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fashion meets design: from shirt art to wall graphics

Late last year, Lilli introduced me to Threadless, a Chicago-based online shirt store which is known for their fun and witty graphic tees and hoodies. What’s interesting about Threadless is that they never run out of new designs! Thanks to their “open call” strategy wherein everyone is invited to submit a design which will be put to a public vote. Designs with the highest scores get printed, while the artists behind them receive a cash prize and store credit.  During their amazing sale last December ($5 per tee on selected designs), I got Green Guide and myself some tees including the one above entitled “Pillow Fight”.

Yesterday, while browsing through their shirts, I learned that some of their popular designs also have wall decal and art print versions! Threadless produce the designs as art prints and stretched canvases, while the wall decals are available through Blik.

Who knew these shirts will look great in a room?!

Take advantage of their ongoing sale ($10 per tee on all designs!)  which runs until August 30. You can check their tees HERE. Their art prints and canvases are available HERE while the Threadless wall decals by Blik are HERE.

Happy long (for us here in the Philippines) weekend! -ardel

fashion meets design: ava x heima

Ava Paguyo is a young fashion designer who had her first appearance as one of the contestants in Project Runway Philippines Season 1. She participated in last year’s Philippine Fashion Week with a ready-to-wear collection whose designs (above) explored the concept of urban chaos. Her pieces are a graphic display of disarrayed patterns reminiscent of graffiti art.

Heima, on the other hand, is a furniture store in Cubao X which we featured in our earlier posts last year. Their pieces model the classic silhouettes of popular period style furniture but were given a vibrant contemporary look through the use of bright painted finishes and cheerful fabric choices.

What will you get when you cross Ava’s urban chic graffiti print (below, right) with Heima’s fun, dainty silhouette (below, left)?

 One rocker chic piece of design:

This is just one of Heima’s collaborative designs with other artists outside the interior design industry. The rest of the pieces will be displayed during the opening of their new store in LRI, Makati this Saturday.

Watch out for our sneak peek of Heima’s new store this Friday.

fashion meets design: ruffled pillows

Something to prettify your couch, bed, or favorite chair. These girly ruffled pillows are made by Elizabeth and are sold at her etsy store here. Both remind me of the tops and dresses at Bayo and Plains & Prints! I guess ruffles are not just for clothes, huh? I think I’ll have my curtain seamstress make some for a project…

fashion meets design: LWD (little white dress/design)

via: millionlooks

In women’s fashion, we are all familiar with the LBD or the little black dress originally popularized by Coco Chanel’s 1920s designs. But according to the latest 2010 spring-summer fashion trend report, the LBD is taking a back seat for the moment, directing the spotlight to the LWD or the little white dress. Like the classic LBD, the little white dress is versatile and can accommodate different styles and looks with just a change of the accessories.

While the little white dress is fairly new in the fashion scene, the “little white design” has long been present in interior design. Among the different combinations for the achromatic (or “no color”) color scheme, the all-white palette has proven to be the most appealing and flexible like its dress counterpart.

Although it can potentially be boring to some people, this simple, almost “bare & naked” palette has the advantage of being flexible. You can either play it down and maintain a strictly all-white interior (photo below, bottom-right), or play it up by adding decorative details, accent colors and textures. Because you basically have a blank canvas (e.g. white walls, floors, and ceiling with a large white couch), you can virtually change the look of the space by simply changing the textures, details and accessories.

via: west elm

Go modern by introducing metallic elements and gray accents to an all white ensemble (top-left).

Go dainty by adding wall paneling and mouldings, knitted and woven accessories, and a vase of fresh, bright blooms (top-right).

Go pop by using crazy contemporary furniture and a single splash of bright hue (bottom-left).

And the list goes on…. How would you dress up an all-white interior?

fashion meets design: marlon rivera

If you’re a fan of Project Runway Philippines, you know that this season showed a couple of challenges inspired by architecture/interior/furniture design. Ed Calma’s architecture inspired Hanz and Manny’s winning avant-garde dress in the week 7 challenge. In another episode, furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue’s chair inspired Russell’s dragnet look.

Dragnet lounge chair by Kenneth Cobonpue (left) / Russell Villafuerte’s winning look (right)

We’ve always been fascinated by the influence of architecture and interior design on fashion and vice versa. So when we went to Marlon Rivera’s fashion show at Philippine Fashion Week, we were delighted to see interesting silhouettes and textures.

But we were particularly charmed by the colors he used for his pieces.

His color palette (specifically his smokey blues, mauves, and earthy neutrals) reminded us of Pantone’s 2010 home and interiors color trend forecast, which we saw at Apartment Therapy.

Pantone 2010 home and interiors color forecast – Greenmarket palette (top), Gatherings palette (middle), Galaxy palette (bottom)

We don’t know if Marlon Rivera was inspired by Pantone’s color forecast but he certainly is on trend. We’re looking forward to these colors on furniture, accessories and in homes in 2010. We’re also looking forward to Mr. Rivera’s next collection.

*photos from Marlon Rivera’s fashion show by Katrina Luciano /  photo of Dragnet lounge chair from http://www.kennethcobonpue.com /  photo of Russell’s winning look from Project Runway Philippines’ website

Tags: color, ed calma, fashion, kenneth cobonpue, marlon rivera, pantone, project runway philippines
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fashion meets design: the interiors of sex and the city

I miss watching Sex and the City. Apart from the story, I love watching out for the foursome’s fashionable outfits and their equally stylish NYC apartments. In fashion, the show has been noted for being a trendsetter, sporting  fashion-forward clothes and accessories that help define the ladies’ characters. Unfortunately, their equally well-made sets have been left to simply disappear in the background. Just like their clothes, the interiors of SATC are designed with careful attention to details to match the girls’ individual personalities. In fact, how they dress up is consistent with how they dress their spaces.

Probably the most realistic among the apartments in the show is Carrie‘s with its “organized clutter” appearance. Like Carrie’s playful fashion sense, her apartment shows off an eclectic style. It is laid back with a lived-in appearance. Furniture pieces in varied styles look like they have been collected over time. Framed photos and prints make up the decor of the interiors, showing off Carrie’s artistic side.

The conservative and girly-girly fashion of Charlotte is also the character of her home. Her perfectly manicured space is done in a formal English theme. The interiors’ old world charm evident in the panelled walls with floral wallpaper, graceful window drapes, fine furniture, soft pastel colors, and feminine details all echo Charlotte’s dainty wardrobe.

Her smart, tailored style is consistent with the design approach for Miranda‘s apartment. The interiors have a classic modern retro feel. It has a clean and straightforward layout composed of minimal architectural details, vintage furniture pieces, and simple decor. Color is limited to neutrals with splashes of gray-toned hues.

The one-room apartment is as sensual and cosmopolitan as Samantha‘s personality and style. The white-blue gray-red bachelorette pad depict her liberated, urban attitude. Interior details such as the bed-centered layout, velvety beddings, red tealight candles, and full-length mirror fronting the edge of the bed complete the look of Samantha’s sexy sophisticated space.

Although two friends already told me that I’m definitely a Charlotte (really???), I think I’m more of a Miranda when it comes to my homestyle.