The South African Artisans

I headed down to South Africa to shoot this campaign, a collaboration between Banana Republic and Piece & Co., and to capture the artisans behind the sun dyed fabrics that make up the summer collection. We started early in the morning when the dew was still resting on the flowers. The women arrived and lead us to their farm (I guess you’d call it a farm?) which I discovered was just a wild space down a dirt road tucked between vineyards where they keep supplies in an old barn. The artisans ascended, plucking flowers and leaves, picking up things I’d never even seen before, finding lilies in the pond and savoring their scent. These are the native objects they use to create the patterns on the fabrics which are sun dyed right here on this piece of earth. 

They were proud and happy. The land was beautiful and loved. I like to think all this energy and joy is transferred into fabrics that now are cut into beautiful dresses and men’s shirts and one can feel this when they put it on. At least I hope these photographs can help share their story and shed light on conscience fashion. 

Final portraits of the artisans are shot on back and white film in the barn they work at using a spool of burlap we found lying around as a backdrop. Color portrait of the American woman is Piece & Co.’s founder Kathleen Wright

Jumperfabriken’s Design Studio

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While in Gothenburg, Sweden on our #volvooverseasdelivery road trip we stopped by the design studio of Swedish label Jumperfabriken to meet with the label’s owner and designer Elisabeth Synnes who created the feminine and timeless fashion brand inspired by old photo albums from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s “taking the best from the past to the future”. Her classic approach is meant to provide pieces to last you a lifetime and never go out of style. Mostly known for their ladylike dresses and cozy cardigans, it’s the warmth from the designer that really makes you feel at home in these Scandinavian pieces.

10 Questions with JUMPERFABRIKEN‘s owner and designer Elisabeth SynneS

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If you could give advise to yourself when you started Jumperfabriken, what would it be? 

ES: Be patient. To build a solid brand takes so much more time than one thinks. Continue reading “Jumperfabriken’s Design Studio”

Loeffler Randall

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I was recently out in Brooklyn visiting with a girlfriend who works in fashion PR. These girls always know what’s cool and true to form she walked in the door and I obsessed over her shoes and bag. “Where are they from?” I asked, “Loeffler Randall“. Of course they are.

It seems almost every time I love a New York girlfriend’s shoes they are Loeffler Randall. I myself am a fan girl… I’ve worn them to the beach, at southern mansion cocktail parties, and over coffee in L.A. They are easy and cool. Quality and comfortable. Or, as the founder and designer Jessie Randall puts it, “understated, elegant, effortless.” I stopped by their Soho studio to see what’s new this summer, what I will be lusting after like those red strappy heels above… UGH sooo good. And to talk with the beautiful designer herself only to realize, the products are good because the soul of the designer is too…

10 Questions with LOEFFLER RANDALL‘s President and Creative Director Jessie Randall 

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If you could give advise to yourself 10 years ago when you started Loeffler Randall, what would it be?

JR: Hire a merchandiser. Stop being so hard on yourself!

Above, Jessie wears Arbella Platform Sandal with Drawstring Tote in her Soho office. 

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Where do you find inspiration? 

JRI find it everywhere – especially in craft techniques and doing crafts myself, art, furniture and I love love love ceramics. 

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What one famous person has worn your shoe where you had a holy-cow moment? 

JRRoz Chast

Above, Drawstring Tote & Flap Bucket bag // Below, Bo Tassel Wrap sandal

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Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren's Fall 2016 collection shown at New York Fashion Week

The close of New York Fashion Week always ends on a high note for me with the Ralph Lauren collection. Usually I come for the gowns, which are the most beautiful classic American study in simplicity and elegance.

However, for the Ralph Lauren Fall 2016 presentation I was more enamored with the first 14 or so looks that came quiet and confidently down the runway. Beige on beige on beige was the story in smart men’s tailoring that looked both chic and comfortable. It’s a certain kind of woman who can pull these off, someone with personality and brains, like a Diane Keaton character in some bygone rom-com. She dresses for herself and doesn’t need the fleeting attention of the flashy spotlight to for validation, she already has it sewn into the fabric of her being…

Ralph Lauren's Fall 2016 collection shown at New York Fashion WeekRalph Lauren's Fall 2016 collection shown at New York Fashion Week Ralph Lauren's Fall 2016 collection shown at New York Fashion Week

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Marchesa

Marchesa Fall 2016 collection from New York Fashion Week

You can always expect the drama to be turned up at a Marchesa show and this Fall 2016 collection is right on cue. Inspired by the royal gardens at Highgrove House and the work of Edwardian society artist John Singer Sargent, each of these beauties appear to be a garden rose plucked at the height of beauty to be presented with regal pose to the courts. Marchesa has reminded me that we are all queens of our worlds, and though the tulle, feathers and organza is soft, our confidence is strong…

Marchesa Fall 2016 collection from New York Fashion Week Marchesa Fall 2016 collection from New York Fashion Week Marchesa Fall 2016 collection from New York Fashion Week Marchesa Fall 2016 collection from New York Fashion Week Continue reading “Marchesa”

Naeem Khan

Naeem Khan Spring / Summer 2016 collection at New York Fashion Week

Today I head out to cover the last few days of New York Fashion Week which should prove to make some interesting Snapchat { add me! AnnStreetStudio } content. Aside from my usual loves, Marchesa and Ralph Lauren, I’ll be covering Naeem Khan. Images here are from his Spring 2016 show of a collection inspired by Grace Kelly,  Sophia Loren, a trip to Mexico, Frida Kahlo’s style, and the blossoming flowers of the Mediterranean. I think it’s quite clear, when Mr. Khan dreams of a woman, he sees us blooming at our most splendid…

Naeem Khan Spring / Summer 2016 collection at New York Fashion Week Naeem Khan Spring / Summer 2016 collection at New York Fashion Week Naeem Khan Spring / Summer 2016 collection at New York Fashion Week Continue reading “Naeem Khan”

Protagonist

I recently discovered Protagonist though the tightly curated site The Line that always seems to find the coolest yet most understated items in fashion, beauty and home decor. Offline their retail store is done through a living editorial moment by putting the shopping experience inside the dream Soho loft, known as “The Apartment by The Line“. Whenever I pop in I am always inspired either by the chic curation for the woman I dream to be in New York (think minimal, confident, quality) or through discovery of new designers whom all seem to have an affinity toward elevated wardrobe essentials, the kind of pieces you invest in because they will never go out of style.

Protagonist, under the direction of Georgia Lazzaro, formally of Narciso Rodriguez and Calvin Klein, is a delicious study in simplicity and quality. The Line, known mostly for their shirting, has stolen my heart for their black and white basics, especially in the realm of the LBD. I stopped by their NYFW presentation hosted at The Apartment in Soho to see what direction they are going in and how much I need to save to become a Protagonist woman.

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Mercado Global

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When Mercado Global emailed to see if I would be interested in visiting the communities of their local artisans in Guatemala, I knew it would allow me to gain a greater knowledge as to what goes into their products. Opening yourself up to experiences like these means the world around you changes. Your association with products is affected by sentimental value but goes beyond sales and trends when you understand the craftsmanship that goes into a product: like when I watched how they painstakingly make CHANEL couture or viewed the tiny delicate details of Chopard’s high jewelry making. Once you peek at the process behind the curtain, you understand how important craftsmanship and expertise is.

These women are experts in the traditional Mayan weaving process, an age-old tradition passed down through generations. What Mercado Global helps them achieve is not only preservation of an ancient artistry, but a partnership that empowers women to break the cycle of poverty by helping them run their own independent business. This opportunity creates sustainable livelihoods for their families and can help turn around entire communities.

One woman I spoke with said her husband was in an accident and was unable to work. Being the only source of income, she had to find a way to support her family. Though the business model set up by Mercado Global, she was able to buy a loom and begin producing fabrics such as the ones you see here which are then purchased by Mercado Global. The artisans do not work exclusively with Mercado Global; once they own the loom they can sell their designs to a newly available international market they once had no access to. On her single income, this woman we spoke to was able to pay for all seven of her children to go to school. On average, these Mayan artisans make three times the national average wage of Guatemalans. These women are changing the culture by being business owners and major contributors to their local community, which gives them the power and tools to fight against major issues like female violence, malnutrition, and illiteracy. Mercado Global not only sets these women up for a viable future but also goes into the communities with programs to educate them on financial management, heath and wellness, and nutrition.

There is now a network of over 400 women artisans in over 40 cooperatives throughout the rural highlands of Guatemala. Below are images from the small town of Comolapa we visited, watching as the artisans worked in a weaving cooperative on floor looms, making fabric by hand that would ultimately become the perfect market tote or evening clutch… but this time, with a story of change. I love carrying mine around the city, feeling the fabric under my fingers and the spirit of these women inspiring me to take control of life while being an expert in my artistry.

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Cartier Etourdissant dazzles in Miami

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It was a perfect night. The air, so warm and sticky the way summers on the east coast play back like flickering memories of an old movie scene. Cartier had come to Miami to unveil the newest precious pieces of their high jewelry collection “Cartier Etourdissant” along with priceless vintage creations of years past and dazzling standards of this modern era.

Being invited to galas such as these are always personal princess moments. An armed guard, not unlike a fairy godmother, shows up and adorns you in diamonds for the evening leaving you swanning around the room as if you were floating in a glass of champagne. I don’t know what it is about diamonds at night, which sparkle off our warm bodies so alive with breath and wonderment, but I just always feel as if they look like someone caught the twinkling stars and wrapped them around us in a cloak of fairy dust.

This collection is especially sentimental to me. Not only for the history of Cartier, who most notably made the setting for the Hope Diamond and adorned the heads of Royalty for some of their biggest moments in history, but because it was inspired by the French Riviera, one of my favorite places on earth. There is nothing like the light and artistic inspirations of France and in the designs of these pieces they transform light like a quiet afternoon dancing in the sun along the Côte d’Azur. I could stare into the pieces forever remember the best moments in life and dreaming of all the ones I desire for the future.

It was glamorous. Hosted at the new Faena Saxony Hotel in Miami along the turquoise sea it felt like a modern reenactment of a Jay Gatsby party which must have been the inspiration for director Baz Luhrmann when he designed the interior of the hotel.  Faena Miami has been waiting for this moment to be brought to life, to be filled with the sounds of champagne bottles popping, distant laughter, models poised in priceless jewels, jazz music and the salty taste of caviar. Maybe it was the setting that made me feel so nostalgic or the glittering private crowd there mirroring the moonlight off the ocean but I looked around the room wondered how could anything bad ever happen in a world that can create this much beauty out of human vision and love.

In a red Dior dress I watched the room ebb and flow and thought of that line from The Great Gatsby: “In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.” and smiled, for I can always go back to this memory on a cold winter day and recall that life can really sparkle if we open our eyes.

Below, I invite you to experience some of my favorite moments and unforgettable pieces from the gala by Cartier~

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MICAM

MICAM, Milan, ItalyWhen I think of Milan I think of luxury leather goods. I knew visiting this fashion capital to attend the MICAM International Trade Show for shoes would be a learning experience thick in Italian culture. Much like the trade shows in the United States you wander from isle to isle to an endless stream of ideas, inspiration and innovation. It’s here where Italy’s top accessory designers showcase not only craftsmanship but how they are bringing new technologies into our footwear and will shape the way we walk, manufacture and desire shoes. It’s also here where buyers from major department stores to small boutiques come to see the shoes and place the orders that will arrive in store six months from now.

It’s an endless steam of beauty covering every design you could ever imagine.  Broken up into five adult categories: luxury such as Alberto Gozzi, urban like Franceschetti, contemporary such as Apepazza,  cosmopolitan like designer Andra Morelli, and international with brands like United Nude.

It’s impossible to imagine how these buyers ever narrow down the choices from the vast options of brands showing. Of course as I roamed the pavilions I started noticing trends in shoes. What it looks like to me is a future of highly designed fashion sneakers and an updated playful version of the Birkenstock. Neither of which are my style personally, but below are a few shoe moments from MICAM where I wish I could have bought the shoes right then and now from these new Italian designers welcomed into my world.

  MICAM, Milan, Italy  Continue reading “MICAM”

Marchesa

Marchesa Spring / Summer 2016 collection at the St. Regis New York for NYFW. It was as if someone opened a gilded bird cage and released a menagerie of exotic creatures loose in the middle of Manhattan watching Marchesa‘s spring summer collection emerge at the glamorous St. Regis New York. The fearless gowns were unapologetic in volume and romance, as if whom ever would wear such pieces of art would have the entire gardens of Versailles to swan around in under the might night sky. From the rainbow ombre tulle to the tiers of feathers, caged corsets to the gilded thread work, this is Marchesa’s imagined enchanted aviary garden set to the chorus of “Addicted to Love” and addicted, I am.

Marchesa Spring / Summer 2016 collection at the St. Regis New York for NYFW.      Marchesa Spring / Summer 2016 collection at the St. Regis New York for NYFW. Continue reading “Marchesa”

Supermodel Comfort

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You know her face.  A fashion darling she’s a cover girl, shot for campaigns with Estée Lauder and Tiffany & Co, and this fall is starring in the new stunning Oscar de la Renta ads.

But what you don’t see behind this classic American beauty is a woman who likes to surf out in Montauk and throw on a pair of warm soft UGG boots when she emerges from the cold North Atlantic ocean. So it was no surprise when UGG tapped her to be the face of their new Classic Luxe Collection, a more refined fashion forward take on the comfort of UGG boots. I spoke to Carolyn about how a woman as chic and timeless as she is can pull off an UGG moment and she suggested wearing the new Abree style this fall “with a pair of leather pants, crisp button down and wool coat so now you don’t have to be afraid to wear your UGG boots out of the house.” Comfort can be a beautiful thing.

Above, Carolyn Murphy photographed in New York City in UGG’s Abree boot in black styled with white Miachel Kors pants and a Stella McCartney blazer.

 

MET Gala 2015

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Once again I had the privilege to cover the red carpet with the Met Museum‘s social media team capturing what is the coined “the party of the year” for the museum’s new fashion exhibition China Through the Looking Glass. From gowns that took  two years to create, to ones that appear completely see-though, it was one breathtaking moment after the next and I’m happy to share with you images from the front lines, captured using my iPhone 6, of my favorite Met Gala 2015 moments….

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