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TABLE OF CONTENTS
10. ON THE COVER - TESS AWAL
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6. ABBIE DRUE -MADE IN RYE 24. JAY MONDKAR 10. ON THE COVER - TESS AWAL 32. MADI PIPKIN 16. BETH, HILLAREE, & STEPHANIE - 37. 99 PROBLEMS - JADE RUMMINGER BIRCH AND GOLDBERRY 41. SUBMIT YOUR WORK 20. MEETING THE HAMBLIN SISTERS 42. CREDITS & LINKS 23. FEBRUARY PLAYLIST
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FROM THE EDITOR Two months ago, I had to face a glaring and ugly fact. I was on the edge of my bed, staring at the floor. There was homework to be done, dinner to be cooked, and instagram to browsed. But I couldn’t bring myself to do any of that.
Before I knew it, I had six very talented artists who took a chance on me. I enjoyed reading their story and felt absolutely honored to showcase them and their talents. I started the Koronette because I have a deep admiration for those who are able to create something that is uniquely and distinctly their own, whether it is in photography or business. These creators are my heroes. They defy stereotypes, charge through obstacles, and pursue their passions. They have something that I wish I had earlier: courage.
I couldn’t stop thinking that my life was becoming stale and gray (and not the fashionable kind of gray either). With graduation around the corner, I realized that I had been living in fear during my college career. I was scared of being criticized, judged, and disliked. Being afraid of all those things prevented me from putting myself out there and creating something that I was passionate about. I had to face the fact that the only person who had the power to change this path that I was on, was me.
Thank you for reading The Koronette. I hope you find the people in this magazine as incredibly creative and crazy brilliant as I have.
That evening was when the Koronette was conceived. I hopped off my bed and ran to my computer. I emailed two talented friends and asked them if they would like to be interviewed for an online magazine (I failed to mention I cooked up the idea 5 minutes prior). When they agreed, I asked people I found on Instagram that inspired me.
Thank you,
Margaret Alba
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ABBIE DRUE
MADE IN RYE M A D E I N RY E . C O M HOUSTON, TX | 23
learned the basic skills in wire-wrapping, repairs, design, and managing a store. I was able to create my own pieces Well, my name is Abigail McKenzie. I’d say I’ve got a to sell in the shop and they did really well. Fast forward small town soul but live in a big city that is New York to my 21 year old self, I was in college at the University for now! I enjoy traveling and letting my feet lead the way. of Houston (Go Coogs), studying Political Science and I founded and run a small business making and selling Business, working at a law firm, and naturally needed an leather goods and jewelry to shops around the United outlet. So, I started a small shop on Etsy. From there, States. things started taking off and I decided to pursue it full time. That wasn’t an easy decision but I knew it was what needed to happen. Later on down the road my HOW DID YOU GET INTO LEATHER-MAKING friend who I worked with at the time, Travis Weaver AND JEWELRY? of Manready Mercantile, showed me the ropes of I started making jewelry back when I was 15 working leatherwork. I made my first clutch, that I still have, and at a shop called The Queens Beads. It was there that I the rest is history.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.
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“WHEN YOU FALL OR GET TOLD NO, GET BACK UP AND KEEP GOING.”
WHAT WERE THE MAIN CHALLENGES YOU FACED EARLY ON IN YOUR BUSINESS? DO YOU STILL ENCOUNTER THEM TO THIS DAY?
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION? Inspiration sources are easy to find in New York City so its hard to pin-point one single example, but I find so much of my inspiration from the street fashion and music, to the hustle and passion I see in my friends here that also run small businesses.
There are many challenges that anyone starting their own business will face early on. For me, there were a lot because I was making decisions and learning as I went, and I still am. You can take as many business classes as you want but running a business is different than sitting in a class, memorizing material, and taking a test. To learn you really have to go out in the field and start making decisions. When I make a mistake, I try to take that experience and use it as a learning tool for the next time around. The challenges don’t ever go away, but in time, you get better at handling them and knowing what to do.
WHAT HAPPENS ON A NORMAL DAY AT MADE IN RYE? Every day is different at Made In Rye. Some days are for errand and supply running in the city and other days are spent solely on production. I get up early, have some coffee, and do what needs to be done.
WHAT ARE YOUR NEXT STEPS/ PROJECTS? My next steps and projects are somewhat unknown, but I am going to continue partnering/collaborating with other brands and currently I am working on finalizing a new product line for Spring and finding new shops to carry Made In Rye.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHERS WHO WANT TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESS? Always follow through! Be ready to give it 150%, be willing to put yourself out there, and when you fall or get told no, get back up and keep going. Always keep going. “An object in motion stays in motion”.
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TASNUVA AWAL TA S N U VA - AWA L . F O R M AT . C O M MONTREAL, CANADA | 20
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.
WHEN DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN PHOTOGRAPHY? HOW HAS YOUR WORK CHANGED SINCE THEN?
I was born in Montreal but my family moved to the United States when I was really young. My family has always been creative and intelligent in some sort of way, so I always felt like the outcast because I didn’t know what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. From wanting to be a writer, to an architect, to a teacher, I finally found that the one thing that truly makes me happy, that helps me connect myself to some form of art, is photography. My work is what I choose to convey to people. Photography is who I am.
I’ve always been a keen observer of people’s attributes and the way the world looked, but I never knew just how to connect my fascination of how beautiful the world was, with my need to show it to people. It was a friend of mine who pushed me to take photos of her five years ago, and when she saw the result of how they looked, the happiness that was gleaming through her face, was what made me realize I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. At first my work was merely
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the people I photograph to realize how extraordinary they are, through my photos. Really, I just want to evoke some sort of emotion within people.
“I JUST WANT TO EVOKE SOME SORT OF EMOTION WITHIN PEOPLE.”
WHO OR WHAT INSPIRES YOU? I can name a dozen photographers, but as of right now a couple Houston artists that inspire me are Megan Tipps, Dennis Auburn, and Tamara Lichtenstein. As for what inspires me, anything that catches my eye, anything I consider beautiful.
WHAT ELSE DO YOU ENJOY?
portraits of friends, and now a lot of my work ties in with emotions, and I try to incorporate art and fashion alongside it. I’m still learning, however I can definitely say my work has progressed quite a bit from that first photo shoot.
I love to travel, going on road trips, or some sort of adventure. Oh, and I love concerts! Music is second place to what makes me feel alive.
WHAT ARE YOUR NEXT STEPS?
HOW DO YOU EDIT YOUR PHOTOS?
Well, I’m moving to California in January, and I’m hoping to broaden my work so that more people will know of it, and I would love to start working with agencies like L.A Models. I’ve also been very inspired these couple of months and am very ready to start working on a lot of new projects. I’m very excited for this upcoming year and what I will be able to show everyone!
I use Lightroom and it’s basic editing tools, alongside the VSCO presets for Adobe products.
WHAT DO YOU WANT VIEWERS TO TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR WORK? I want people to see the way I view beauty. I want my viewers to feel something from my work, and I want
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BETH, HILLAREE, & STEPHANIE
BIRCH AND GOLDBERRY B I R C H A N D G O L D B E R RY . C O M HOUSTON, TX | 29, 25, 23
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF. We started Birch & Goldberry in the summer of 2013, right after we graduated from the University of Houston. Stephanie and I (Hillaree) are sisters and we met Beth while we were getting our degrees in painting.
WHAT IS YOUR COMPANY AND WHAT DO YOU SELL? We sell products that reflect out interest in creating an intentionally meaningful lifestyle and elevating everyday products and commodities. Right now, we sell handcrafted soap made from plant-based oils, soy wax candles and a variety of paper goods, including hand-collaged cards and hand-painted wrapping paper.
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WHAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT THING ABOUT OWNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS? Staying organized and creating a balance between work and personal life. Having your own business requires a lot of work and long evenings, but we’re learning that genuine downtime is important as well.
“WE’RE VERY INSPIRED BY NATURAL PATTERN, COLORS AND SEASONAL CHANGES”
WHAT IS YOUR CREATIVE AND PRODUCTION PROCESS? As a whole, we’re very inspired by natural pattern, colors and seasonal changes. The soap is made by Beth in the traditional cold process and the designs mimic her painting style. Stephanie is our candlemaker and she uses all natural soy wax and a variety of essential and fragrance oils. I paint each sheet of wrapping paper by hand and color palettes for all our products usually change with the seasons. For instance, over the winter months our color palette including many soft neutrals, golds and coppers.
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HOW DID YOU GET TO WHERE YOU ARE? We’ve just kept on working steadily, even when we weren’t sure what the outcome would be. We try and give ourselves short-term deadlines and goals so that we don’t get overwhelmed, and we allow ourselves to celebrate small accomplishments.
WHO OR WHAT INSPIRES YOU? We’re very inspired by nature and the outdoors and that influences every aspect of our work and products.
WHAT ARE YOUR NEXT STEPS? We just launched a new website and we’re hoping to further branch out into the wholesale market!
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MEETING THE
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When I met Steph and Hillaree, it was a crisp December day at a holiday market in Houston. Steph and Hillaree Hamblin were tending to a small crowd that gathered around their Birch and Goldberry booth. A garland fastened with fresh muted green leaves wrapped around their table atopped with scented candles, marbled soaps, and patterned wrapping paper.
THE FIRST TIME I MET THE HAMBLIN SISTERS IN PERSON,
The whole scene exuded a welcoming simplicity. You would never guess that everything from the product to the packaging was designed and handled by the B&G trio. For example, Steph not only makes the soy candles, but hand-paints the gold stripes on every individual frosted candle jar. Hillaree textures each piece of wrapping paper with layers of paint. This kind of manual production takes an immense amount of time and energy, but it results in literally one-of-a-kind products.
they both surprised me with a great bear hug. A gesture pretty rare for two parties who have only spoken on the internet a few weeks prior. But for Steph and Hillaree Hamblin, normal was never their thing.
Perhaps in the future, the process can be optimized for speed and efficiency. However, at this point in time, the only way every candle turns out as perfect as the B&G trio want it to be, is through their own manual work.
The Hamblin sisters are two of the Birch and Goldberry trio. Less than a month earlier, their brand was featured on the Instagram feed of lifestyle blog, Design Love Fest. With more than 8,000 likes, B&G was propelled into small business stardom.
Birch and Goldberry is the product of literal blood, sweat, and tears, as many small businesses are. Steph and Hillaree dedicate their time and talent to create a beautiful product that they can take pride in.
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“BUT FOR STEPH AND HILLAREE HAMBLIN, NORMAL WAS NEVER THEIR THING.”
Small businesses contribute so much commitment, labor, and love to pursue their dreams. When you purchase an item from a small business, you are not only helping the store. You also support the local makers, the independent owners, and creative thinkers who work hard to make it all happen. The Hamblin sisters showed me firsthand all of these things. So much thought and heart goes into each candle and every piece of wrapping paper. Support small businesses and shop local when you can. Don’t know where to start? Here’s a list of my favorite online stores that support small businesses!
1. BEAM AND ANCHOR
6. OLIVE
2. CHAY chayonline.com 3. MOOREA SEAL
7. POKETO
4. MYTH AND SYMBOL
9. THE GENERAL STORE
5. NEED SUPPLY CO.
10.WILSON & WILLY’S
beamandanchor.com
oliveaustin.com
poketo.com
8. SUNCHILD
mooreaseal.com
mythandsymbol.com
needsupply.com
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shopsunchild.com shop-generalstore.com wilsonandwillys.com
PLAYLIST F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 5
1 . CUDDLE FUDDLE Passion Pitt 2 . AMINALS Baths 3 . RILL RILL Sleigh Bells 4 . WHITE LIES Max Frost 5 . CRAVE YOU Flight Facilities 6 . BETTER OFF WITHOUT YOU Summer Camp 7 . I THINK I LIKE YOU Donora 8 . GO WITH IT Tokimonsta, MNDR 9 . YOU GOT ME Generationals 10. MIRROR MARU Cashmere Cat
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JAY MONDKAR J AY M O N D K A R . C O M HOUSTON, TX | 17
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.
WHAT IS YOUR CREATIVE/PRODUCTIVE PROCESS?
I was born in Houston but I lived overseas for the first half of my life. I absolutely love traveling, whether we’re driving to San Antonio or flying to see family in India. There’s something extremely exciting about going anywhere new. Now, wherever I go, I’m on the lookout for photos. Photography is one way I step back from the stress of school and relax.
I love street photography. It usually involves walking around and looking for interesting people and compositions. Sometimes—especially if the light is really nice—I’ll wait in one place until a subject passes by. Other times I’ll see something and only have enough time to raise my camera to my eye and take one photo before the moment passes. Unless I’m doing landscapes or a portrait session, most of my photography is pretty spontaneous. I try to look for decisive moments (as Henri Cartier-Bresson called them). Freezing a moment that will never happen the same way again is exciting. Lately I’ve been trying to go out with the intent of trying a specific style or focusing on a certain element. Even if I don’t strictly follow this, I’ve found that it helps me when I’m looking for photos.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO PHOTOGRAPHY? When I was a kid I had a little film point and shoot that I would take everywhere. My parents had a 1986 Nikon N2020 that came with us all over the world. I used it once in a while but I didn’t really get into photography until my freshman year of high school. In the spring of freshman year, I started bringing my mom’s point and shoot to school to take macro photos of bugs. By the time summer came around, I had started getting more into photography. Most of what I learned came from watching YouTube videos, reading stuff online, and just taking lots of photos.
My editing is generally high-contrast. I occasionally use Photoshop if I want to do something really specific, but the majority of my editing is in Lightroom.
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WHAT KIND OF CAMERA(S) DO YOU USE? My main cameras are my Nikon D800 and my iPhone 4S. I sometimes use my parents’ old film Nikon N2020 but because of the cost of developing film, I usually stick to digital.
“FREEZING A MOMENT THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN THE SAME WAY AGAIN IS EXCITING.”
My favorite photography related quote is “The best camera is the one that’s with you” by Chase Jarvis. I completely agree.
DO YOU TAKE PHOTOS MORE FOR YOURSELF OR FOR OTHERS? I think it all starts with taking them for myself. I look to others for feedback and I definitely like when other people enjoy my photos, but I take photos because I find it relaxing. It’s really satisfying to catch things at just the right moment.
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The most important thing to learn is composition. I’d say don’t even bother controlling your settings until you’re comfortable composing your shots. That’s why it’s perfectly fine to learn on any half-decent phone. Once you get composition down, it doesn’t matter what camera you’re using. Learn the basics and then see what happens when you change different variables. Keep experimenting and try new styles.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE? I like using lines and it’s rare for me to edit a photo without giving it a healthy dose of contrast. My photos tend to be straight on or from the side. They’re usually in one of two camps: wide-angle shots with dramatic lines or photos taken with a fast prime.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO PICK UP PHOTOGRAPHY? WHAT ARE YOUR NEXT STEPS? Take photos.
I tend to stick to my comfort zone so I’m working on trying out new styles. I love minimalism so I’ve been experimenting with it. I’d also like to try out photojournalism. Because I love candid moments, my greatest weakness is probably posed photography.
The best part of learning on a digital camera is that there’s no cost to taking a bad photo. That’s both good and bad. You can try out all of your settings and a million compositions to eventually figure out what looks nice, but film is also good in that it forces you to be careful. Each photo costs money so you end up being more deliberate.
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MADI PIPKIN P I P P Y C R E AT I V E . C O M OKLAHOMA CITY, OK |19
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF. I was born and raised in OKC, but I am currently a freshman at the University of Oklahoma and majoring in visual communications. I drink coffee religiously, and would love to start my own coffee shop someday. But that is just one of my many dreams. I began doing art seriously my senior year of high school and haven’t stopped since. My junior year of high school I studied abroad in New Zealand for six months with the American Field Service and ever since then I have a newfound love for traveling. I have plans on backpacking Europe this summer to visit the friends I made in New Zealand. Traveling always strikes a plethora of inspiration for my art so I am really looking forward to this trip!
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE? I like to describe my style as “controlled chaos” anyone who has been in art classes with me know I like to get messy. Naturally my style is very gestural, but as I have gotten more into graphic design my style has gotten a lot more clean cut and minimalist.
WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR VIEWERS TO TAKE FROM YOUR WORK? I want my viewers to be able to relate their personal lives to my art. I like to make people think and question how they are living their own lives. I know that is a big statement but isn’t that what art is for? The role of an artist is to provide people with a new and unique way of viewing the world.
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in myself and my dreams. He will always be someone I look up to and aspire to be like.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO STAY CREATIVE? With the new year I have challenged myself to do art everyday. I’m primarily focusing on my graphic design skills and typography. I’m calling the challenge ThreeSiddyFi, and I am tracking my progress everyday on my website! One of my favorite quotes is by Paul Arden, “The ones who eventually make it are not necessarily the most talented ones but the most persistent ones. It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be.” I believe this is a great reminder to any artist that is doubting their abilities.
OTHER HOBBIES? I’m not sure if you would call entrepreneurship a hobby, but I am an artist first and business woman second. Ever since I was little I was always looking for new and creative ways to make money. Whether it was a lemonade stand or in middle school I made videos for my cross country team and sold them to the parents. More recently, I have been selling prints on society 6 and working on turning Pippy Creative into a design business.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE OR PREFERRED MEDIUM?
WHAT ARE YOUR NEXT STEPS?
I like to stick to the basics, pen or pencil and my sketchbook. Every project, whether it be a sculpture or a logo I am designing, they all start with those three things.
As of the beginning of December I got hired as the Creative Director of a startup called Crimson, a men’s clothing company. I am currently working on the designs of the first run of bow ties and shirts. It’s been a lot of fun to learn about textile design and the process of working with a large manufacturer. We hope to release the website mid spring for the shop. Along with that, Pippy Creative (aka me) is putting together an art show at Lyon’s art studio “Hoof and Horn” in Guthrie, Ok. I will have more information about the show on my website!
WHO OR WHAT INSPIRES YOU? One of my biggest inspirations is Quentin Blake, he’s most well known for his illustrations he has done for Roald Dahl. I love his gestural style, I think there is a beauty in drawing something with one continuous line. But without a doubt my biggest inspiration would have to be my high school art teacher, Eric Lyons. Lyons taught me a lot of technical skills but more importantly he was the one person who made me believe
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“I LIKE TO DESCRIBE MY STYLE AS “CONTROLLED CHAOS”
JADE RUMMINGER AUSTIN, TX |21
LETS FACE IT, LIFE IS MESSY. We get busy, things get chaotic, and whether we like it or not spontaneity becomes a cornerstone of the day-to-day. We jump from school, to work, to errands, to happy hour, and we keep going. Ladies, we all know it’s hard to find a bag that can hold its own against all your shenanigans. Enter Dagne Dover (www.dagnedover.com), the “sophisticated, organized handbag that makes you feel ready for anything”. Dagne has four main product lines: The Tote, The Mini Tote, The Tiny Tote and the Clutch Wallet (that also transitions into a cross body!). All their products are made from coated canvas, for easy cleaning, and have literally a million pockets
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to store just about anything you could ever think of. From your tech gear, to your lipsticks, metro cards, wallet (the wallet pocket is actually specifically designed to hold the Clutch Wallet), you’ll be able to store, organize and find whatever you need to take you from your early morning duties to your evening festivities. What’s even better is that Dagne is a start-up in New York City, and doesn’t have that hefty price tags most other bags of this caliber have ($265 - $165). They’re after our own hearts here. So having all your essentials in one beautifully styled go-to bag is fine, but why do we love Dagne? The company was founded at a kitchen table by three women who were convinced that there had to be a better way. Melissa Mash, Jessy Dover and Deepa Gandhi make up the
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executive team of Dagne, and boy do they have the experience that puts most executive teams to shame. CEO Melissa attended NYU and spent time in London working for the internationally recognized accessory company, Coach. Jessy, the Dover to the Dagne, is the creative director, and sketches all the designs to perfection. She trained at Parsons, and has worked for companies like Coach, Armani Exchange, and Jen Kao. She was inspired by everything that doesn’t work about traditional luxury handbags, and accepted the challenge of designing products to fix problems we didn’t even know we had. Deepa’s resume has sprinklings of Johns Hopkins, Wharton and Club Monaco. She brings the financial flavor to Dagne, something that is so important to any start-up, in her role of COO.
“THE COMPANY WAS FOUNDED AT A KITCHEN TABLE BY THREE WOMEN WHO WERE CONVINCED THAT THERE HAD TO BE A BETTER WAY. ”
Together, these three ladies built Dagne Dover from the ground up. Their hands were on everything in the beginning: finding sample makers, material suppliers, and manufacturing companies that were willing to take a risk on their dream. They built their website from the ground up and took product photos with their iPhones. The three-woman team wore the hats of designer, customer service, distribution manager, web developer, and marketer all in one day’s work. Dagne Dover is inspiring women to lead spontaneous, chic, and well-organized lives through their products. Whether you’re a creative that needs a bag that will keep up with all your fresh ideas while keeping your style on trend, a young professional that needs something chic yet functional, or someone that is just inspired by their story and entrepreneurial-spirit, Dagne Dover is the answer to so many woes. We all have 99 problems, but your handbag shouldn’t be one of them. Cheers to you, Dagne Dover!
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B E A D E D BY W beadedbyW@gmail @beadedbyW
WANT TO SEE YOUR WORK FEATURED IN THE KORONETTE? We are always looking for new and creative talent! Email THEKORONETTE@GMAIL.COM with: Name & age 2-4 low resolution photos of your best pieces
CREDITS & LINKS ABBIE DRUE -MADE IN RYE M A D E I N RY E.C O M I N S TAG R A M/M A D E I N RY E
TASNUVA AWAL TA S N U VA-AWA L.FO R M AT.C O M I N S TAG R A M/T E S S_AWA L M A K E U P - S A R A E U DY STYLING - JESSICA KELLER MODEL - SHELBY BULLARD W I T H PAG E PA R K E S
BETH, HILLAREE, & STEPHANIE BIRCH AND GOLDBERRY B I RC H A N D G O L D B E R RY.C O M I N S TAG R A M/B I RC H A N D G O L D B E R RY
PLAYLIST KARAN SAINI S O U N D C L O U D/K A R A N-S A I N I-21
JAY MONDKAR J AY M O N D K A R.C O M I N S TAG R A M/J M O N D K A R FAC E B O O K/J AY M O N D K A R P H O T O G R A P H Y
MADI PIPKIN P I P P Y C R E AT I V E.C O M
99 PROBLEMS J A D E RU M M I N G E R P H O T O S F RO M: DAG N E D OV E R DAG N E D OV E R.C O M
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KORONETTE.COM THEKORONETTE@GMAIL.COM @THEKORONETTE
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