L R N C E

The internet is a curious and fascinating place. My friend (and photographer!) Laura Paul stumbled onto the Instagram account of this rad bag company L R N C E, and passed it along to me. Many swoons ensued, but it's proven silly difficult to track these beauts down online in any actionable way. 

I reached out to Belgium-based Laurence Leenaert and learned she is in the middle of an internship with BLESS, and about to start another with Stine Goya. Her bags are inspired by voodoo and religious iconography.  Laurence told me a bit more about it:

The textiles are woven fabrics with prints I've made based on signs from cults and African tribes. All the other fabrics are self-coloured. I like to experiment with materials that are not intended for clothing... Every piece is unique and there is only one of it - I think it's important for my product that it is exclusive.

TenOverSix, Opening Ceremony, Ooga Booga, you listening? Get these babes alongside your amazing merch already. The gold foil! And the squiggly cool designs! Major love.

apiece apart ss 2014

Apiece Apart always brings it. Color palette and cut and prints, just perfect.

holiday wrappings

I am totally one of those nuts who meticulously unwraps gifts, trying my best to preserve each piece of twine and each fold of paper. Yes, I reuse them! Yes, I have a box filled with wrapping supplies. IT'S FINE. In fact, I think it could use some improvement. Washi tape 4L.

Since I completely missed the boat on gift guides this year, I thought I'd do a roundup of some of my favorite gift wrap inspirations. Lately, I've just been wrapping in simple brown paper, adding some gold string, and affixing a pretty twig or branch from around my neighborhood.

Check out my Pinterest 'festive' board for lots more...

the Genus Chair by Philip Estlund

The Genus Chairs... brought to you by the dreams of my childhood. No but actually, brought to you by Philip Estlund, an Athens-born, now NY and Florida-based sculptor and collage artist. He happened upon the idea for the Genus Chairs while working with paper cutouts from field guides and nature books, laying the scraps on the surfaces of his home as he worked. Laid upon his Eames fiberglass chair (but of course), Estlund realized the now technicolor, dimensional chair was a real bit of magic. The series, created for Grey Area, includes mushrooms, crystals, sealife, and flora.

mum & co.

Really, really stunning leather pieces by Mum & Co. I love their story - so I won't use too much self control by keeping it to myself:

"The story is quite short, and it all happened at home. My mother has two daughters whose tastes are simply exquisite. Simply put, it is not easy to satisfy their needs. This by no means refers to culinary matters, but to all the bits and pieces they love to be surrounded with. Apparently, that's what girls are used to. Sooner or later, one of them had to - tired of looking for the stylish, leather backpack - ask Mum for help. And mum, as all mums do, would do anything for her daughters. So this time too she was ready to put aside any of her other full-time responsibilities, and stand up to the task."

Moms are the best. And would you believe me if I told you that each of these hand-crafted-by-Mum beauties were actually kinda-sorta affordable? I know, right? Check 'em out.

Lindsey Hampton

Andd, thank you again, Tumblr. Stumbled here randomly and fell in love with all of the whimsical, wonderful ceramic creations that fill its sweet endlessly-scrollable pages. Lindsey Hampton is the Vancouver-based creator of these beauts, and her personal website is chock full of inspiring eye candy (design work. photography, jewelry). Check it out.

reality studio ss/14

Berlin-based Reality Studio killing it in the color and cut department. I blogged about their killer cork and leather line of shoes a bit ago; These pieces from their ss '14 line would complete the look. I love the cloudy blue overcoats especially. Dream.