Striving

"When I intend to create something beautiful as I've never seen before, I wonder what and where the source of the design's power will come from.I wonder if what I have seen, learnt and been moved by will be the source, from which it develops unconsciously. If I am ready to admit that, I wonder where I can attain the confidence for my creations and how they should present themselves as adorable items that women should love to try on in the future. After all, I wonder if I will manage to learn from the past, our experiences and history. Is it impossible to do creative work freely with a blank heart and not be restricted? Working tirelessly toward this calling, we can gain experiences and a sense of the craft through accumulating a natural sensitivity. However, this too can prove the difficulty in creating inspiration, a truly explosive force. I wonder what in the world I should be improving on and take a great deal of care in every new generation. Since I established this brand while wondering thoughts like these, a decade have passed."
-ISSHI KANAMARU, Head Designer, Feral Flair

all images via Feral Flair

A Paris Day

I only have a little time to see Paris. It is the reason why I whip out my camera on the morning walk from the Hôtel de Ville all the way up to the top of the rue du Temple on my way to the showroom.

Though I blow on that I'm not that interested in the romanticized Paris, it's still romantic damnit. This is especially true for me early in the morning, when I can see my breath in the wet chill of the courtyard, where the camellias and forsythias are still blooming in the brisk cold, and I step out through the big doors to the street into the city waking up, this is the city of Paris I know best I guess.

Smells of coffee and smoke from the cafés, and yeast from boulangeries and patisseries exhibiting the first trays of artful gems of the day, I go down into the metro, in love with the large graphic announcements of everything there is to do and see and buy, read the daily paper on the train and emerge into the light if I'm lucky, or a drizzle if I'm not, into a new part of the city. I walk and snap photos until I get to rue Chapon, where I'll spend my morning until we decide if we want to eat Pho nearby in Paris' original Chinois-town or the plat du jour at the Taxi Jaune right across the street. We drink little cafe "noisettes" in the afternoon on a silver platter Taxi Jaune lets us take across and are animated enough for when our afternoon appointments come, and stay until 8pm when we come out again in the dark, lock the doors for the night and decide where to go for a drink. We talk about business and about what we want to eat, which is delicious especially when eaten in the company of friends. Later we say goodbye until the next morning when it happens all over again.

Mi Purocorazon

One of the best parts about going back to Paris to Le Showroom are the amazing designers that I meet.
Here are some pictures from the new collection of one of my favorites, Mi Purocorazon. Based in Peru, Carolina, the designer, works with local artisans. She is so lovely and intelligent and I think it reflects in her brilliantly bright yet thoughtful collections.

I love this photoshoot, at a flower-growers greenhouse! We need to find more shops for her to sell these beautiful pieces in the U.S!

Le Bonbon Display at Le Showroom

My table. I grew to love this table.

bears and wolves

Good success in Paris at Le Showroom to follow great stress in the preparation for the show and I'm psyched about some of the new shops that have taken on Bonbon for the Fall. These are pics of my display at the Atelier de Richelieu. The space, which is just down from the Louvre and very close to the Bourse and some of the other shows is really nice and clean and airy. Much better for me than some of the dark tradeshow floors I've seen.