Frocks and rugs

While I'm knee deep in projects for the Toronto International Film Festival I thought I'd take sec and share these snaps with you. Gorgeous, no? They're shot by Vivianne Sassen and styled by Yasmine Eslami and were snagged from the current Liberty magazine (have a look here). The story, to me at least, shows how seamlessly fashion and interiors seem to creatively bounce off one another, with incredibly lush and inspiring results. Oh, and of course it isn't just about the clothes. Each of the rugs, and even that rather barmy chaise lounge, is for sale.

Give me Mercy and give me Liberty

I'd heard that Richard Lyle and Jennifer Halchuk of fashionably cool clothing line Mercy were having a Sample Sale, but what I didn't realise (until the v. stylish Nathalie Atkinson kindly emailed me) is that they're also selling some of the gorgeous Liberty fabrics they've used in recent collections. Umm, hello, Liberty fabric (and others) starting at around $25 a yard! I'm starting to get palpitations thinking about all the smashing pillows I could make, or maybe a quilt, perhaps upholster a chair seat or two... The Sample Sale runs from now until Sunday in Toronto - click here for the studio address - and if I elbow you while rummaging through bolts of fabric, I'm sorry.

The industrial Dutch at V&R

I saw all the Tweets about the ultra cool Viktor & Rolf runway show in Paris for Fall/Winter 2010, but only just realized that there was an extra layer of fabulous added to the show by the edgy Dutch design team of Studio Job. The couple behind Studio Job - Nynke and Job - collaborated with V&R and designed that stunner of a backdrop, inspired by the marquetry designs on Industry, this collection of furniture and objects created back in '08. Love it, love the tones of grey, and can totally see it as a surface treatment on textiles or wallpaper. And well, it doesn't hurt that I've always had a thing for erstwhile supermodel Kristen McMenamy - who V&R undress and then re-dress on a revolving stage - ever since she shaved her eyebrows off back in the '90's. Ah, the things we remember from Fashion Television and Ms. Jeanne Beker...

 

Guest blog / Julia Black: On the runway, in the garden

Julia Black: What do you get when superstar designers from the worlds of fashion and outdoor furniture collide? The answer: You get the latest collection of outdoor furniture from Andrew Richard Designs gussied up with fabrics inspired by Bustle, the renowned Canadian sportswear label designed by Shawn Hewson and Ruth Promislow. Bustle's Muskoka-ready collection first made it’s appearance at LG Fashion Week back in October '09, but the official launch of the outdoor fabrics was celebrated at IDS10. Having caught up with Andrew Bockner of ARD, he reminded me that even though we (at that point) were only in mid-January, there’s really no reason why we can’t start gearing up and getting excited for summertime fashions and oh-so-stylish outdoor furniture a-la Andrew Richard Designs. The Cottage Style line of outdoor fabrics brings a dose of preppy fashion to the outdoors with watery blues and coral-coloured plaids, polo-esque stripes, and sailor-blue solids. Okay, now where's the sun? [Image 1: George Pimentel]

To read more posts from Julia click here, and to check out her cool blog click here.

Boxing day comes early

I do love a bit of good packaging, so when I was shopping in H&M the other day and saw these fab gift boxes I knew I had to post them. The snaps below show the lids of the boxes which have a cool trompe l'oeil photo of a box-in-a-box-in-a-box-in-a-box. Love the fashion-y animal print one, the red patterned option feels fresh, crafty and Swedish, and the painterly kid's design is super sweet. All three were designed at H&M's Swedish headquarters, and are free with purchase. And hey, anything that doesn't need to be wrapped with paper and then tied with ribbon this time of year gets my vote, though you might decide they're too cool to gift and keep them all for yourself.

{Giving it} Virginia Johnson for Hudson's Bay Co.

Giving it is all about my take on what makes a great gift. Phew, since last week my brain has been totally wrapped up in creating an overgrown English garden in a studio for a book cover shoot. Fun and lots of work... Anyways, back to gifting! I am a huge fan of Canadian designer Virginia Johnson, and just love her point of view, whether it's illustrating a book for Kate Spade or creating printed fabrics that always feel loose, fresh and summery. So, you can guess I was super happy to discover she'd created a special lightweight scarf smothered in bright and sketchy elks as part of HBC's new Hudson's Bay Company Collection. If you fancy one, or fancy giving one to a v. special person, then check out the full collection at The Bay's Queen Street location (yep, along with Best Made Co's point blanket inspired axes).

Galliano rocks a tree

Ah yes, time for a bit of glamour. I don't know about you, but a good dose of something spectacular is just the kind of kick in the pants I need. And today's inspirational kick is courtesy of fashion designer extraordinaire John Galliano, who created his version of a Christmas tree without an evergreen twig in sight. Instead Galliano's tree is smothered in orchids, butterflies and a rather chic leopard, all fashioned from papier-mache and inspired by the Orientalist vibe of his Fall/Winter '09 collection for Dior. If you'd like to take a gander at the tree you'll have to stop by Claridge's hotel in London, where it'll be on display until Jan 6th. Looking around for snaps of the project I discovered Galliano's original sketch, which gives a lovely peep inside the creative process, and just had to include too. Oh, and I have to thank Laird for the tip on this! Via Bornrich.

Over black?

The iPhone is such an iconic design object that's marvellous to hold and play with, let alone place a call, but, does it's slick black finish really match 'you'? Urban Outfiitters have stepped in with a series of happy/edgy/cool artist designed skins to mash things up a little, and take the look beyond basic black. I've picked a couple of my faves below which totally have a decor vibe - Blue Willow by Colin Thompson which, yep, happily borrows from your Gran's china, and Bunny Blossom by Kozyndan totally feels like a vintage wallpaper (I see it working with a navy velvet sofa, pea green wingbacks, a glass waterfall coffee table and an oak herringbone floor - but that's just me...).

   

 

Once more with feeling

Sometimes seeing a classic re-interpreted just makes you go hmmm, and that's what happened when I saw this shot of Bergere chairs; upholstered in a fantastic tropical leaf print and finished with a black frame and nailhead trim. Will we ever get tired of Bergeres? I think they've transcended the trend and have become part of our current design vernacular so, if you want my two cents, 'no' is the answer to that. 

I have chairs on the brain right now - along with lots of other stuff - since I'm on the hunt for occasional chairs for our new place. On my travels I've spied a pair of 40's-ish side chairs in a local mechanic's waiting room (of all places), that I'd love to get a hold of and re-upholster in African batik. Errr, I just re-read that last sentence and think that I might sound potentially certifiable, lol...

Via Swank Lighting's blog

Fresh and Finnish

I'd given you a sneaky look at Marimekko's Spring /09 releases here, but since there's so much smashing gear from them this season I wanted to post more. The patterns range from playful to edgy in colourways that span warm and bright to high contrast black, white and grey. In fact, after looking through their new line and continuing collections, I think we might be picking one of their fabrics as a drapery choice for our new living space (it's a toss-up between Frekvenssi by Harri Koskinen and Marhaba by Ikka Suppanen).

Another hot announcement is the launch of a new line of Marimekko wallpapers, produced by Italian firm Sirpi S.p.a. The papers are expected to hit shelves sometime after April and will be debuting shortly at all the best design trade shows (take a boo at the first shot below to see one of the papers, the following three shots are a taste of Spring). And, talking of wallpaper, if you'd like a Marimekko background wallpaper for your computer click here.

In Canada, touch base with the wonderful Marimekko Vancouver for info on the collections (they can get their hands on the whole shebang) and, of course, to have anything shipped chez vous. [Images: Copyright 2009 Marimekko Corporation. All rights reserved]

   

It's all going O.K.

It's official, Orla Kiely has ruined my weekend - We're heading off for a bit of cross-border fun and of course will be hitting Target, who have just released the fact that they'll be launching an Orla Kiely line of housewares that'll hit shelves Feb 1st. Ummm, I'll be there this weekend, not February!

The line of tableware, storage and even swanky aprons is all happily patterned with her trademark look (yes, the de-lovely pear print makes an appearance) and will most probably sell out within minutes. C'est la vie is all I can say...

Not content with cornering the housewares side of things, Ms. Kiely's line of mid-Century inspired furniture, for Heal's in the UK, has also set hearts a flutter. The rich walnut collection is peppered with Orla's patterns and warm colours, and has a classic style that echoes vintage Brit and Swedish furniture. The Lusk Sofa, as well as the Rowan dining table and chairs (all below) are some of my fave's. And, just to confirm that she obviously plans to take over the world, Bewley's Tea in Ireland recently released a Kiely designed tea caddy for their Gold Blend, which has already been spotted on eBay.

   

Orla Kiely for Target via sfgirlbybay 

What's new? Lots!

Getting a sneak peek at what some of my favourite retailers will be intro-ing for '09 is always super exciting and always gets the decorating part of my brain all happy. Take a boo at what's coming -

West Elm plunks for low-slung sofas and hits of lemon yellow, olive green, burnt orange and turquoise, and has totally upped their well-travelled vibe with Moroccan-ish tray tables, poufs in suede and cotton dhurrie, and ceramic camels and elephants - very Modern Souk.

CB2 (yes, they do ship to Canada) takes a more urban approach with a mix of modern and ethnic touches, orange, yellow and lime and on-trend touches of tie-dye (really!). I loved the rustic South American feel of this set of vases.

Zara Home slaps pattern on pattern in turquoise, sandy gold, cream and amethyst (all v. Moroccan again but with more of a layered flea-market twist) to make quite the chic impression - that striped gold glassware is just fab.

   

Feeling blanc and edgy

Stylistas and design junkies take note - The apartment atop the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine museum in Paris, designed by Art Deco era architect Jacques Carlu (yep, he's behind the Carlu in Toronto too) has a new resident. Courtesy of Elle Decoration and Ikea the space was given over to edgy fashion house Maison Martin Margiela for a complete re-design. The newly all-white interior is open to the public to tour - until Oct 01/09 - and shows quite the creative back-flip compared to its last decorator, Christian Lacroix, who dressed the space in a riot of colour and Baroque touches.

The walls have been covered with black and white 'photocopies' of a trad Hausmann style apartment, draped with silvery curtains and the floors mirrored in places or finished in a confetti covered trompe l’oeil surface that mimics white parquet. Piles of furniture feel sculptural slipcovered in white cotton and even a grand terrace, that overlooks the Eiffel Tower, is covered in white fake grass. The total effect is of a party that's been abandonded by its guests, and apparently this is just the start of something for Maison Martin Margiela, since they're now considering launching their own home line and taking on design projects.

Click here to take a video tour of the space (and practice your French!), and take a look below at the results. The last couple of shots show Christain Lacroix's version - Quite the difference, no? [images 1-3: Maison Martin Margiela/Marie-Pierre Morel. 4,5: Jean-Marc Pallisse]

    

Let there be discounts

'Tis the season for sample sales, and here's one that's definitely worth hitting - Bev Hisey, maker of fab carpets and cushions (yes, admittedly she's a friend but I do love her stuff; see more here) and Charlotte McKeough of Brave Brown Bag (a line of indestructibly chic bags that come in tons of colours) are getting together to hold a Winter Solstice Sale at Bev's studio space in Toronto. Head down to 1066 Dundas Street West on Dec 19th and 20th, between 10am-6pm, to score major discounts on some really wonderful gear and to meet them both.

   

No milk, just cool gear

I've had a soft spot for the Drake Hotel in Toronto ever since we held my 40th birthday there a couple of years back (it was a raucous, well-attended affair with a hot playlist from DJ D Parie, all jammed in the Underground bar). Now, apart from all the regular goings on at the Drake too numerous to mention, they've taken it upon themselves to open the Drake Hotel General Store in a vacant storefront next door.

The space is so fresh they haven't even had an opening party yet - that happens tonight - but fear not, they're already packed to the gills and the paint has dried. It's kind of a corner store / art installation / quirky design gallery all mashed into one with vintage shop fixtures that look they were grabbed from Goodwill and given a quick wipedown before being pressed into service.

Theirs is quite the kooky selection of goods, from ultra saucy x-rated colouring books to lollipops, clothing and accessories. My quick faves are below - The rhino, grizzly bear and moose shot glasses in goth black glass, the gnome dishware (yes, there's more than the pitcher) and mini wind-up music boxes that play 'Singing in the Rain' and 'Stairway to Heaven'. In other words, while you won't be popping in for a carton of milk, the shelves are stocked with the kind of cool finds that you didn't know you needed, but really, really do. [Images 2 and 3 by Justin Adam]

   

  

 

 

First, the good news

Not content with launching shockingly affordable collections from the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and Comme des Garcons (which always sell out in munutes) H&M is set to debut it's own home collection in Feb '09. But, before you get too excited, the bad news is there are currently no plans to bring it to North America; H&M Home will only be available online in select European countries. So, check your family tree and shoot off an e-mail to that long lost cousin of yours in the Netherlands if you're hell bent of scoring some of this ultra fresh gear.

Of course the looks are totally on trend- #1 is edgy and urban in black and white. #2 shows the slide towards a natural eco feel. #3 is all about youthful colour and pattern (love that Lisolette Watkins designed pillow!). #4 is a classic combo of navy and white realized in a fresh un-stodgy way. 

 

 

 

Via Husmusen 

Call me?

Almost everyone I know has a close relationship with their cell phone, or moby as the Brits call it. Perhaps a bit of a love/hate one to be sure, but if you are going to carry around something all day every day (some people even sleep with theirs), then it might as well be beautifully designed and a pleasure to hold.

Below is the latest from LG, the second phone in their collaboration with trend-forward Italian fashion house Prada. It looks super swish to be sure (love the slide-out keyboard) but here's the kicker - There's a Bluetooth watch, the Prada Link, that pulls text messages and incoming call info from the phone and runs it right on the watch screen. And, rather than rifling through your jacket or bag trying to find your ringing phone, pressing a button on the watch allows you to swiftly cancel an unwanted call. Swanky, chic and hi-tech indeed. No word yet on when (and if) it might hop the pond and end up on the Canadian market.

Via Gizmodo 

Gallery (s)hopping

Last night was the official opening 'do' for the AGO's Shop, so I headed down for a peek at what's on the shelves. I know, I should really have arrived early and toured the whole AGO, and I will - promise - I'm not quite as crass as infamous PR flack Edina Monsoon (of Ab Fab fame), who firmly believed that museums would be so much better if everything was on sale...

The store has quite the selection of fab stuff - I loved all the Frank Gehry pieces on show as well as the witty/cool references to all the Douglas Fir used in his design of the gallery, like the curly-whirly trivet below, and let's not forget the slew of artist designed limited edition t-shirts either (put me down for one of those) as well as tons of pre-framed art and a whole section with creative gear for the kiddies too. (Exterior image courtesy of the AGO)

 

Good cause, good art, good beats

What are you doing tomorrow night? Nothing, and you're in Toronto? Okay, well I've got something for you to hit up that's for a super good cause - It's the Cape Town Shakedown Fundraiser and Art Auction at Studio Gallery out on College Street. Head there between 7-11pm on the 20th for a silent auction on a slew of edgy and cool donated artwork from more than a dozen artists and hang to the beats of a couple of DJs. All the money raised is for The Cape Town Children's Scholarship Foundation: a not-for-profit charitable group that will award scholarships to poverty stricken kids living in the Khayelitsha Township, outside of Cape Town. Go, donate, bid, drop some cash and have a good time.

Take a peek at some of the artwork on offer below from Jesi The Elder and Ndeur (I'll get back to you about who's behind the Paris shot), as well as shots of those deserving kids in the Townships, and click here for more info on the event.

Turning 40 (and still hot)

The Sacco chair caused a sensation when it was first intro'd by Zanotta in 1968. The designers behind Sacco - Piero Gatti, Cesare Paolini and Franco Teodoro - were inspired by the idea of an Italian peasant's mattress stuffed with chestnut leaves and hit upon a way to update it for the mod generation. Since then it's become an iconic 60's object, ending up in design museums (and living rooms) around the world.

Now La Commedia Del Sacco, an exhibit of the chair in 40 haute couture fabrics has been off touring the world, but, if you miss out on seeing it in New York, Paris or Tokyo you can luckily check out the whole thing online here - love the original advertising shots. And, if you fancy your very own Sacco, stop in at Inform Interiors in Vancouver, they'll hook you up.