Image: Bride and Bloom Fall 2008 issue
Bride and Bloom magazine contacted us a while back for a special project. This is the result.
This invitation suite is based on the concept of recipes. Beloved family recipes, passed on from generation to generation is a metaphor for sharing and enjoying. Recipes conjure images of sharing good food, good company, good conversation, good times … much like a wedding… yes?
image source here.
A few weeks ago, a friend from Indonesia (where I was born) introduced me to the current managing partner of Irwan Tirta Batik. Mr Tirta is one of the most revered batik designers in the world and often credited with introducing batik to the rest of the world. In short, he is a national treasure in our country.
Batik art is considered one of the “royal arts” in Indonesia, along with shadow plays of wayang purwa, the Javanese percussion orchestra of gamelan, poetry and other arts. Most of us know that the creation of batik involves drawing beautiful designs on cloth using wax. This is followed by the dyeing process where areas uncovered by the wax are colored. This is a tedious and painstaking process that takes months to complete.
What many don’t know is, beyond the enchanting aesthetics of batik art, its philosophy is rooted in spiritual discipline of control, etiquette and harmony.In creating batik art, breathing and total concentration (elements of meditation) are essential. Controlled breathing and a clear mind is a prerequisite to drawing fine, even lines with canting (wax).
Image source: here. Batik created for the Prime Minister of New Zealand, a pattern incorporating ferns and lilies was created according to the traditional lozenge geometric composition.
Mr. Tirta’s work goes beyond textiles; his motifs have been realized in silverware, ceramics, fashion and other forms.
Image: Art School Girl
I love the artisan quality of Art School Girl’s work. Unexpected elements and textures bring so much richness to her pieces.
Image: the new orleans 100
Take a look at all the good that’s happened in New Orleans since Katrina.
“The New Orleans 100” is a worldwide initiative that will highlight and encourage discussion among millions about 100 of the most innovative and world-changing ideas to take root in the city since Katrina.”
I got a few inquiries about how the tea-towels came to be. Here’s the scoop on how we were inspired to create this piece and how the concept was carried through to the invitations and other details.
The couple first met at a bar called “Butter”. For centuries, butter has been the gourmand’s faithful ally, the secret ingredient to good food, a symbol of good living. Iris and Travis are both food lovers so we thought it apt to take this basic ingredient as our inspiration to concoct the beginnings of a delicious wedding.
photos: chewing the cud
The tea-towels were the first indication to their guests of this fun and chic wedding. The couple fell in love with one of the invitation styles from our signature collection: Good Old Days. They opted for this style instead of going the custom design route. It’s worked out beautifully. The images are of a sample set to protect the couple’s privacy since they are not yet married as of this post.
Recently, we were tipped off that our work might have been featured in the current issue of Brides Washington D.C. and Chicago. Maria of Ritzy Bee, being from the D.C. area, was kind enough to confirm it and even picked up a copy of the magazine to send to us. What a sweetheart!
Photos: chewing the cud
As it turns out, not one but two of our pieces were featured in the article about innovative save-the-dates. These bookmark-the-date pieces received some blog love from Abby of Style Me Pretty recently. Thank you ladies!!
On a separate note, Abby just had a little girl. Congratulations mama + bebe!
Images from the Virtual Shoe Museum
When I first saw Michel Tcherevkoff’s work, my jaw dropped. With no formal training, this Paris-born law school graduate became hooked on photography after visiting his sister, a model in New York. His images of technicolor palette with avant-garde design are just amazing. Chic, technical and artistic all at the same time. Check out his Shoe Fleur series. A shoe fantasy indeed!
images: curio books; Harrison Loves His Umbrella 1964
curio books is a wonderful place to lose yourself in. they carry (and treat) a lot of out-of-print books from the 1930s to the 1980s, from all over the world.
images: curio books; Very Far Away, 1957
images: curio books; The Underground Sketchbook of Tomi Ungerer, 1964
Some of my personal favourites: Maurice Sendak,Tomi Ungerer and Bruno Munari.
Door plate. Edition Schellmann. Munich, Germany. April 2006. Source here.
I chanced upon Santiago Sierra’s work a while back and his pieces intrigued me to learn more about this artist. Sierra is a Spanish artist whose work reflects his views on capitalism, labor, and exploitation.
You can listen to a mexican citizen reciting the text from the door plate (above) here.
Images from Love Stories
I have long admired (ok drooled over) the work of typographer and designer Marian Bantjes. Her Love Stories series for Creative Review is so beautiful and heartfelt. More of her work here. In addition to her impressive portfolio, her writings have been featured by numerous publications.
