ONCE WERE WARRIORS

this stunning spread's title "once were warriors" was most likely borrowed from a powerful 1995 new zealand film (based on the novel by alan duff) of the same name, which chronicles the life of an indigenous maori family struggling with poverty and cultural identity in modern new zealand. it is a beautiful yet brutal story -- definitely not easy to watch but guaranteed to penetrate your soul.

originally seen via alushia-sanchia jewellry << via earth age
images via fashiongonerogue
vogue netherlands // may 2012
photographed by petrovsky & ramone // model rianne ten haken // styled by marjie goekoop // makeup by adrien pinault // hair by ilham mestour

FIGUE >> BOHEMIAN LUXURY

figue (pronounced “fig") is a new luxury collection for women created by stephanie von watzdorf. named for the ancient fruit stephanie enjoyed as a child in italy, figue is defined by a global gypsy-meets-jet-set spirit—bringing together the urban energy of paris and london with the natural beauty of the mediterranean and stephanie’s passion for travel. figue’s core items consist of tunics, kaftans, shirtings, dresses, denim and accessories in colorful, global-inspired prints. one-of-a-kind items—such as reclaimed military jackets, embellished with hand beading, and found limited-edition jewelry and bags—recreate the experience of finding those unique treasures on one’s travels.

born in neuilly-sur-seine to a german/french father and a russian mother, stephanie moved to new york at age six for school, while continuing to travel back and forth to Europe. after graduating from parsons school of design—where she was awarded the prestigious golden thimble award by calvin klein—she landed her first role as an intern at yves saint laurent in paris. she spent the next twenty years working with some of the most respected fashion luxury brands including giorgio armani, ann taylor and ralph lauren. in 2004, stephanie joined tory burch where she guided design development and ready-to-wear accessories for over seven years.

now, at last, stephanie has emerged with her own collection that’s a natural extension of her personal style. the result is figue: a seasonless brand for women who travel—or dream of traveling—to exotic destinations and who enjoy a lifestyle that is every bit as luxurious as it is bohemian.

text and images from figue

view/shop figue at www.figue.com

ANNIE COSTELLO BROWN >> JEWELRY & ACCESSORIES DESIGNER



it's been a while since i actually lost my breath. it may be a blessing that most of my favorite pieces above are sold out because no one would get any christmas presents this year.

view/shop annie costello brown's collections and check out her story and studio via another heavenly site, in the make, which features studio visits with west coast artists.

images via www.anniecostellobrown.com

DREAMING OF LUNE VINTAGE

confession: i have always dreamed of having a small vintage store. vintage has never just been a style for me; it has been a lifestyle. the first store i shopped in when we immigrated to the united states was the salvation army--when vintage was still called "used" and was still an embarrassing secret. my dad owned an antique furniture & restoration business, so the award of best dressed in 8th grade was a result of spending my weekends with my father scouring garage and yard sales.

lune shop is jill munro's online vintage shop, which features curated collections from the 60's and the 70's, as well as some of her designs. i have been following her blog for the last year and am constantly inspired by how her authenticity shines through her vintage collection, her business and blog ideals, and her family life.

i'm looking forward to her sale this weekend! view/shop lune at www.lunevintage.bigcartel.com. follow the lune vintage blog at www.lunevintage.com.

images via lune vintage

TRIBAL KNOWLEDGE >> THE TRUE IDENTITY OF TRIBAL AFRICAN PRINTS

batik prints remind me of home; they are engraved in my memory and my soul. i once wore an indonesian batik print dress only to have it mistaken as african print. now i realize it was no coincidence. the bold, colorful and geometric prints we have associated with earthy, indigenous africa are actually dutch wax prints inspired by indonesian batik. ironically, while the western world categorizes these prints as tribal, western african women consider them "international or cosmopolitan." read more about the history of what we know as tribal african print.

the funky grooves collection from dutch designer and manufacturer, vlisco, who has been the leading source of these beautiful prints since 1846 is a vibrant immersion into this rich "tribal" history.

view/shop vlisco fabrics and accessories // images via vlisco

SISTERS OF THE BLACK MOON

three wicked soul sisters offer up spellbinding creations

the radiant witch’s coven that is sisters of the black moon opened its pearly black gates in february 2010, when sisters sara larocca-ramm, rachel hunt and alecia marcum were on a moonlit mission to one of their favorite vintage stores somewhere on the side of the I-35 between austin and dallas.

as fleetwood mac drifted on the radio and the planets aligned, the starry-eyed ladies conceived of their “moonchild”: an online vintage store hawk(wind)ing a wicked mix of rock & roll threads, victorian inspired antiquities, hand-crafted amulets & emblems. like a black nightshade-induced hallucination from a belladonna dilated third eye, sisters of the black moon cast spellbinding sartorial visions that entice and enchant.

with a unique astral aesthetic that is reminiscent of the uninhibited spirit of frank zappa’s gto’s or an all-girl proto-metal band, in less than a year these ladies have transformed sisters of the black moon into a veritable (dark) force of style sorcery to be reckoned with. seducing and inducing cosmic visions from beyond the dark side of the rainbow, these ladies will have you come to the sabbath and dance under a full black moon in the most interstellar clothing imaginable.

by sasha m. lee

view/shop the sisters of the black moon collection // vintage

images // photographed by alexandra valenti // 1 // 2-6 //

GIRLS FROM HIPANEMA

french designers/entrepreneurs delphine + jenny turn brazilian bracelets chic.

 

from hipanema summer 2012 collection



 

from hipanema winter 2012-2013 collection



parisian girls delphine and jenny met in a beach in brazil, where they were inspired by the colorful beaded and braided bracelets that are ubiquitous in the beaches of brazil. unfortunately, once tied to the wrist the traditional brazilian bracelets are usually not removed, causing quick wear and discoloration until they are cut off or break. to solve this dilemma, the girls created the revolutionary magnetic clasp and elevated the simple beach trinket into a bonafied fashion accessory.

hipanema bracelets are made with pearls, seashells, multicolored threads, ribbons and quartz stones. the winter 2012-2013 collection adds broad bands and an all-metal bracelet to the mix. each hipanema bracelet is handcrafted and each one takes 30-37 hours to make. hipanema bracelets are currently only sold in one u.s. location but are available online.

view/shop the hipanema collection at www.hipanema.com.

images via hipanema

MAKANANI >> MY FIRST LOVE



makanani was the first woman i ever fell in love with. she has been on my wall for over 10 years. kilakila was next, and i am now waiting for makaki'i. i have much gratitude and admiration towards legendary hawaiian photographer, kim taylor reece for capturing the spirit of the divine feminine of one of my ancestral lands, the hawaiian islands.

visit www.kimtaylorreece.com for more info and shop his collections.

/1/ makanani /2/ kilakila /3/ makaki'i

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