happy new year + thanks for all your support in 2011. now, feast your eyes on my favourite fashion films of the year just gone + look forward to more bountiful blogging in the year to come. bless. bettina x
a shiny start to the new year with the wonder artwork of jim hodges.…also a fresh blog layout, name change and some exciting new categories alongside old favourites. thank you for being part of our community. bring on 2012.
using manipulated, mirror-like elements, inspired by his recent trip to india and a greater focus on colour, hodges current sculptures create a space for introspection, investigating notions of time, movement and imagination. mesmerizing and modern primitive in their organic shape and use of synthetic materials, these cross-disciplinary creations are currently showing at gladstone gallery nyc.
how wonderful would these be in your warehouse space or garden? rock on.
all images from trendtablet with thanks.
walking into the asal store in ahmedabad felt like walking into a similar style of shrine to all things organic anywhere in the world, in fact i felt like i was in hampstead rather than the back streets of a large bustling town in india’s west desert region. the sweetest store we discovered here and shripal, who runs the place is completely devoted to all things organic, ayurvedic and natural. i must make mention that all silk used in asal products are non-violent…..which in layman’s terms means the sweet little silk worms get to keep on living after giving up their highly prized thread. awwww. the reason behind our visit was of course the textiles – hand-spun and hand-woven shawls, non-violent silk sarees, incredible cottons + beautiful hand-blocked linen and cotton sheets. orders can also be taken for specific weaves and colours made to your organic wish list – think personalised napkins, bed sheets and cottons to drape decoratively for home and body. we also loaded up on pure essential oils, coconut oil – the best hair and body moisturizer that exists in my mind, wooden combs a la africa, ayurvedic bathing powder that will apparently heighten your aura!, copper utensils that help to aid digestion and great glass chandeliers. find also bulk organic and natural foods in this one stop shop that wants the best for our beautiful planet. shripal ships worldwide almost daily to his devotees that – “say NO to synthetic. drive OUT the artificial. tune IN with nature.” asal is ace.
fantastic textile designer camille walala is where it’s at for day 8 of a colour lovers christmas. french born and currently based between geneva and london, walala designs bold and tribal pop prints that shout from a myriad of products in high-octane colour. an innate desire to put a smile on people’s faces and truly smart colour couplings are ever-present in all her designs and are sure to bring a breath of fresh air to any interior especially during these mean winter months. lay about lavishly this christmas amongst camille’s cushions available now in london at a “wonderful wooly wonderland”, supermarket sarah’s popupshop at no-one until the 24th december. forget disneyland kids, walalaland is where it’s at.
the bright and mind-blow beautiful butt plugs and dildos by london based babes n horny bring us to day 7 of a colour lovers christmas. give the gift that keeps on giving right? the world’s premier strap-on specialists have been hand making their artisan toys since 1993. the modern arse collection makes merry with a collection of butt plugs inspired by the paintings of some of the great artists of the 20th century – the stella is a favourite for its perfect form and smart colour combination. discover other eye-popping pop art, flamenco, feisty and carnivalesque pleasure givers that give great graphic stimulation. colour up!
one of my best ever buys for the home is a magnificent moroccan carpet purchased while on holiday there many moons ago. many happy hours have been spent lolling all over it with friends, family, lovers and loved ones. at day 6 we arrive at colour lovers carpet heaven through an old and wonderful friend, justina tulloch who has recently started trading in vintage moroccan carpets – the likes of, i have never clapped my eyes on before. mostly from the high atlas mountains and handmade from 100% wool, these highly sought after vintage carpets are beautiful statement pieces and are a great way to frame a room. make sure to check out the azilal styles especially, their strong geometric patterns in bold colours are striking and truly original. colour your world with carpets.
for those of you out there that are lovers of colour and skulls, all your christmas wishes will have come true in the form of our exquisite corpse. artist catherine martin’s considered collaboration with the huichol tribe in mexico makes macabre magnificent and a great gift to give in a celebration of life and death. the one-of-a-kind skulls are actually made from resin, covered in beeswax and then each bead is carefully placed in a plethora of patterns to please the eye. choose from religious and symbolic beading in primary colours, each skull tells its own story or catherine’s own designs in strong geometric patterns utilising bold glass bead colours sourced from the czech republic. with a new delivery of skulls just delivered to super store ln-cc yesterday, you had best get yourself to their website asap as they will be gone in a flash. otherwise buy online at our exquisite corpse, make sure you check out the beautiful beaded bull’s heads too, these are real rancho deluxe. colour your world.
in continuing in the spirit of celebration and adornment, day 4 of colour lovers christmas brings us to house of baulch, a day late due to a hangover from hell but worth the wait for sure. kathryn designs her eponymous brand from her base in melbourne and has been selling her bold designs worldwide for sometime now, a natural progression after a five year stint as head jewellery designer at mimco. dedicated to the design process, kathryn’s strongly thematic collections showcase her passionate practise and understanding of the industrial processes utilised in each design, each season shows innovation in eloquent form. the current collection rarebird is a great mix of elegant art deco and rich ethnic style that in my mind look best loaded up, some of the houseofbaulch bracelets come in nests of product which is a great way to get your collection up and running. each piece, however looks great as a solo and statement piece and in all their extravagance will definitely stand the test of time. some of my favourite house of baulch pieces are the extravagant runway pieces she creates each year for the l’oreal melbourne fashion festival - it is here that her creativity is let loose and you can see why she is a favourite of stylists and fashionably forward females everywhere. to buy your bit of house of baulch visit her website or find stockists closest to you. all i want for christmas is a house of baulch bike helmet – how good!?
as we make our way daily with a colour lovers christmas i must make mention that all artists, traders and designers profiled here are independent – many working alongside local cooperatives in far-flung countries, with traditional artisans and in support of charities worldwide in a bid to bring colour and harmony to their work and working life. colour your world.
day 3 is upon us, and as you may well know i am a lover of adornment – in my case the more the merrier! it seems perfect then to present an array of jewellery designers that in my mind are doing it right and are close to my heart. following on from lucy folk is kate fleming of ktjewel – a jewellery artist at it for over ten years, her one-off designs are created from her base in beauteous bali. antique jewellery gathered from diverse cultures worldwide are reconstructed into original and beautiful pieces to adorn oneself with. the current collection CUORE, translated as heart, again represents kate’s celebration of love and references her inspiration taken from the romantic movement of the early victorian era, add to this her smart take on recycling and original eye for style in creating heirlooms for the future. all original ktjewel neckpieces and earrings as shown are currently available to buy here. jewel up.
day 2 brings banging colour from melbourne based jeweller lucy folk, who i have interviewed before for BDWA blog. her current collection taqueira, inspired by marvelous mexico has been snapped up by some of the world’s best boutiques including colette in paris. lucy has just opened her own store in melbourne to rave reviews and it is here you might find her there amongst the glory of handcrafted gold, silver and precious stones. inspired by her love for food, each collection sees food as jewellery that is good enough to eat! her taco friendship bracelets are perfect for loading up on your arms and look great in both gold and silver. get ‘em while they’re hot!
