India With Ace & Lotta
I lived in India for a year as a child and am fairly convinced that the entire experience had a rather profound effect on me, instilling in me that irrational obsession for vibrant textiles with a global aesthetic. I have not been back there since I was in the third grade, but have long dreamed of the day I'd return. Truly, I thought it would happen before I had children but for one reason or another it never did. Michael and I had lots of other wonderful travel adventures during that time, but India wasn't one of them. For the last 5 years, I haven't ventured away from the kids for much longer than a few days at a time, and have always been within a quick plane ride home... nor would I have wanted to. Luckily, CLOTH & KIND has been instrumental in my life by helping to fill that international travel void. It has allowed me to spend my time dreaming about and posting on the very textiles and far-off locations that I hope to one day visit (again). However, I do believe the time has come to make my deep-rooted love of global travel spring back to life.
All of this is to say that when I saw the news of this journey to Jaipur, India with textile extraordinare Lotta Jansdotter and Angela Ritchie's Ace Camps there was this huge light bulb that went off in my head. I could actually do this! The kids are old enough... I have a wonderful and very capable husband and nanny who would easily be able to manage the kids... (I have intentionally not yet thought to how much I'd miss Alex & Tahlia, and for the sake of this fantasy I won't yet go there)... It's kind of the perfect time in CLOTH & KIND's life cycle as well. The blog has grown into, dare I say, a somewhat well-known & respected design platform and my interior design business is actually more than I could possibly ask for, for which I am beyond grateful. So, yes, the timing is right and stars are aligned.
Now, if only I'm able to a) figure out how in the heck I'm going to pay for this and b) snag one of the coveted 10 spots. I'm already dreaming of the incredibly creative and talented people I'll meet on this trip. Will you be one of them?
paper-cut-project
Welcome to Curated. A new column featuring the art & artists of our time, guest edited by Tami Ramsay. I'm nothing short of totally blown away by the creative output from her first subjects, Nikki Nye and Amy Flurry of the paper-cut-project, and am certain you will be too...KRISTA
Evolution of talent is such a beautiful spectacle, albeit wrought with a myriad of growing pains and phoenix rising versions before landing at the right place at the right time. Timing helps for sure, but raw talent backed by sheer will and a completely unique spin, really seals the deal. This is especially evident in the case of Nikki Nye and Amy Flurry, the creative duo tour de force behind paper-cut-project.
Creating jaw-dropping art from paper is what these partners do, with unparalleled precision and vision. For those new to their handiwork, Nye, as lead designer, and her creative partner Flurry, create custom-made paper installations and sculptures that are fueled by a love of fashion and an appreciation for the grace and nuance of this humble material.
Build it and they will come has never been more true than in the case of Atlanta-based paper-cut project. Requests for custom, runway and private collections and installations have since come rolling in from the likes of Hermes, Cartier, Christie’s, The Victoria & Albert Museum, Jeffery, The Bay,Kate Spade, and Jen Kao. In their most recent project, Nye and Flurry created intricate wigs for mannequins as well as animal and nature scenes for REDValentino’s new flagship boutique on Corso Venezia in Milan. At once girly and fanciful, with a wink and nod to Victorian era aplomb, Nye and Flurry’s paper creations helped create a dreamy world of fairy tales for showcasing the Winter 2012/Spring 2013 fashion collection.
“This was certainly a "pinch me" moment,” Flurry said of she and Nye working with the creative team of a storied brand like REDValentino. “The inspiration that drove the fashion collection, characters frolicking in this dreamlike kingdom straddling reality and fantasy, was the same story they used to convey the direction for the wigs.” Getting from inspiration to final creation is quite a process though. “The pot of notions that needed to be stirred into one collection was quite full!” according to Nye. “The collection was meant to hearken a bit back to older Victorian-esque styles, though it had to be modern. There also needed to be a feminine aspect that was soft but also bold and adventurous.” As you can see from the images in this post, just a few of my favorites from the REDValentino project, Nye and Flurry nailed it. Be sure to check out the entire series here as well as images of the boutique installation here.
I love the finished product but nothing thrills me more than a glimpse of how inspiration and concept, that alchemy of creativity, becomes a work of art. Because clients often come to paper-cut-project with a concept that is not fully fleshed out, “one thing we do understand is that our clients are looking for our interpretation of their idea, which is determined, in part, by the material we work with and by our particular point of view,” Flurry said. “We both bring to this project backgrounds in fashion.” Always though, the creative process begins with Nye sketching. “We iron out a final design with the client and, once that is approved, I as the lead artist will figure out how it needs to be constructed, from the base to the outer, finishing details, and will work on designs and elements that Amy and I can then both work on,” Nye explained.
These images share an intimate look at how Nye and Flurry work, the delicate nature of the material they work with, and the beauty of that process as captured by photographer Rinne Allen. Also, be at the ready for limited edition prints of their paper creations, available through paper-cut-project, in the very near future.
And since the world is their oyster, what other creative jaunts would this dream team like to see on their radar? On Nye’s list would be an installation for the Barneys New York holiday windows. For Amy, “We've long talked of doing a jewelry line - casting the paper pieces in precious metal - as guest designers for an existing fashion house. These situations do exist, right?!”
No matter how they slice it, paper-cut-project does it right. Eat your heart out Edward Scissorhands.
IMAGE CREDITS | REDValentino paper wig and animalia images courtesy of paper-cut-project | paper-cut-project process images courtesy of photographer Rinne Allen
Role Models: Manolo + Madeline
FASHION Manolo Blahnik | FABRIC Madeline Weinrib
Now this is a fashion + interiors match made in design heaven. Manolo Blahnik has collaborated with Madeline Weinrib to use her fabrics on four new shoe styles, available this spring at select Neiman Marcus, Barney's New York and Saks Fifth Avenue stores. Brilliant.
SOURCE | WWD
Hue: Mountbatten
When my friend Zak Profera, of ZAK+FOX, recently sent me this romantic new image of some of his textiles in the beautifully subtle pink colorway named Mountbatten, I have to admit that I was transported to an amorous place. Isn't it funny how a single image, done just right, can evoke such emotion?
Just to be clear, I wouldn't classify myself as a hopeless romantic. Like so many people I know, I tend to shun holidays like Valentines Day which seem to be wholly commercial at this point. But there is definitely a side of me that is easily stirred by beautiful, thoughtful gestures, soft-spoken words and yes, most definitely by candlelight. Maybe that explains why when I look Zak's photograph I hear the whisperings of a long ago love story and imagine the passionate adventures of the woman who is politely folding her hands in her lap. I'll leave the rest to your imagination, but wanted to share a visual interpretation of mine that was born out of the Mountbatten colorway and of that stunning photograph.
FABRIC ZAK+FOX's Katagami in Mountbatten | SKETCH Adara Sánchez Anguiano | CANDLESTICKS Wyeth | RUG Roubini | WALLPAPER Custom via de Gournay
Role Models: Monique Péan
OFANTIQUE
Every once in a while I stumble across a company that is doing such unique and beautiful things with textiles that my breath is taken away. Something tells me you are going to feel the very same way about ofANTIQUE.
ofANTIQUE is the brainchild of a creative and talented woman named Rita, and was born during a voyage to South East Asia that she took with her children. While in Thailand she discovered a wonderful world of antique textiles made by the sublimely talented hill-tribe women whose cultures are rich with the ancient traditions of textile production. The result is a stunningly beautiful selection of handmade bags and garments made using original antique textiles. You can also choose your own vintage textile from Rita's stash to create a custom bag of your choice.
Happy shopping.
Role Models: Dolce & Gabbana
Amy Sklar
I was just introduced to Amy Sklar by a friend of mine and was instantly enchanted with her incredible design aesthetic. Her recent installation at Woven Accents in LA, especially, had me drooling. Amy shared some insight on this project with me...
"The Woven Accents showroom is such a great place, they recently moved into a beautiful expansive gallery space across from the Pacific Design Center, and started inviting designers that they have worked with in the past to curate the front area using their incredible rugs as backdrops."
"A fantastic rug can sometimes be the most important (and sometimes costliest) element in a room, so I really felt like a kid in a candy shop!!! They gave me free rein with their inventory, and I was able to collaborate with one of my favorite furniture showrooms in LA called Lawson-Fenning. That combined with items I had collected over the years, and kids collections from Little Nest and Bla Bla Kids, we were off and running."
"Abraham Moradzadeh and his son Sam have such a great eye, and the collection in the showroom is really, I think, one of the best in LA." - Amy Sklar, Amy Sklar Design Inc.
