A new decade…and we are already mid January! Goes fast… now after all the Holiday celebrations, our trip to Peru ( to get the new fall collection ready) it’s time to catch up. Before we know it will be Spring!
I want to share with you some photos I took while in Lima, visiting the artisans markets and getting some interesting gifts. From the cutest ”cholita” dolls, “Ekekos” for good luck, colorful blankets & artesanias, delicious chocolates to bizarre stuffed “cuy” ( a guinea pig from the Andes) all dressed up in a miniature motorcycle, it was a feast to the eyes.
Now all pumped up for 2010 with lots of plans and goals. Stay tune for some special events for the rest of the winter, our first Spring collection and some happennings straight from the red carpet… hope to see you all wrap on your Hortensia’s!
While in Lima I was going through some photo albums and found two photographs that always strike me. One shows my mom wearing this sexy cable mini-dress, the other shows her wearing a beautiful poncho in Ayacucho against the most incredibly blue sky.
These images inspired the chunky cables in our Mini Cape, Magliera Sweater and Cable Knitcollar. On the accessories you will also find several combinations of cables; specially in our Headband, News Boy hat and Nadia scarf.
I love making chunky, raw looking pieces that when touched reveal an incredible softness. I also like to transmit to the wearer all the work that goes through making one piece. Most of the times there’s no need for explanations…each piece just tells the whole story.
Color and volume is always present with us. Inspired by Peru’s textile tradition and Andean culture, the images are so rich that it’s a never ending source of inspiration. Colors like magenta or how I like to call it ”Chola” pink, indigo blue, purple and the natural hues of alpaca wool in grey, black & offwhite.
I just read this today on the book I bought about felt and thought it was very beautiful and wanted to share
with all our fellow knitters…
“Woven fabrics, along with knitting, crochet and lace, are the result of rules applied to string. Like music, these textiles have a mathematical beauty, an internal structure based on repetition and variation”.
Nice right?, now get inspired and finish that scarf!
You can’t miss this exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York. I picked a rainy day, and spent the whole morning checking it out. I never thought you could so many wonderful things with felt and that it was such a ancient craft. Feltmaking dates back to the first century AD, in Northern Mongolia and spread rapidly among the Turkic-Mongolian tribes. Mostly nomads, they would use felt to build their tents, make clothes, preserve food & decorate.
Designers have found many other ways to use and blend felt. From furniture to clothes, this exhibit has an amazing selection of traditional and contemporary pieces that will certainly blow you away…
Swedish knit queen Sandra Backlund’s fall ‘09 collection—in collaboration with Italian knitwear company Maglificio Miles—these 3D shapes leave me speechless, how the hell she does it!! Sandra knows how to keep it cool…
“Huitzilli”, in Nahuatl means hummingbird. It is also the name of Emily Cantrell’s lovely store in Brooklyn.
Emily works with artisans from the Yucantan Peninsula, from towns such as Izamal, Bekal, KImbila and Merida which I have been lucky to visit.
You will find elegant guayaberas for the big & little guys, dresses “guayabera style” for the gals, sombreros, intricate silver jewelry, and many beautiful decorative pieces ( like an hamaca that I want to get!).
In Huitzilli all is unique, you will be supporting talented artisans and meet Emily who is also great entrepreneur.
Peru Moda, Peru’s biggest fashion tradeshow helped us meet talented artisans like this Puno knitter that was presenting her products to buyers that came from all over the world.
Four days, visiting suppliers, attending fashion shows organized by PromPeru, and enjoying Lima’s sunny weather, time went certainly fast. We feel there’s a lot of potential, nice displays specially the Chokotos exhibit, were Peruvian fashion designers where give the opportunity to express themselves in a hat.
A lovely Andean bride design, and the sweet knitters from Puno & Cajamarca, made this trip to be remembered…
From Coco’s garden, bonjour from Paris. Here Bonbon’s giving a blogging help…
I am so tired, we walked so much but it was great. Marais, little shops, then falabel and finished with cafe & glaces at Bertillon with the best view of Notre Dame & the bridges. Tomorrow I go to Maison Rodin and then to work!
It’s great to be here, excited, nervous…. with great company.
