Another Fun Contest

Even if I don't win that Free People contest, it sure was fun to create a design. I've decided is what the world needs is more deadlines, pressure, competitiveness. That's what got me to sit down and DO it. The thrill of the hunt + the thrill of being chased (by the clock, that is). Adrenaline is a tricky thing to harness, but if you do, the world is your oyster, ulcers be darned.
So I hunted down another contest, plus something almost as fun.
And last, but not least, yet another designer I need you to know about.

Bonbon kakku fabrics

Bonbon Kakku is a site that sells fabric designed exclusively by the winners of the contests it holds. The current contest ends July 31, so you have plenty of time to design a fabric. Below are some designs the site currently has for sale:

Bountee

Now say, just hypothetically, that designing fabric isn't really your thing. But T-shirts totally are. In that case, come with me. Bountee will print your design on tees and sell them for you! Let's see some ejemplos:





Not bad, not bad at all. And the prices are totally reasonable, often less than $20. Now this isn't a contest per se, but people vote on your designs and the goal is to get enough love to get your design on the "most wanted" list cause that's what most people shop. So there's still a chance to bare those teeth.

Hengst

There must always be fashion, so I present to you: Hengst.





Love that flapper hair. And that's a quilted neoprene corset.
And for the best tea you ever had, I recommend:


Republic of Tea Moroccan Mint.
Stay cool; stay in school. ;)

Check it O-U-T

My brother is a super-talented graphic designer/typographer/genius who just got his CUTE little website up and running:

FLORIANBROZEK.COM

Let's take a look at some of his work and see what I mean by "genius":


D and I have this lithograph hanging in our bedroom!




These are woodcut illustrations F did for a book he wrote (yes, as in made up the story) AND designed the typeface for (as in the LETTERS AND how they fit together) AND typeset AND hand-bound. Whoa, there. Talk about the whole enchilada AND a bag of chips!


F doesn't know it yet, but he may be in charge of designing D's and mine wedding invites and/or thank you notes. We plan to compensate him with leftovers. ;)

Yet another cool designer

White Trumpet. I tell you, they have got it goin on in the UK!
This collection is inspired by the very simple: triangle. That's all.




We support you, Flo! We love clothes! We are signing off! Love to all!

Where Have I Been All My Life??

Well, recently I've been AWOL preparing for the apocalypse. That's right, the end times are upon us. Here in Berkeley the sun has been a neon bloody unholy red for the past week as the smoke from 1,000 wildfires chokes it.
Student loan options are disappearing as quickly as I find out about them due to "inadequate profit" concerns.
Children will no longer be able to feast upon pineapple at school vis a vis food price increases.
I saw a dead mouse on the sidewalk a few days ago.
Signs, people, signs right before our very eyes.
Which brings me to a word whose sound I like: grim. Yes, grim.
But enough sunshine and rainbows, right?
This blog does not wish to concern itself with matters outside the realms of fashion, design, and general wellbeing so we'll continue straightaway to today's program:

THINGS I'VE GONE AND MADE.

Free People is having a Design A Bag Contest. Basically, you are supposed to create, using no more than 3 preferably cool colors a design that they'll print on the reusable shopping bags they use at their store.
The deadline is tomorrow. Today I spent all day getting fancy and footloose free with our ghetto version of fauxtoshop. Here is the concept:


I took basic music notes and by repeating and combining then created some floral and bird motifs:


Which I then spruced up a la Free People. Here are my two best designs, one of which I'll submit tomorrow. I think I know which one I want to send, but what do you think?




Also, since my cousin is getting married soon, I am making her a crochet pillow case. Here is a preview of my crochet motif and colors:



This dress is marked down to 99 from 400-something on Anthro:


I had to get it. ;) Hope it fits! And hope you are all well. Don't be too depressed about the pineapple. I hear it will be replaced with pine nuts and apples.

For the Discerning Swimmer

Pistol Panties.
I heart retro glam. The sherbet two-tone one with the single shoulder ruffle is called the Lola. These be cute.
And of course we need matching "swim" shoes. From out of left field: Kathryn Amberleigh.




These are SMOKIN'!
Ha! And this counts as my Thursday post since it is after midnight!

I love my new job, Dylan

...and I will always love it. Jobs are like loves, the first one always has a special place in your heart. Not that this is my first job, but it is my first retail job and therefore will forever be idealized. In case some of us got the wrong message about my commute "rant" earlier, today I would like to share a few things that make my commute very special, and I would like to point out that my exasperation with the commute is entirely separate from any feelings I may have about my job:

1)The newspaper man outside the BART. Me and him are buds and he always tells me I look nice, even on casual Fridays (which don't exist anymore since I got my new job)
2)The bike path from my house to the BART. It is flanked by community gardens, parks, playgrounds, tennis courts, and basically all sorts of things that foster community. It smells good. It reminds me a teeny bit of Ghost Ranch. The nature part of it, I guess.
3)Podcasts. Ira Glass and Terri Gross ROCK my morning commute. They give me things to mull over, they keep my brain alive.
4)Morning lattes. Are bad for the environment, I know. But they feel so luxurious and taste so good.
5)Brave and beautiful people. They're everywhere.

Guys, hey guys, so I found this new blog Ill Seen, Ill Said and it has some fabulous fashion sense. So today I thought I'd share a few discoveries made there and "feature" some of the designers that we sell in my lovely new boutique, Jennifer Croll.

Comrags:


Wow. J. Crew meets...Green Peace. I love her devil-may-care stance, her "work-appropriate" footwear, and her headband. Very "Berkeley."


Close-up of the shoes later.


Rustic Flapper. Yet another juxtaposition that leaves me speechless and giddy.


I love this fabric and this silouette. May try to sew myself a dress akin to this one.


Cute top. Cute bag.


Shoe close-up.

Ports 1961:





Awesome photo styling (and clothes).



Killer shoes.

Now these are some of the designers at my boutique. Let's list them first, just for fun: Cynthia Steffe, Trina Turk, Nanette Lepore, Theory, Susana Monaco. Those are the main ones.

Starting with: Cynthia Steffe.



Trina Turk:



Nanette Lepore:



Theory:



Susana Monaco:



That's all for now, Sunshine.