Patchwork-chic

Hey, so have you seen some of the new items up in our ladies' shop lately?

I've been obsessed with the whole "gypsy patchwork" thing lately - sort of a bohemian chaos chic thing. Take a look!

  

I really can't get enough of this lately...

♥

Andrea

How expensive is your discount sweater - REALLY?

The recent factory collapses in Bangladesh and Cambodia should really be setting off warning signals in every Western consumers' minds, but from the looks of things, no one's ready to change their spending habits any time soon.

Here's the problem in a nutshell:

• International chains are constantly on the hunt for high profit-margins (not that I blame them for that, it's their prerogative)
• Consumers have become used to ever-cheaper prices available on the markets at their favorite high-street shops
• The economy's recent nosedive has made consumers even more penny-pinching in their spending habits
• No one is very happy to start consuming less, so the demand is that the chain retailers offer the same products at ever-dropping prices

So here's what we have as a result - over 900 dead factory-workers in Bangladesh and Cambodia, all within 1 month.

In all honesty, I think there's something inherently wrong with this setup. What we're basically saying is that the value of a life in the West is higher than the value of a life in the East. Now I have a problem with that, and when you think about it, you ought to as well.

So what's the solution? Well it's definitely not a simple one. We've all grown used to spending less and getting more, but this is an absolutely toxic and certainly non-sustainable cycle here.

The solution lies in Western consumers' habits. We need to stop consuming and start investing. Your grandmother didn't buy herself a new dress every week, did she? Quite frankly, she wore her dresses for years and mended them when something wore out. Now, what exactly is wrong with that?

Frankly, I think most of our grandparents had much more style than you or I do today. So how can you start changing your habits? Granted, it's probably something that's going to take a while for you to adjust to, but there are a couple of steps you can take to put yourself on a healthier shopping-path:

1. BUY LESS STUFF. Seriously, you'll be able to save yourself more money and it's actually not that difficult. Go through your closet and really take a look at what's there. Do you honestly need another tank-top, skirt, pair of jeans, whatever? Probably not. 
2. Spoil Yourself. Allow yourself an indulgent purchase once per season - an expensive belt, purse, shoes, sweater, whatever. Just make sure that it's made from quality materials (take a look at our 8 Steps to Discovering Your Own Sense of Style article for more tips here) and preferably, not made in a 3rd-world country
3. Learn how to fix it yourself. If you have an article of clothing that you're happy with, but suddenly gets a tear, stain, whatever, learn how to fix it! There are tons of articles out there on the Interwebs that can show you exactly what you need to know.
4. Buy Local. Chances are, when you do go shopping, your local designer isn't making their goods overseas, but actually in your own neighborhood. While prices may be marginally more expensive than your favorite chain, you can feel all warm&fuzzy about supporting your local economy and usually, local designers pay a little more attention to detail which means - better quality!

Now obviously, there's a lot more to these issues than just what we see on the surface. What your goal ought to be is to send a message to these chain-store retailers - if they know that consumers are willing to spend a little more on their clothes, it makes it a lot easier for them to be able to invest in better working-conditions for their factories. 

Isn't Instagram great? We just really got into it recently and it's a great way for us to share all of our designer-y adventures in and around our studio. Here are just a few samples of our pics and you can follow us as well on Instagram here: http://instagram.com/andreahughes82

Mama's got a new blue dress!

We've got this gorgeous new blue dress we just put up!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/112834819/romantic-bohemian-gypsy-turquiose-maxi

Loving the whole drapey romantical maxi dress thing lately.

Mens Urban button down shirt

https://www.etsy.com/listing/112485789/mens-futuristic-urban-button-down-shirt

Our Mens Futuristic Urban Button Down Shirt in Black & White Pinstripe.

Flan-Tastic!

So the other day we were out for lunch and this happened...




Flan (aka Malabi in Israel) has got to be one of the most play-with-your-food inducing desserts!

But how do you ride it?

Awesome concept, but how exactly would you ride them?

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1665720/ai-weiwei-piles-1200-bikes-on-top-of-each-other-for-dazzling-effect

Steampunk Bugs

 amazing creations made with real insects!
http://insectlabstudio.com/

We're totally in love.

Ron Arad 720*

We went to go see the Ron Arad 720* exhibit last week. It was pretty amazing.

Not only was the installation brilliant (not to mention STRETCHY!) but the video art displayed on it was original and inspired.

All in all, it was a pretty awesome exhibit. At one point there was even a dude inside playing the piano & singing songs!

If you ever get the chance to go see it, we highly recommend it!

Vest for Dudes

Sketching out some ideas for a new men's vest...

 Just thought we'd share with you!

Romantic patchwork shrug in pink and white

https://www.etsy.com/listing/105235437/romantic-patchwork-shrug-in-pink-and

We're absolutely in love with this latest little confection we put together, all full of lace and satin and pink ruffles!

Pretty and white and lovely

We thought we'd share what's going to be our next project. Here's a little sneak peek at what is going to be an absolutely SPECTACULAR dress...

Lovely Busty Corsety Goodness

https://www.etsy.com/listing/104209332/pretty-patchwork-bustier-in-pink-blue

We loved our last bustier so much that we couldn't resist making a new one, only this time, it's got a slightly bigger cup out of black & silver pinstripe. Pretty hot, right?

More Awesome Porcelain art...

We found some amazing porcelain art by artist Kate MacDowell - http://www.katemacdowell.com/portfolio.html

I don't know what exactly it is about porcelain artists, but they make some really amazing work.

A fantastic upcycled wedding

So - Shai and I are getting married (again - it's a long story) in December, and being designers, of course we're making all of our own wedding garments.

It's quite an adventure, and the beauty of it is that we're going to have full control over how everything turns out. Being the control freak that I am, you can imagine how happy that makes me. So keeping in theme with our Eco-consciousness, we're each creating our own upcycled outfits.

I think what I love most about upcycling, reclaiming, recycling etc. is the way that you can take something someone else has completely dismissed, has no interest in anymore and create this amazing thing out of it.

For Shai's outfit, we are working on a funky upcycled collarless dress shirt with some studs on the shoulders for added drama, with a vintage blazer and pointy silver shoes.  The dress shirt will be made out of two boring and plain mens dress shirts, deconstructed and reconstructed to become a super-tailored fitted sleeveless shirt. Color scheme will probably range between the blacks, gun metal, silver and blue. (Photos of the work in progress to come soon.)

The wedding dress will be a real challenge, to be unique and classy at the same time. Thoughts of  big poofy skirts starting at one spot and drifting off into flat or pleated areas, asymmetrical hems and other surprises. Pink and white will probably be the color scheme - either way, it's going to be a fantastical creation.

We're going to spend some time sourcing the materials at our local charity shop and getting to work on it.

Can't wait to share more with you!
<3
Shai & Andrea

Sunglasses that'll make your jaw drop

We discovered these awesome sunglasses by Emma Montague - they seriously made our jaw drop, particularly when we found out that they're made of actual jaw bones. Pretty awesome. Talk about upcycling!

Ruffly gray bits {in progress}

We thought we'd share a little sneak peek at our newest creation-in-progress

We're trying out a more abstract approach. Can't wait to show it to you when it's all done!

Everyday Beauty

We do our best to try and find the beauty and mystery in everyday situations. Just take a look at the little pile of scraps we noticed on the floor the other day:

This silver tulle caught the light so prettily. It's the little things that bring moments of joy and light to our lives.

Pink Punk Patchwork Clutch

Check it out, we've got a new clutch-bag we put together!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/102623774/colorful-punk-patchwork-clutch-purse

We covered it in all kinds of pink patchwork pieces, chains, jewelry, studs and other goodies!

Alice Inspired Dress

I've always been a big fan of Alice in Wonderland, so I guess it makes sense that we'd eventually create something inspired by her.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/101582617/pretty-blue-ruffle-lace-dress-with

 I know it's a little abstract, but then, so's Alice in Wonderland.

<3
Andrea