Cynthia Rowley

Cynthia RowleyCynthia Rowley.

I have always loved Cynthia Rowley‘s design. See my favourite picks from her SS 2014 collection right here.

Cynthia Rowley has a beautiful webshop. Have a look at it. And click here to see all the dresses. I wish I was a millionaire…

Cynthia Rowley constructed her first dress when she was seven years old. Her intuitive technical skill paired with a love of ‘making things’ led her to an undergraduate degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she began to pursue a career in fashion. Her first full collection was purchased while she was still in school, and gave her the leverage she needed to move to New York and establish her brand.

Rowley’s collection has since grown to include womenswear, menswear, eyewear, handbags, shoes, legwear, shapewear, wetsuits, as well as collaborations with Johnson & Johnson, and Procter and Gamble, to name a few.

Rowley has been recognized within the fashion industry, with a CFDA womenswear award and a nomination for menswear, and is called upon as a style authority on Project Runway, Oprah, David Letterman, The Today Show, and America’s Next Top Model, among others. Her work has been featured in major magazines and newspapers domestically and internationally, and is sold in over sixty Cynthia Rowley boutiques around the world.

An art enthusiast, Cynthia has collaborated with artists like SAIC’s Nick Cave, Will Cotton, Olaf Breuning, and Ryan McNamara on various ventures and collections and has designed a capsule collection for the Gagosian Gallery.  She co-founded the groundbreaking art retail site Exhibition A, the first endeavor stemming from a company initiative encouraging entrepreneurial thinking. The second initiative to launch is CuRious— a candy and party accessory collection. The first store location is on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, with a second location recently opened in the West Village.

The Cynthia Rowley Collection is sold in better department, specialty and online stores.

Minä Perhonen – the Japanese Marimekko

Mina Perhonen Mina Perhonen Mina Perhonen Mina PerhonenMina PerhonenMina Perhonen Mina Perhonen Mina Perhonen Mina PerhonenMina PerhonenMina PerhonenMina PerhonenMinä Perhonen – the Japanese Marimekko

I was absolutely breathless with excitement when I came across the Japanese label Minä Perhonen. I love Marimekko and I love everything Japanese. And Minä Perhonen is the Japanese Marimekko 🙂 . It is a spectacular display of beautiful beautiful colours and patterns. I love it. I love it 🙂 .

Too late I found out that Akira Minigawa – the designer of Minä Perhonen – was actually in Copenhagen this April. As a butterfly dancing over the melting snow, there was an exciting event in the Danish concept store Black on Gammel Kongevej in Copenhagen. The event was called ‘black butterfly’ and it was showcasing Minä Perhonen’s universe with the variety of items ranging from women’s and children’s wear to home ware such as cushions and tableware. Minä Perhonen’s designer Akira Minagawa was present at the reception. If only I could turn back time…

Tokyo-based designer Akira Minagawa started his brand Minä in 1995, and changed the name to Minä Perhonen in 2003. Minagawa has become famous for his charming, hand-drawn prints (he has published several art books) and innovative use of textiles (he also creates furniture upholstery). Think of Minä Perhonen as Japan’s answer to Marimekko, albeit designed with a distinctly Japanese avant-garde appeal.

Minä Perhonen is a fashion brand working to produce clothes which do not lose their allure through lapse of time. The design process begins with sketches, which are made into original fabrics. Also, Minä Perhonen aspires to develop new materials and techniques with production centers home and abroad.

The name of the brand originates in Finnish as the designer sympathized with the lifestyle and the culture of Finland. He has travelled many times through northern European countries. ‘Minä’ means ‘I’ and ‘Perhonen’ means ‘butterfly’ – a wish to make many beautiful designs like those of butterflies’ wings. The brand logo signifies ‘various characters (dots) within oneself (rectangle shape).’ Just like the species of butterflies are countless, the designs too continue to increase.

2003: In collaboration with Danish furniture manufacturer Fritz Hansen (produces Arne Jacobsen’s classic Egg and Swan chairs)  Minä Perhonen presented furniture dressed with Minä Perhonen fabrics.

2006: Danish textile manufacturer Kvadrat released fabrics designed by Akira Minagawa.

Jørgen Nørgaard

Jørgen NørgaardJørgen Nørgaard

Jørgen Nørgaard is honored with the award ‘ELLE Prisen’ 2014 . ‘ELLE Prisen’ is given at the ELLE Style Awards to a person who has made something spectacular for Danish fashion for a number of years.

Jørgen Nørgaard has been one of the greatest pioneers in Danish fashion ever since he opened ’Nørgaard paa Strøget’ in Copenhagen in 1958. In 1967 Jørgen designed the iconic ’101’ rib t-shirt that has been a fashion evergreen ever since and which is now sold in more than 3 million copies. Today Nørgaard paa Strøget is run by Jørgen’s son Mads Nørgaard. The iconic ‘101’ t-shirt is still designed with Jørgen in the design team.

I have know the iconic Nørgaard t-shirt since I was a child (and that is a long time ago…) and it is still very popular here in Denmark. It is available here.

Marimekko Unikko 50 years

Marimekko UnikkoMarimekko UnikkoMarimekko Unikko 50 years

This year Marimekko celebrates the 50th anniversary of their most iconic pattern, Unikko.

Maija Isola’s classic Unikko (Poppy) pattern was born in 1964.

The company’s founder Armi Ratia had announced that Marimekko would never print a floral pattern. Maija refused to obey Armi’s orders and, in protest, designed an entire collection of floral patterns. One of them was Unikko.

Visit the Unikko 50th anniversary site. It is an explosion of colours. I love it 🙂 .

Mary Katrantzou x Adidas

Mary Katrantzou x AdidasI love this picture. I love colours, pat-terns and flowers and I love this mix of it all 🙂 . It makes me think of Matisse.