Friday, November 30, 2012

HARBINGER OF DESIGN... FROMENTAL



With the widening of my focus to include interior design, I am proud to say that I have found the Charles James of wall coverings or the haute couture of interior design.  The brand is FROMENTAL, the product is sublime and really beyond my writing abilities as no matter how I try, I will never fully do the product justice.

In all my years I have never quite been exposed to this degree of handwork other than when it takes the form of an item of wearing apparel.  Fromental has shown me that there is indeed an haute couture element when it comes to the world of interiors.  The company bills itself as wallpaper but then that would like saying a Christian Lacroix Haute Couture gown is a mere dress.  The crux of the brand is that this is all about made by hand, not hand screened, but hand painted, hand embroidered, and on silk and then backed with paper and most of the time with Asian influences but not limited to.  The quality of the embroidery and hand painting is excruciatingly beautiful especially when the embroidery work takes the form of “crewel” type embroidery with all the nuances of color and shading… do not think Grandma’s crewel pillows. 

Just to reinforce to you just how amazing this “paper” is, one must keep in mind that this is not sold by the single or double roll but by the size of the walls and that this “art” cannot be “hung” by Joe the paper hanger but MUST be transferred to the walls by artisans and craftsmen who can literally guarantee that not a spot of glue ever sees the face of the paper. 

I hope that the slideshow will be able do some justice to this astonishingly exquisite “wall paper.”




Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Harbinger of Design .. Katherine Maxwell



In the 21st century fashion environment, it has become abundantly clear that there are new rules and game changers.   The latest “talking points” for fashion businesses are emphasis on heritage, craftsmanship, fine art, the artisanal aspect of fashion and sustainability.  For some designers it is a leap of faith to be able to inject any of these qualities into their brands but such is not the case for Katherine Maxwell whose entire business maintains ALL of these “particularities.”

Ms. Maxwell includes old world methods of manufacture combined with 21st century technology as well as the merging of fashion and art.  Whether it is the creating and dying of her yarns, the weaving process or to her ultimate finished products, Ms. Maxwell is ever wary of how to maintain and solidify what she has set forth as her brand.

Her life’s experience in fashion, from all angles, brought her to Santa Fe and here is where the magic happens.  Please have a read, have a look and enjoy the “scenery!”




http://www.katherinemaxwell.com

Monday, November 26, 2012

HARBINGER OF DESIGN ... Lloyd Klein



The Harbingers of Design…  week 2

This series will spotlight global innovators who are original, known, lesser known and some perchance even already highly regarded and respected within their areas of expertise.  The common thread is style and fashion; whether it takes its form in interiors, apparel, accessories, retail, photography or any of the related professions that surround fashion and style.  Please note that some of my “cast members ” have chosen to follow a path than includes utilizing the “tools” of the past thereby rendering a new and modern vision for today’s climate of fashion and style. These “createurs” are at the vanguard of design and style … in my opinion … and so I will introduce them to you on an international stage starting today .

Let’s talk fashion, today we speak of fashion in its truest form... clothing.  This might seems a bit of an understatement when  we speak of clothing is haute couture, in the sense of made to measure, and by hand and then we speak of ready to wear and yes you are all familiar with that term … as an FYI , don’t think Calvin Klein!

What or who you might not be familiar with is today’s Harbinger of Design; his name is Lloyd Klein.  All facets of this designer’s world are available at his eponymous shop in Los Angeles which houses the universe that is Lloyd Klein.  The clothes range from languid to razor sharp and from demure to cutting edge and from the dramatic to the demure.   One is palpably taken by the influences of Ferre, St. Laurent and Gres.  Yet when the influences and inspirations are mixed into the Klein cocktail” the result is decidedly distinctive but these are pieces that are not the clothes of uninformed or wishy washy.  We are talking bold, we are talking statement, we are talking stand out and most of all we are speaking about clothes that are crafted and created in ways that are usually found in Paris rather than in Los Angeles.




The question you have to ask yourself is … can you handle it?

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Harbingers of Design ... Marco Santaniello




This series will spotlight global innovators who are original, known, lesser known and some perchance even already highly regarded and respected within their areas of expertise.  The common thread is style and fashion; whether it takes its form in interiors, apparel, accessories, retail, photography or any of the related professions that surround fashion and style.  Please note that some of my “cast members” have chosen to follow a path than includes utilizing the “tools” of the past thereby rendering a new and modern vision for today’s climate of fashion and style. These “createurs” are at the vanguard of design and style … in my opinion … and so I will introduce them to you on an international stage starting today.

Today is all about the combination and meshing of art and fashion.  Marco Santaniello has a body of work that completely demonstrates that art and fashion are inextricably linked.  Mr. Sanataniello is a young man who is based in Tokyo and is a ubiquitous figure at fashion weeks around the world.

My take is that if you mix up Warhol, Lichtenstein, Pop Art of the 60’s, the Rubik’s cube and some Simpsons and you mix them into one cocktail, you get Marco Santaniello.   He is every bit as influenced by all that as he is influenced by the world around him whether it be fashion or current events.  He has had gallery exhibits in Milan and New York and his adopted home of Tokyo.

Known for his irreverent activities, he has been known to stage pop up shows in Milan, New York, Paris during their respective fashion weeks and to say the least, he does get noticed and does get coverage.  His eponymous collection, which is tacitly tied to the tee shirt, has acquired its own cult like following around the world.  If you believe he is only for the 21st century international fashionistas, then you would be very mistaken.  His appeal is to Generations X, Y and Z.

Obviously, I was attracted to his work which features some of the great fashion luminaries of the past and present.  The work is fresh and magnetic… see if you agree



Monday, November 19, 2012

Harbingers of Design ... CREEL and GOW




This new series will spotlight global innovators who are original, known, lesser known and some perchance even already highly regarded and respected within their areas of expertise.  The common thread is style and fashion; whether it takes its form in interiors, apparel, accessories, retail, photography or any of the related professions that surround fashion and style.  Please note that some of my “cast members ” have chosen to follow a path than includes utilizing the “tools” of the past thereby rendering a new and modern vision for today’s climate of fashion and style. These “createurs” are at the vanguard of design and style … in my opinion … and so I will introduce them to you on an international stage starting today .

In what only can be described as the most tasteful 21st century version of   “Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe,” I present to you Creel and Gow.  The shop is a veritable treasure trove of items which range from the simplest tiger eye sphere to the most elaborate deconstructed crustaceans  better known as a lobster and huge crab “en tremblant”… more on  that later.  One does not have to be with trust fund to shop here but you must be someone who appreciates everything  from the arcane and esoteric to the simplest of “just because” items.
Once you pass through the doors you are transported back to a different time in the retail business when shops were chock a block with original and unusual pieces to adorn and ornament your home as opposed to today’s cookie cutter retail environments when not one store has an original personality.  Oddly enough, even before you enter you seem to think that you are not in New York City but possibly in Paris or London which, of course, even further enhances your experience once inside.

The physicality of the store makes one think of possibly the Left Bank and the famous Deyrolle ( Google it) but this stateside incarnation is a combination of Audubon, Cousteau, Verdura, Tony Duquette, Barneys, Marian McEnvoy and a host of other finely edited shops and collections from around the world.  The contents are all at once “objets de vertu”, objets d’arts” as well as incredible pieces that beg to find a home in your home.

If you have ever asked “what do you buy the person who has everything?’ then the reply is simply... Something from Creel and Gow!

P.S. …. Of particular fascination were the “en tremblant” pieces which were derived from the work of a Dr. Beauchene who employed this method of “deconstruction” when explaining and demonstrating the workings of the brain and the human body.  These specimens are unlike anything I have ever seen.