Posts Tagged: organic

indie clothing designer: alena hennessy

indie clothing designer, alena hennessy, is an artist who designs tees, scarves, totes, and prints. she is inspired by simplicity, stillness and a sense of little things relating to one another and you can definitely see that sense of calmness and softness in her clothes. plus a lot of her items are made of eco-friendly, organic materials!  please read more about alena hennessy in my interview with her below.

How did you get started creating your clothing line?

I have been a working visual artist for quite some time and started dabbling in prints and wanted to transfer that to clothing. It turned out to be an easy transition.

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

Minimal, soft, sensual.

What do you think makes your designs different?

The balance of femininity with simplicity along with the fact that the prints on my designs are hand-drawn as I am firstly an artist and an illustrator.

What do you see in the future for your collection?

Keep continuing with eco-friendly wares as well as evolving with themes. I have been thinking of incorporating eastern feminine deities lately and taking some steps out in new directions with the line quality.

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

For so many reasons… supporting a working designer versus a mass-market store which may not hold ethical or environmental standards too high seems obvious to me. Also, it makes the purchase more personable and memorable because of the quality of supporting that designer and their individual vision.

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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.

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san francisco independent designers

this week i’ll be out on the west coast for work, where i’ll hopefully be able to enjoy some sun and napa valley wine! there are a lot of talented san francisco independent designers that i’ve read about online, which makes me excited to see the style and maybe bring some of it back to the east coast.  here are 3 unique san francisco designers to give you a taste of the creativity from the city:

Christopher Collins started out in the luxury fashion industry making evening wear.  in 2008, he launched his own line of ready-to-wear designs inspired by his background of luxury, high-quality and femininity.

there aren’t many independent shoe designers, so i was excited to find Form & Fauna.  what makes these stylish shoes so great is that they are sturdy for everyday life and they are made of sustainable materials.

for a completely girly outfit, browse through Alyssa Nicole‘s spring collection.  it is very pretty in pink!

for more on san francisco fashion, check out sfindiefashion.com

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independent ethical clothing line: Nixxi

Nixxi is an independent ethical clothing line that carefully picks fabrics that are from fibers not treated from pesticides and works with a local production company to make sure the work environment is fair for employees.  on top of all that, the clothes from Nixxi work for any woman’s wardrobe.  they are versatile, comfortable, and work great as part of a layered outfit.  find out more from Jada-Lee, the designer behind Nixxi in this interview with the clothing menu.

How did you get started creating your clothing line?

I’ve always had an attraction to details and lines, both artistically and practically.  Combined with my love for fashion, designing clothing was a natural fit for me. I started by taking existing pieces and revamping them and then from there, I began designing original styles to sell at the local market. I co-created a previous line for three years and then started Nixxi independently in 2007.

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

edgy, organic, flirty

What do you think makes your designs different?

Nixxi’s aesthetic is mixing contrasts: draped silhouettes with structured lines; soft knits with textured wovens; taking contemporary shapes and refining them into versatile classic designs.

What do you see in the future for your collection?

Textile prints, accessories, and artist collaborations.

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

Mass-produced styles can sometimes lack a certain essence and quality. When I buy something from an independent designer, I treasure it so much more knowing that it is unique and that their heart was put into creating it.

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independent clothing designer: Ex-Boyfriend

independent clothing designer Ex-Boyfriend has a huge selection of unique, quirky, fun t-shirts, hoodies, and messenger bags all designed by the company’s founder, Matt.  i love looking through all of the designs; they will put a smile on your face and the face of other people when you wear one of them!  check out my interview with Matt (and his awesome reason for why to buy independent).

How did you get started creating your clothing line?

Ex-Boyfriend actually started more as a vehicle for my then-girlfriend/now-wife’s crafts, ranging from pop art jewelry and buttons to stationery. At the time, I was in college studying graphic design, so we slowly began incorporating my illustrations. We then decided to move into screen printing some of my designs onto tees doing small runs, and after a while the crafts sort of fell by the wayside; they’re fun to do, but production is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

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

Flirty. Funny. Unique.

What do you think makes your designs different?

Eeesh…this is tough. Well, I think we all know that graphic tees are pretty popular, so it’s a pretty saturated marketplace, and it’s difficult to stand out. BUT… my illustrations are 100% original.  I don’t do clip art and I like to think my design concepts are a little more cerebral than most other designers. Or, if not cerebral, then at least a bit more idiosyncratic. I’m horrible about picking up on trends. While I will occasionally come up with a design that’s more topical in nature, like my new Snowpocalypse 2010 pieces, for the most part my designs are informed by things that are of greater personal importance to me, like the movies, music and artists that I love. And a lot of those touchstones aren’t defined by any one movement or era, and certainly don’t usually constitute anything recent or zeitgeist-y.

What do you see in the future for your collection?

I really don’t know. My aesthetic tastes really run the gamut, and I don’t think I could ever linger on one particular style for very long. Lately I’ve been really getting into Communist propaganda art from China and Cuba. It’s got such a cool vibe, really punchy and bold and colorful, but also really economical in terms of space and color. I’d love to do more stuff like that in the future, it’s just a matter of finding the right concepts and figuring out how to make those styles my own.

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

As badly as I want to hop on my soapbox about how small businesses drive our economy, let’s just leave it at this: wouldn’t you feel cooler knowing you were wearing a piece of original art that maybe a few thousand other people were wearing too, as opposed to a few million? Something designed in a moment of artistic inspiration, rather than with a conveyor belt mentality by someone who was just hopping from one t-shirt website to another to see what was popular and then duplicate it with minor alterations because some suit on the 3rd floor thought it would sell? I know I would.

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audrey hepburn of course

my inspiration for the “american” menu here started with audrey hepburn as holly golightly in one of my all time favorite movies, breakfast at tiffany’s.  that movie is from 1961 and so many of the wardrobe pieces are still stylish today.  here are the 3 most timeless pieces holly golightly wears:

1) “i’m just CRAZY about tiffany’s” – the little black dress

audrey hepburn black dressvintage dress from thekorubranch

2) “moon river…” – cigarette pants, a.k.a. capri pants, a.k.a. straight leg pants

audrey hepburn cigarette pantspants by lara miller

3) “i love you, you belong to me!” – trench coat

audrey hepburn stewart and brown coatcoat by stewart + brown

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you CAN wear these colors together!

i remember learning something back in art class in middle school about how red and purple are not complementary colors.  they are just 2 colors that you’re not to put together, especially in an outfit.   but..kate walsh has proved us wrong!  she is looking amazing in this stella mccartney purple blouse and red skirt.  i am in love with this bold mix of colors – check out some ways you could get this look for yourself:

kate walsh stella mccartneytops: Econica and Ureshii

skirts: Stewart + Brown and prizy sebastian

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love this ethical fashion line – Sinerji

i recently came across, Sinerji, an australian clothing line with a focus on ethical fashion.  all of its clothes are made from organic cotton and bamboo and the materials are colored with natural vegetable based dyes.  the clothes are light enough to wear on their own over the warmer months and as layered pieces when it gets a little cooler.  i really love the plum tank and pants – they look so comfortable, yet stylish!

sinerji sustainable fashion image
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