top above. You can find her designs at my favorite place for indie designers, MudShark!

excerpt from article by PATRICK LEJTENYI, Montreal Mirror 

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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.

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Embattled by an onslaught of introspection, holiday obligations, and technical difficulties, I have been bad about writing… really bad…
That being said, my introspection continues… the holidays parties continue to flow from one to the next to the next… and my internet should be all set by this weekend, so I guess that’s  progress. I’m stopping myself now before this turns into some long discourse on love, luck, fate and friendship. I will stick to fashion.

Today’s designer:

Viridis Luxe’s mission is to provide sustainable luxurious clothing to those who are making the choice to tread lightly on our planet while continuing to enjoy fashion, luxury, and style. The Viridis Luxe aesthetic is the embodiment of effortless chic. Their signature organic fabric, exclusive to Viridis Luxe, is a revolutionary blend of the finest cashmere with long-fiber hemp. The Viridis Luxe line also includes exotic bamboo t-shirts and an exclusive sheer silk~hemp collection of jersey tops.Viridis Luxe is committed to making beautiful clothing using ethical, sustainable, eco-friendly methods.

Enjoy!

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I’ll make this short because I have some drama I need to attend to this a.m. If you know anything about me, I’m NOT a fan of drama. I am however a fan of ModCloth! Featuring some of our favorite indie brands like Soundgirl Clothing, Jeffrey Campbell Shoes, Tulle,  Stop Staring,  Poketo and Nick & Mo this site is sure to become one of your top shopping destinations. I looooove the Secret Society dress above. It’s just screaming, “wear me to court!” Speaking of work… gotta run. Enjoy ModCloth!

More about the site and founder Susan Gregg-Koger:

ModCloth started as an outlet for a teenage “thrifter.” Susan Gregg-Koger spent weekends and summers in high school thrift-store shopping with friends and found herself unable to pass up a great find in any size. Susan’s closet was soon full of vintage wares she could not wear. With the help of her boyfriend (now husband) Eric Koger, Susan turned thrifting into a modest money-making hobby by launching a website in 2002. She had a sale the first day.Six years later, Susan and Eric turned ModCloth into a career. Susan searches the world for small designers and unique pieces that fit her customers’ discriminating tastes. Eric runs the business, using his web expertise to rocket ModCloth to the top of Google searches for numerous hot keywords.
A Career of Shopping
Susan never thought of shopping as a career. ModCloth came simply out of her desire to buy and share amazing vintage clothes. Her good taste and Eric’s web savvy prompted them in 2005 to make a major life decision: Do they leap into ModCloth fulltime, or let it go as a hobby?Increasing web traffic, sales, and internet presence convinced the pair to continue the ModCloth momentum. They flew to Las Vegas in 2006 for their first trade show, arriving at the start of 10 miles of clothes with no idea how the industry worked or what to expect.Susan now flies around the world to trade shows, always seeking for the next hot unknown designer. Eric turned his focus to business, completing an MBA from Carnegie Mellon with a focus in entrepreneurship. They now have a successful business with an internationally recognized brand, and a website viewed by over 4,000,000 people in the last three years.

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For whatever reason I could NOT sleep last night… I always get a little cabid-feversih this time of year….
Hence the 2am phone conversations/ emails about capitalism, physics and the American Dream…

Anyway,  I’m ready to pack my pink and green suitcase and jet off somewhere without explanation. One place that’s always fun to visit (and that a group of us is considering,) is Montreal. If you happen to be there or happen to be going there, be sure to check out one of Quebec’s hottest young designers, Eve Gravel.

Her designs are fun, flirty, with a kind of refined edge. I love stuff that can go from the office to a night out without much fuss…
You can buy her stuff at one of my favorite online shops, Mudshark (I wrote about them a while back).

Anyway I would write more, but her clothes speak for themselves and seeing as I’m dealing with a random bout of insomnia I am somewhat dragging and need to figure out all that is today.

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Finally! The weekend! I still have very mixed feelings about Urban Outfitters, so I was reluctant to write about these earphones (U.O. was the only place I could find them!)– but they’re just so hot! These rich, decadent oversized DJ headphones are designed by Boosted and are the ultimate upgrade for your personal sound system. They’re compatible with mp3 capable cell phones and your iPod. They feature wide dynamic range with booming bass and low distortion. They have all the phone gadgets- including a slim profile answer/end call button and in-line microphone for use with mobile phones. Most importantly, they’re adorable! I would have killed for these back in the 80s!!

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Yesterday was one of those days where I literally couldn’t do or say anything right. The worst part was, as I knew I was messing up as I was doing it, but I still couldn’t help myself. It was like “word vomit” from the movie Mean Girls. The day dragged and dragged and by the time I got home I looked how I felt: exhausted. Recently, I received a sample of Presciptives Good in Bed and have been using it for the past week or so in place of my usual night cream (yes, I use night cream… after my days, I figure both my body and my skin can use some TLC). Anyway, yesterday was the true test, and true to its promise, this stuff works miracles. I actually woke up with a “morning glow.” Despite the fact I feel like I could go back to bed and sleep for another 6 hours, I look refreshed and ready for round ….. 4 (it is Thursday, right?). In all candor, I did get this product as a sample, but there was no pressure to write a post and I don’t get paid to chat up their wonder-moisturizer. The bottom line? If it works for me in my crazy life I’m sure it will work for you. Definitely worth the splurge at the makeup counter!

Today’s fashion fix comes from WAFFO . The name comes from lateral thinker Edward de Bono and it means “opposing cool.” “It is the first two letters of WArm and FOrm, describing the average human being expressing his or her full potential and less likely to be warped by peer group pressure.” (Yikes!).
Anyway, this socially and ecologically progressive compnay is located in San Diego and is home to many great indie designers. Enjoy!

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I was definitely right about this week… its been crazy. Its only Wednesday and I already have dreams of throwing on one of my favorite t-shirts, a pair of sweats and relaxing all weekend (for the first time in a long time I only have one event planned!!). If you’re lacking the “favorite t-shirt” category, be sure to check out indie deisgner 57thirtythree. Oakland based 57thirtythree makes silkscreened and embroidered hoodies and t-shirts. Drawing upon different sources for inspiration, including pop art and military clothing, 57thirtythree bases many of their designs on “images of people who were originals or broke through some pre-existing barrier or stereotype.” They print and spray with only solvent-free, water based paints and inks, which reduces their environmental impact. All of their apparel is American made and sweatshop free. They’re a small company so rest assured you’ll be treated as a valued customer!

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