Unique gift ideas from a Boston shop

Last week I met Ginger, the Creative Director and Manager, of a really cool shop in Boston, MassArt Made.  The shop is right along the E green line and all of the items are made by current students or graduates of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.  Here’s a tour around the shop!

It was so much fun looking around.  I ended up buying a pair of earrings and a necklace by Daria Bukesova, a current MassArt student enrolled in the Architectural Design program.  They are made of polymer clay and come in all sorts of pretty colors – I had a hard time choosing!  Daria’s inspiration for these are real flowers, nature and ribbon embroidery.  These are Christmas gifts for 2 lucky ladies!  If  you like these too and you’re not in the Boston area, you can buy Daria’s jewelry in her Etsy shop.

Any fun, unique shops like this that you recommend?

welcome to independent designer a.g. ambroult

last (for now), but not least for you to meet from the clothing menu boutique is independent designer, Amy, for a.g. ambroult.  she is a metalsmith who designs unique necklaces, earrings and rings.  here’s a bit from Amy on her jewelry:

How did you get started creating your accessory line?

Working as a graphic designer just wasn’t cutting it for me. I longed to do something more tactile—paint, garden, craft. Metalsmithing was something I had dabbled in over the years and I finally just decided that I was going to go for it, and see if I could make a business out of playing with metal and fire.

What makes your designs different?

Attention to surface detail. I do a lot of work with texture and patina on my pieces. I love to create contrast between polished and rough, or bright silver and blackened elements. I also try to create interest though hammered and sanded textures.

there are multiple fun pieces from a.g. ambroult in the shop – buy now before they’re sold out!

what to wear apple picking

not sure what to wear apple picking?  never been apple picking?  don’t worry, i am from new england and have only gone a couple times!  i went a couple years ago and even though the apples late in the season when we went were picked over, it was still fun to walk around in the orchard enjoying the sun and crisp fall air.

as you would imagine, the keys to dressing for apple picking are to dress comfortably and in layers. you’ll be walking around in the grass, so wear flat shoes. and it may be cold when you first get there, but after you start searching around and walking from tree to tree or drink some hot apple cider, you will warm up.  here are some sweaters and scarves that are perfect for apple picking:

wrap sweater by ninu

cardigan by Branch Handmade

ikat scarf by futurecraft

fringe scarf by seed knits

don’t have apple trees where you are?  what outdoor fall activity do you enjoy?

independent designers in sunny florida!

i’m on vacation later this week, going to florida with my boyfriend and our friends.  i can’t wait for sun, the beach, drinks, relaxation, friends, food. (sorry if i’m making you jealous!)  i have only been on one other vacation this year to the cape and we got a tropical storm the whole time, so it was very unsatisfying.  anyway, in honor of the sunshine state, here are some florida based independent designers:

The Karma Tree (jewelry) – tons of handmade jewelry, including everything from nature-inspired feather and turtle charms to pretty stones like sapphire and amethyst.

Ice it by Bebe Z (tees) – designed and manufactured in the US.  their designs have even been licensed out to one of my guilty pleasures, LA Ink!

Maddie Kay (handbags) – these cute bags are handmade by a mom of twins.

what i read: fellow indie blogger Miss Malaprop

Mallory from Miss Malaprop is a fellow blogger who is a big supporter of indie designers.  she even recently opened an online shop selling a variety of handmade and eco-friendly items!  since she’s always writing about new designers on her blog, i asked her to share some of her favorite independent designers with the clothing menu.  here are her words:

When I get asked the question, “Who are some of your favorite independent designers and why?,” it’s a pretty tough choice, as tons of potential picks come to mind. (I have, after all, been blogging about indie designers for 4 years now, so I’ve accumulated a lot of favorites and wishlists!) However, to narrow it down a bit, I just need to turn to my closet. I may covet A LOT of designers and their work, but I try to limit the amount of purchases I actually make. Those who have moved me to buy multiple times? See below:

Ureshii

Emily and Amanda of Ureshii are two super talented ladies based near Vancouver who make the best array of brightly colored basics ever. They use comfy fabrics like jersey made from rayon, cotton or bamboo, and they make just about everything to order, so it’s created just for you, to fit your measurements and color and style preferences. The first picks that I ordered from them were a Drapey Top and a Soft Tunic, which I absolutely love, so after Christmas this past year, I treated myself to a Horizontality Dress. Totally different than anything I owned before, perfectly amazing.

Trashy Diva

I had the pleasure of working here for a couple of years, around 2006-2008, but my love for Trashy Diva goes all the way back to the beginning (1996-ish!), when they just sold vintage clothing out of a little shop in the French Quarter. Since then, Trashy Diva has grown into 4 boutiques in the New Orleans area, plus their clothing line is carried at 30+ other stores all over the world. My former boss, Candice Gwinn, designs all of the clothes you’ll find in the current Trashy Diva collections, and she draws her inspriation from vintage patterns and fabrics from the 1920s-1960s.

John Fluevog

While Fluevog isn’t quite as indie as the previous designers, this company is still a small independent brand compared to many. Fluevog produces AMAZING shoes and accessories, and they’ve definitely got a cult following. I found out about Fluevogs through a couple fanatical friends, and since I bought my first pair, I’ve been hooked. Their shoes are pricey, but they’re worth it. The quality is totally top-notch, their heels are the most comfortable I’ve ever owned, and I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve created a special savings account in the past to save up for a pair of Fluevogs that I really wanted.

diy: how to make skinny jeans

don’t want to pay $90 for a new pair of skinny jeans?  look through your closet for a pair of bootcut jeans you haven’t worn for a while, a pair of scissors, and a sewing machine and you can have a new pair of skinny jeans! watch this video to find out how:

do you have any diy fashion tips?

3 emerging designers from around the world to watch

there are so many talented people from all around the world who are bringing unique designs to everyone thanks to the good ole internet.  here are 3 up and coming designers from different parts of the world who make t-shirts, shoes and jewelry definitely worth checking out.

Mademoiselle VG (Italy) - friends who design t-shirts with fun, feminine designs.

EXTRASEED (Addis Ababa) – cute eco-friendly shoes made from scrap fabric and leather that would otherwise be considered waste at garment factories and rubber from used car tires.

Tame (Canada) – really cool, bold jewelry.

indie clothing designer: She-bible

She-bible is pair of bffs who create clothes in their hometown, San Francisco. the clothes include tops and dresses and coats and are all comfortable, cute and a little different.  read on for my interview with one of the designers behind She-bible, Deirdre, and if you are in San Francisco, visit their shop!

How did you get started creating your clothing line?

In 2001 we started silkscreening t-shirts. We were using American Apparel t-shirts.  Many people didn’t know who they were back then and thought they were our own shirts. When they started saturating the graphic tee market at the prompting of our boutiques we took the leap and made our own tee. We then made a dress and just started slowly adding products. We don’t have fashion degree backgrounds. We are the slow and steady types.

What three words would you use to describe your upcoming collection?

fall 2010 – seventies, future, ski lodge

What do you think makes your designs different?

We try to make classic items with little twists, an unexpected pocket or a pleat here. We also try to use organic products where ever possible and make our goods in small batches in San Francisco. We keep a close eye and hand on our items.

What do you see in the future for your collection?

We just opened a boutique in San Francisco and are really loving this aspect of the business. Our next big hurdle is to get our shop curator (curatorsf.com) online. We have lots of gifty things and accessories that are specially made for our shop. We’d love to open that up to our web customers. Think Tom Selleck portraits, handmade salted carmels, knit dogs, the most amazing jewels!! There are some mini-projects in the works but sometimes its hard enough to design, produce and run the store the two of us.

Why should people buy clothes from an independent designer over a mass-market store?

It’s a personal choice.  I know first hand it can get expensive to always shop with independents. I’m not here to condemn people for going to H&M or the like. I think the best closets have a mix of high and low.  For me in particular I’m super busy, and I don’t like things that wear out right away. I lean on my clothes and I don’t have time in the morning to fuss with what I’m going to wear.  I do favor investments pieces – the $60 t-shirt I may wear for 3 years, or the $200 fleece coat that will see me through several seasons.  Of course I think independents add a flavor and design choice that someone in a boardroom may not approve, so it’s likely you will get more fresh ideas out of smaller companies. It’s important to us that through the sampling and production of our collection we are adding jobs to the local economy and supporting other small businesses.

swedish indie fashion label pairs with the red cross

i love this partnership!  swedish indie fashion label, dreamandawake, has created 40 dresses to help raise awareness and funding for the red cross.  the dresses were produced locally in sweden, sewn together by red cross tailors, and 100% of profits are going to the red cross organization.  read more about the red cross collection from dreamandawake and buy clothes from the red cross collection for a good cause!

clothes from independent designers – all under $50!

one rumor about clothes made by independent designers is that they are expensive.  however, just like clothes available at the mall, indie clothes come in a range of prices.  some are expensive because a lot of time and artistry was put into the clothes and/or the fabrics and materials are of a high-quality.  but most of the clothes from independent designers are very reasonable priced, along with being of good quality and unique.  here is a sampling of clothes all under $50 from some of my favorite indie designers:

every little counts makes tees and sweatshirts inspired by romance and love.

zelaya is a family business from el salvador that makes everinomentally sustainable clothes.

andwhatelseisthere handmakes and tailors fashion-forward clothes from bangkok.

lamixx makes wardrobe staples that are comfortable and made to fit well on a woman’s body.