Sofia Style: Loup Charmant Grounded Chic

Summer time in Sofia is about cool minimalist geometry and new angles on life. I spend a lot of time each day walking through different neighborhoods with the twins and our dog, Finn. I try to simply allow things to come into focus and meld together as they cross my path. I have to be honest and confess that I have been wearing this black Loup Charmant organic cotton slip a lot – either layered over cropped leggings or as a shift on hot summer days.

I also wear it in the garden to weed in my little plot outside our building as well as on the terrace at night when I open a bottle of good red wine. I have never had a piece of clothing that allows me to dream so much while remaining grounded and at peace.

Thanks, Kee Edwards, for making such a pure and simple designs for women to celebrate who they really are. I love all of my Loup Charmant pieces. (*Necklace is my own creation made on the fly out of ethnic beads, broken crystal chandelier parts, and waxed linen thread).

Being Still

See you after the weekend  ... taking flight soon!

via LiveandEnliven

MAKENEW Vintage: Storytelling and Reader Give-Away Now Thru June 17 (Share Your Comments)

Makenew's Country Grafik Collection by Anna Gilkerson

If you do not already know about Makenew's edited vintage collection, take note, as it is one of the best online sources for chic and affordable designer label finds. The cool story behind Makenew and designer Anna Gilkerson's journey is an intriguing one, and certainly sets new standards for designers taking matters into their own hands to reduce textile and garment waste in the fashion industry. 

"Makenew offers a carefully selected assortment of designer, thrift, and genuine vintage clothing and accessories. Products include high end designer labels, union made, domestically made, handmade, vintage of twenty years plus, and true vintage, which is typically pre-mass production circa 1940s/50s/60s."

Some of my favorite picks from  Makenew's latest Grafik Collection:

Left to right: 80's style nautical corset dress; 70's floral grafik knit blouse; Vintage Aldo cocoa suede chain purse; Wood chunk woven belt; French sailor shorts; and Deux fm Cocoa Mystique eco string bikini (center)

As Anna Gilkerson, founder of Makenew describes, "We see the production of new clothing lessened by reintegrating the clothing already made back into the system. Instead of throwing mass amounts of used clothing into landfills, we can locally ship the garments out to used clothing centers. Items are looked over, repriced competitively while tired items are weeded out to be re-used or recycled."

"In-house tailors and sewers suit the needs of the customers. Custom-fittings and alterations can make an old garment look and feel new again. Style editing, altering, and all detailing is prepared for you. Every piece is carefully hand selected to be a part of a current and ongoing collection. As the seasons pass and trends come and go, new collections are integrated and old collections go on sale."

Makenew's Retro 90's white cross swimsuit

Between today and June 17th, Ecco*Eco readers who leave comments about one of their own favorite second-hand clothing or accessory items and why it has such resonance, will be eligible to win a free item of their choice from Makenew's shop. Your comment must be submitted by the end of the day, Friday, June 17th, in order to be considered.

Please share with like-minded vintage and second-hand style mavens. Creative comments and storytelling is encouraged. Winner to be announced on Monday, June 19, 2011.

Fashioning Self: Ceramic Jewelry Expressions

Handcrafted porcelain and woven linen 'Rococo' necklace by Evert Nijland

Porcelain crafted No. 4 Brooch (2007) by Rian de Jong

The Dowry (2008) crafted out of 'porcelain dishwear' by Marie Pendariès

A Bit of Clay on the Skin: New Ceramic Jewelry

at the Museum of Arts and Design in NYC

on view through September 4, 2011

(images courtesy of the artists and Art Aurea)

Fashioning Self Gets Wild and Woolly

Handmade wool creation by Melina Antonopoulos

It has been a wild and woolly few weeks for me with non-stop writing, art/fashion events, and talks related to fashioning self and fiber. I am really looking forward to some quiet time in my studio next week preparing for some upcoming exhibitions and shows.

Until then, I wanted to share this recent article that I wrote for EcoSalon today. 'The Wilder Side of Fashioning Self and the Environment' features some of my favorite artists and designers who work with natural materials and fiber. Have a beautiful weekend, everyone, and thanks for all of the support and inspiration.

Handmade wool creation by Melina Antonopoulos

Savage Beauty & Sustainability

My review of Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty appears on EcoSalon.

*Photography by Sølve Sundsbø via the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Blog

Fashioning Self and the Environment Gifts: Futurenatural Organic Beauty and Little Cupcakes Bakeshop

Talk about organic lusciousness

A special thanks to Emma Pezzack at the organic beauty emporium, Futurenatural, for providing some amazing product samples and coupons for our give away totes at Fashioning Self and the Environment this evening. Suki foaming cleanser, Kahina eye serum, Kaia biodegradable, bamboo facial cleansing cloths, John Masters organic shampoo, and Strange Invisible perfume will be tucked in our satchels.

And to make it all a bit sweeter we will be serving mini-cupcakes from the Little Cupcake Bakeshop in Manhattan/Brooklyn as well as Santa Julia Organic Chardonnay.

Thank you to everyone for all of your support and efforts. 

I think that it is now time to celebrate!

Green Inspiration: Tree Drawings by Tim Knowles

Tree Drawing by Tim Knowles

Welcome to Spring 2011 and a fresh green canvas of new possibilities. I love the work of artist Tim Knowles, particularly his Tree Drawing Project, pictured above. This image makes me wonder what sort of fashion creation a tree's branches might render if the idea was tossed out into the wind. Swaying green arboreal couture?

Ceca Georgieva's Silk Cord Cuffs

So smitten with my new handmade sewn silk cord bracelet by Bulgarian fiber artist friend, Ceca Georgieva. You might recall Ceca's green jewelry experiments, crafted out of vegetation and fiber from her open air studio under the shadow of Mount Vitosha here in Sofia. 

I photographed her design with a backdrop of desert vegetation in anticipation of wearing this piece during my upcoming residency at The LAND/an art site in New Mexico. Cannot wait to be out under open sky exploring ideas related to fashioning self and the environment.

More of Ceca's wearable fiber designs are findable here.

(photos by Abigail Doan)

UNRAVEL: Knitwear in Fashion Opens Soon at MoMu

UNRAVEL. Knitwear in Fashion

 16 March to 14 August, 2011 

MoMu presents the exhibition, UNRAVEL. Knitwear in Fashion.

"The upcoming MoMu exhibition will introduce the visitor to a wide variety of exquisite knitted garments and accessories from across the last centuries, with a focus on high fashion pieces and their vernacular interpretations. Top pieces by national and international designers and labels (Ann Salens, Vivienne Westwood, Sonia Rykiel, Missoni) historic couture pieces (Schiaparelli, Patou, Chanel) as well as more avant-garde and cutting edge pieces by established designers and newcomers on the international fashion scene (Sandra Backlund, Maison Martin Margiela, Mark Fast), will sit side by side to reveal the richness and diversity of knitwear in high fashion.

The exhibition will address the important decades of knitwear in fashion, demonstrating knitwear’s popularity both on and off the catwalk, and unravelling the changing status of the relationship between knitwear and fashion. Thematically, it will showcase the various roles knitwear has played in social and fashion (r)evolutions and will address knitwear’s different and fluid association with comfort, wellbeing and chic. 

With  ‘Unravel: Knitwear in Fashion’, MoMu and Woolmark proudly present a mix of contemporary and classic knitwear design houses, as well as young designers and historical garments. The exhibition will challenge certain established ideas and show that far from being old-fashioned and dowdy- knitting is highly versatile, luxurious and  a continuing source of inspiration for high end fashion."

The exhibition catalogue will be published by the Fashion Museum and Lannoo Publishers (as of March 16th, 2011).

via Momu's website / Mark Fast image via Fashiongrapher

How I Wear Andrea Gutierrez Jewelry

My husband just returned to Sofia after a week in NYC for work. As part of the care package that traveled back to Bulgaria, I received this amazing one-of-a-kind luxe beaded cuff from designer Andrea Gutierrez. 

How gorgeous is this cuff piece and it's surface texture and topography of recycled beads, gems, and vintage finds? It looks fantastic with my old winter tweed coat as I walk down the cobbled streets of our quiet neighborhood. 

Dried vines, dessicated winter leaves, and moody Eastern European skies really come to life when I am wearing it. Andrea's work has been featured in Coco Eco magazine as well as on celebrities and women in the know globally. This was just the sort of wardrobe injection that I needed as I transition to a spring state of mind.

Thank you so much, Andrea, for your support and your hard work as a designer finding innovative ways to recycle cast-off materials while also adding some genuine beauty to our fragile though resilient landscape and the roads we all travel.

Learn more about Andrea Gutierrez on the designer's Facebook page.

*photos by Abigail Doan

Save the Date: Fashioning Self and the Environment, An Earth Day Event at Brooklyn's Textile Arts Center

Titania Inglis Spring/Summer 2011 Collection

Save the Date for  this Earth Day event at the Textile Arts Center

in Brooklyn on Friday, April 22, 2011 

Join me for Earth Day 2011 to explore ideas related to fashioning self and our shared environment. Invited artists and local sustainable fashion designers will feature their own fiber, textile, and green design initiatives, as well as offering activities related to slow fashion styling and organic interactions with the environment.

Visitors will be able chat first hand with presenters, participate in on-site activities, and celebrate Earth Day 2011 with refreshments and treats from local sponsors and green businesses.

Susan Benarcik, Meiling Chen of Fearless Dreamer, Abigail Doan, Daria Dorosh, Eko-Lab, Titania Inglis, Eve Mosher, and Zoe Sheehan Saldana – are just a few of the names who will be participating.

Organically Grown sculpture by Susan Benarcik

Friday, April 22, 2011 from 6-9PM

rsvp@textileartscenter.com

'Snake and Molting' Legwear by Camille Cortet

There is no doubt that February is the month when we begin fantasizing about shedding our layers and sloughing off winter skin in preparation for the warmer days ahead. 

Designer Camille Cortet wants to aid in this process with her Snake and Molting legwear, designed out of laser cut fabric that shows cumulative wear and tear based on the user's activity.

Snake and Molting legwear is part of Cortet's 'Transformations: Body Ornaments' series. 

The designer states, "By observing animals’ transformations we understand their behaviours, and ... thus start a process of transformation. My process is to (simulate) these animal inspired behaviours in 3 stages: copying, merging, and translating. The translation stage is about adapting these behaviours to our own culture. It is a way to create new gestures and a new body language within clothing and ornaments."

If biomimicry is what it takes to get you through the last stretch of winter, by all means slither around in some conceptual legwear that will not only be a conversation starter, but leave you feeling lighter as you snake your way into spring 2011.

via Dezeen

Berlin Fashion Week: Image of The Day

image by TOMAAS

On My Work Table in Sofia: Week 3

'Bulgarian tableau 03': materials include recycled lace, vegetation, moss, knotted wool, thread, paper cut outs, and collaged photo spread from a 2009 edition of W magazine 

(image created by Abigail Doan/Sofia 2010)

Fashioning Self: Nygårdsanna Nature

Nygårdsanna is a brand from southern Sweden, founded by designer Anna Bengtsson. The brand name comes from Nygården, a farm in Dalarna where Anna Bengtsson’s ancestors lived. The latest collection features a natural, earth-hued palette of linen, cotton, and silk. 

Lookbook photography by Carl Bengtsson / via We Are Selecters

Fashioning Self: Wild and Woolly Adaptation

We cannot think about 'fashioning self' without factoring in how we fashion our ideas about the environment. Extreme experimentation is perhaps the best way of arriving at new shores for balance and wild adaptation.

images via 'She Treads The Wilderness' feature on Absorb

Let's Walk the Talk of Sustainable Style

Vivienne Westwood with models at the conclusion of her LFW show

It is probably rule number one to not blog about a previous fashion week when the next one is already underway. New York had its moment last week, and now our gaze has drifted over the pond to see what London has on tap. Given that I came across this stunning article on ‘models storming the catwalk to end the tyranny of size zero’ in today’s online version of The Guardian, I must chime in with some additional thoughts on the runway casting of models, and the messages that we send regarding sustainable health and style.

Backstage at Bright Young Things  (photo by Nicole Lenzen)

Size matters as does age, not to mention the ability to age well. When I was having my make-up done backstage prior to the Bright Young Things runway presentation for The GreenShows, I was complimented on having long lashes and healthy hair, which made me feel quite lustrous as a 44 year old woman who is perpetually sleep-deprived due to my toddler twins. It was great to feel special in conjunction with the diversity of lovely models that BYT designer, Eliza Starbuck, had hand-picked. In addition to a line up varying body types, ethnicities, and professional backgrounds, Eliza also included two women considerably older than your average runway nymph.

'Bright Young Things' with Eliza Starbuck (photo by Elisa Hyman)

I really do not have any sort of agenda in terms of why I participated in The GreenShows besides supporting the work of a talented designer and growing community that I believe in (and also wanting to have a bit of dress up play in the process). It is interesting, though, to absorb some of the reactions that I have received since last Tuesday’s show - everything from sisterhood praise to emphatic comments that people who are not models have no business strutting down a runway.

A 'Bright Young Thing' shining bright (photo by Nicole Lenzen)

And to that, I just want to clarify that sustainable fashion is very much about materials, methods, and outreach efforts, but it is also about women and men having healthy relationships with their own bodies and, in turn, the environment. Creative styling and genuine self-awareness are very much a part of the overall equation that feeds the ebb and flow of goods as well as the confidence that informs our purchasing power. 

Pre-show glow (photo by Nicole Lenzen)

As part of the fine tuning of what sustainable fashion might encompass, it seems that we cannot exclude the unique role of the individual, not only in terms of responsible lifestyle choices, but also our ability to fashion ourselves in a way that allows us to participate in the long-term love affair that we have with our clothes, accessories, and most importantly, our self. Until we see ourselves as worthy of sharing the runway, we will continue to remain somewhat disconnected from our surroundings and the resources that fuel fashion houses as much as our true desires.