ISSUE VI
MARCH 2012
Front Cover The Thistle & Clover Diaries
Stories from the Dressing Room Floor
Make sure all important text2012 & objects Spring/Summer are at least .25" (or preferably .5") from the edge of the trimmed page
Editors' Letter
RAND NIEDERHOFFER & CAMILLA GALE
Welcome to The Thistle & Clover Diaries Issue VI, launching just in time for our 4th birthday! As the French say, “the more things change, the more they remain the same.” Over the last 4 years, we’ve watched our little Brooklyn neighborhood of Fort Greene evolve and grow, and have seen many a new face peek through our front door. But we’ve stayed true to our original mission: to promote new and under-represented design talent from the NYC area. To that end, The Thistle & Clover Diaries Issue VI includes an unprecedented number of young designers whom we met through our Open Call program. If you’ve been following our store blog, updated daily, you might recognize their collections. The Diaries will only expand this exposure; they are now read in over 80 countries! For Spring/Summer 2012, expect lots of nautical summer stripes and breezy sundresses—Troubadour (p.4) and Pretty Penny (p.16) both professed a love of water and were inspired by coastal beaches. Odette NY (p.8) and ReElle
(p.14) look far into the past and reference ancient relics to keep their contemporary jewelry lines fresh with historically significant twists. Take a look at our “Mad Libs” section on each page and you’ll be sure to notice a lot of similarities between the designers. It should come as no surprise that many of them are friends and even studiomates. It’s this kind of community and kinship that T&C seeks to continue to foster for years to come. We hope you enjoy getting to know the faces behind the clothes! xxCamilla & Rand
TABLE OF CONTENTS Editors' Letter.....................Page 2. Troubadour..........................Page 4. Dagg & Stacey.......................Page 6. Odette NY...........................Page 8. Brook&Lyn...........................Page 10. Mason...............................Page 12. ReElle..............................Page 14. Pretty Penny........................Page 16. Sesame Letterpress..................Page 18. Honey & White.......................Page 19. Deborah Rice........................Page 20.
T RO UBAD O UR
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in d s e y Ca r te r, th e d e s ig n e r o f Tro u b ad ou r, n a m e d h e r l in e a f te r th e mu si c i a n poets of 11-13th centuries because she re l a t e d t o t h e i r a p p ro ac h t o c r a f t . “ T h e Trou b ad ou r s we re actin g ou t p oe tr y a n d son gs b ec a u s e of a l l th in g s th a t th e y we re in s p i red by. I t i s th a t cre a tive p roce s s th a t I re l a te to. ” Trou b ad ou r is its e l f in s p ire d by 3 ke y i n f l u en c e s : th e cit y, th e s e a , a n d th e s ou th . E ac h o f t h ese th e m e s is re p re s e n te d in th e d e s ig n e r ’s c rest : a n t l e r s re s tin g a b o ve a s ku l l a n d a n a n c h o r. T h e ‘c i t y ’ ( th e s ku l l ) re f e r s to Ne w York Cit y, w h ere Li n d se y g a in e d h e r fa s h ion tr a in in g. “ I a m e n er gi z ed by t h i s p l ac e, a n d t h i n k o f i t a s a n o t h e r h om e. ” T h e ‘s e a’ ( th e a n c h or ) is th e oce a n ; it re f e ren c es Li n d s e y ’s u p b r i n g i n g n e a r t h e b e ac h a n d h e r h a p p i n e s s in b e in g c l os e to w a te r. An d th e “s ou t h” ( t h e a n t l e r s ) is w h e re L in d s e y g re w u p a n d l ives n ow.
A f t e r atte nd i ng FI T in Ne w York , Lindse y s ta r te d working at J.Cre w where she helped th e l i t t l e k n ow n star tup Made wel l 1937 establis h i t s e l f w i t h in the fashion industr y. This exp e r i e n c e e n dowed L i nd s e y w it h t he t ools she nee d e d to s t a r t he r own co l l ec t ion, w hic h she soon d id , a f t e r mo vi ng to Ch ar lest on, NC , in 2006. W i t h Tro ub ad o ur, Lindse y seek s t o mak e c l othi ng f o r “ the d ownt ow n gir l, t he upt own g ir l , a nd e ve r y thi ng i n bet ween. ” Her piec es h a ve a w h i ms i c al, nauti c al f eel t hat pay homage to h e r Made wel l ro o ts but st ay t r ue t o an int er ior v is i on . S p r i ng 2012 off ers plent y of flow ing a s y m m e t r ic al s ki r ts and easy shir t dresses t h a t w il l look as c hi c i ns i de t he office as out . “ I t ’s a m ix of o ld wo r ld m asculine, done in a moder n f e m in i ne way. ” L i nd se y ’s aest het ic direct ion is in c re as ing l y i nf o r med by bloggers lik e Ma n R epe l le r and Blai r E adie Bee f rom At lant ic Pacific, a s wel l as P i nterest . Tro ub ad o ur i s a one woman show : Linds e y d oe s e ve r y thi ng f rom balancing t he book s, t o in s p i r at i on s o urci ng, to sk et c hing and design in g h e r c o l le c ti ons . “ There are a lot of c hal lenges . Proba b l y one o f the b iggest is onl y being one p e r s on . S i n c e I have to wear so many hat s, it ’s h a rd e r s om e times to sw itc h gears. S o if I could c l on e m y s e l f that wo uld be great !”
DAGG & STACE Y
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aren Dagg and Stacey Paterson met in the summer of 2001 while working and designing at a vintage store in Toronto, Canada. A mere 2 months later and their collection was born. (Talk about a whirlwind courtship for two recent art college grads!) Dagg & Stacey is a “subtle balance of enduring, effortless style, quality craftsmanship, and femininity. [Theirs] are clothes to wear, treasure, and come to be irreplaceable.” Dedicated to traditional tailoring and quality manufacturing—cornerstones, Paterson says, of the Canadian sartorial identity—Dagg & Stacey is inspired by Toronto daily life: “The people outside our door; the strangers on the street; various street style blogs.” For Spring 2012, Dagg & Stacey quietly reference the simplicity of form of the Arts and Crafts movement, noting that A&C artisans stressed the work within the work of art, and the importance of the means to the end. The duo design their own prints every season; even while a few silhouettes may remain ostensibly the same season to season, the collections feel fresh, new and exciting. Citing menswear, home decor, and international sales as opportunities they’d like to expand to in the future, Paterson and Dagg are currently concentrating more directly on partnerships and collaborations with others designers and artists. We can’t wait to see what’s in store!
ODET T E NY
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ennifer Sarkilahti’s jewelry line Odette NY first caught our eye while we were on a shoot with her studiomate and former T&C Diaries designer, Anne McClain of MCMC Fragrances. Anne had recently modeled for Odette NY’s FW11 lookbook and was sporting an array of Sarkilahti’s striking stacking rings that she had received in trade. As soon as we saw the pieces on McClain, we knew we had to get the designer into the store for an appointment. Sarkilahti’s aesthetic, centered on bold textural statements, pays tribute to her former career as a painter. Sarkilahti received a MFA from George Mason University. In between gallery jobs, she picked up jewelry after realizing that the medium was more suited to NYC space constraints than large-scale painting. “I started playing around with the materials and soon enough, completely took to it.” Odette NY, a reference to Swan Lake’s evil queen, was founded shortly thereafter in 2006. Sarkilahti employs the method of old wax carving to craft her line; the artisanal nature of the process allows her to make use of her fine arts degree. “I really adore the wax carving process. I constantly apply techniques from my art school days to my jewelry making, sometimes drawing into the wax, sometimes carving it as if it were a small sculpture. I try to leave little marks and traces of the hand in each style to set it apart.” Sarkilahti’s styleways span from the very delicate (the Small Amuletum necklace), to the ultra statement (the Double Amuletum necklace). For now, pieces come in sterling silver and brass, but Sarkilahti plans to create a capsule collection of 14k and colored diamonds for her growing number of ardent devotees. When she’s not designing out of her Greenpoint studio that she shares with fellow T&C designers Anne McClain of MCMC, Fragrances, Adelaide Ackerson of Honey & White, and Emily Hirsch of Talon NYC, you can find her inspiration sourcing at various museums around the city. Sarkilahti’s collections frequently reference Mediterranean antiquities: the SS12 collection was inspired by a recent trip to Greece and Turkey, as well as vintage textiles from the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul and fragmented relics from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
BRO OK&LYN
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fter studying installation art at The Cooper Union, Mimi Jung worked as a graphic designer. She founded the blog Brook&Lyn in 2008 in order to “bookmark her finds and document her bold minimalist style.” Her blog—originally envisioned as a zine—quickly transitioned into a personal platform for showcasing her own necklaces. Jung received a strong initial response from her readers, and decided to launch a jewelry line. Her “innovative, yet wearable” debut collection has been featured in The New York Times, Lucky Magazine and Teen Vogue, among others. Citing artists Doris Salcedo and Isamu Noguchi as designers that have helped inform her aesthetic, Jung explains that she “approach(es) each jewelry collection as a singular project… the concept always drives the final execution.” For Spring 2012, entitled ‘Deflected,’ Jung drew inspiration from a friend’s great-grandmother who habitually kept a mirror under her shirt to deflect evil spirits. The friend, in turn, carries on this tradition by wearing a tiny mirror on days she feels will be particularly challenging. “The SS12 collection is crafted with handmade patina glass mirrors set in custom-cut saddle leather, draped on strands of hand-dyed cotton. I source the saddle leather from Colorado, the cotton strands from Massachusetts and the handmade patina glass from a local Brooklyn artisan. Everything is carefully assembled in our studio in Red Hook.” Like many other designers featured in The T&C Diaries, Jung sees Brook&Lyn expanding to include clothing as well as home décor—a natural progression given all of her recent successes.
“My favorite boutiques around the country wanting to carry my collection is such a big triumph.”
MASON
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ic hel le Mason bega n h e r d e s ig n c a re e r a s a fa s h ion il l u s tr a tor working f or L os Angele s -b a s e d l a b e l Ric h a rd Ty l e r. A f te r l e a v in g Ty l er ’s, Mic hel le modeled in L on d on , v a m p in g f or p re s tig iou s a v a n t-g a rd e labels suc h as Hus s e in Ch a l ay a n . T h e e x p e r ie n ce a w a ke n e d h e r t o the “romance ” of fashion. “ Not w ith th e in d u s tr y p e r s e b u t w ith th e id e a a n d ph ilo s o phy of fashion, ” Mic hel le sa id in a n in te r v ie w w ith B a r n e y s .
Up on re tur ni ng t o L os Angeles, Mic hel le d e c i d e d the ti me w as r ight t o launc h a lin e of he r own. H e r fi rst c ol lec t ion, a line of sh oe s , re t a i le d as a Bar ne y s exc lusive. A ready -towe ar co l lecti on soon f ol lowed. In 2 001, M as on launc hed a diffusion l in e, M a s on by Mic hel le Mason. The line ena b l e d c u s t omers to purc hase Mason’s sophistic a t e d fi t and tai lo r i ng at a more acc essible pr ice p oi n t. Ce le b r i ti es lik e Madonna, S ofia C opp o l a and Angelina Jolie soon took notic e o f M a s on by Mic hel le Mason and the line w a s o ff a nd r unni ng. M a s on cites ear l y Gal liano, late McQ u e e n and Ann D e meulemeest er as influen ce s . S pr i n g i s fi l led w it h elegant separ at es, fl oa t y d re s ses and per f ect date night tops, insp i re d by t h e fi lm s o f the 1950s suc h as The W il d O ne, Rear W i ndow and Ver t igo. A s e r ies of par ticular note--one that M a s on h a s pre viousl y sold with strong result s - - i s t h e cotton and silk combo st y le, whic h u s e s s i l k in a way that br ings ne w refinemen t t o c a s u a l we ar.
Re-ELLE “ N YC i s t h e he a r t o f t he c r e a t ive w o r l d. T he r e i s al w ays s o m uch to be in sp ir ed by h e r e a n d s o m a n y pe o pl e a ll going thr ough this same jour ne y. This is both w h at I l o ve m o st a bo ut w o rk i n g he r e and w hat i s the har d es t par t. ”
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h re e s m a l l a n t i q u i t i e s w a s a l l i t took f or A r ie l l e S te i n t o l a u n c h h e r ow n c o l l e c t i on . S t e i n fi r s t f e l l in l o ve w ith je we l r y w h i l e wo rk i n g a t a b e ad s h op in Ne w J e r s e y. S h e su b s e q u e n t l y wo rk e d a t Ae s a a n d P h i l i p Cr a n g i a f te r g r ad u a tin g f rom F I T w ith a d e g re e in je we l r y d e si gn . H e r in te re s t in a n tiqu e s wa s c on c u r re n t w ith h e r in te re s t in j e wel r y d e s ig n . “ M y l o ve f or a n tiq u es st a r t e d w h e n I w a s a l ittl e g i r l , t ro l l i n g th rou g h fl e a m a rke ts a n d ga r a ge sa l es w ith m y g r a n d m oth e r. M y f a vo r i t e s p ots a re a t th e Ch e l s e a F l ea Ma rk et , a f e w t h r i f t s h o p s i n C on n e c t i c u t , a n d a ny a n tiqu e d e a l e r I c a n fin d i n D el r ay B e ac h , F l or id a . ” S h e f ou n d 3 Ch in e s e H a n D y n a st y ( c . 2 0 0 B C ) a n t i q u i t i e s on one s u c h f l e a m a rke t ou tin g, a n d c h a l l e n ged h er sel f to m a ke a s m a ny d iff e re n t p i ec es wi t h t h e m a s p o s s i b l e. R e - E l l e u s e s t h e s e re l ics a n d com b in e s th e m wi t h c on temporar y wax car ving and etching techniques to “bring them out of their tim e a n d in to ou r s . ” S t e i n s e e s h e r p i e c e s m i xe d i n w i t h oth e r m a te r ia l s a n d d e s ig n s on a d e t a i l - o r i e n t e d wom a n . “ S h e d re s s e s in re l a tive l y s im p l e c l oth i n g, b u t i s d r i ve n t ow a rd t h e s l i g h t e s t d r a p e o f a n e c kl ace, or a rou g h te x tu re i n m et a l . ”
P RET T Y P ENNY
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i c h ae l A b b e y, V P o f D e s i g n a t Pre t t y Pe n ny, h a s worke d in th e fa s h ion in d u s tr y f or o ve r 1 5 yea r s, d e s ig n in g d e n im f or m a jor l a b e l s l ike L e v i S t r a u ss, E a r l J e a n s , J o i e a n d J u i c y C o u t u re. An e x t e n s i on o f t h e men’s l in e Pe n ny S toc k, Pre tt y Pe n ny b e g a n a s a n a ff ord a b l e, f a shionable a l te r n a tive to h ig h e r p r ice d con te m p or a r y l in es d u r i n g t h e 2008 econ om ic d ow n tu r n . S ince th e b r a n d s ta r te d off s ol e l y f ocu s e d on m e n s we a r, i t i s fi t t ing t h a t th e re is a s l ig h tl y a n d rog y n ou s l ook to th e wom en’s c o l lection . “ O u r g i r l i s c on fi d e n t , u n d e r s t a t e d a n d s m a r t . S h e m i xe s her go- to f e m in in e fa vor ite s w ith s t y l e s s h e ’s ‘ b or rowed ’ f rom h er boy f r ien d ’s c l os e t. ” Pre tt y Pe n ny s u b tl y t w is ts c l a s s ic s by ad d i n g a punc h o f c o l o r t o a b a s i c w i n d b re a k e r, o r u s i n g q u i rk y d e t a i l s t o updat e a b a l l e r in a d re s s . A b b e y s e e s “ v in ta ge b rog u e s , wi t h E i sen hower g l a s s e s , a n d re d l ip s ” a s p e r f e ct acce s s or ie s to h i s l i n e. For s p r in g 2 0 1 2 , Pre tt y Pe n ny p resen t s t h ei r “ C o a s t t o C o a s t ” c o l l e c t i on t h a t “c e l e b r a t e s b e i n g a rou n d th e w a te r. ” E x p e ct b re e z y p r i n t ed t a n k s, a n kl e l e n g th t w il l p a n ts , a n d b a s ics l ik e l i n en t ees, b u t t on d ow n s , a n d s u n d re s s e s — p e r f e c t w a rd ro b e s ta p l e s f or th e l a z y s u m m e r m on th s a h ead .
SESAME LET T ERP RESS
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trip to Breck Hostetter’s Dumbo based studio reveals a cozily furnished industrial space filled with 19th century printing machines dappled with brightly colored neon ink. It’s this immersion of historicity and current aesthetic ideals that makes the line so unique. “I am always trying to marry Victorian era decorative details with modern colors and design,” Hostetter says. After graduating from college with a degree in fine arts, Hostetter worked at various art galleries around the city. In order to earn extra income, Hostetter began taking private commissions as a bookbinder. When Henri Bendel’s asked her to create a series of letterpress books for them, Hostetter became instantly hooked. In 2005, Hostetter showed her first wholesale line at the New York International Gift Fair. The line was wellreceived and Hostetter was able to
turn her part time side business into a full-fledged career. Since launching Sesame Letterpress, Hostetter’s work has appeared in NY Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, In Style, and Martha Stewart Weddings, among others. She has collaborated with West Elm on a series of to die for dinnerware,
and, recently, she taught a class for members of the Etsy team (the companies share an office building). In addition to Sesame’s wholesale line, Hostetter works with entrepreneurs, enfianced couples and expectant moms to create exquisite custom letterpress suites. Each arena of the business influences and defines the other. The Spring 2012 collection is inspired by patterns from the wedding invitations Hostetter created this past year. Couples selecting baby shower invites or a set of thank you cards can opt to use some of the botanical motifs Hostetter incorporates into her retail line. “Right now I’m watching Downton Abbey and I wish all of those characters were using my stationary. They seem to write and receive many juicy letters. It would be really fun to print custom silhouettes for each character’s stationary.”
HONE Y & WH I T E F
rom the moment I was first introduced to metalsmithing I was in love,” says Adelaide Ackerson, founder of jewelry line Honey & White.
Adelaide studied industrial design at the University of Cincinnati where she became acquainted with large-scale, creative projects welding steel sculptures and furniture. But upon graduation, she began working for a number of large corporate companies, like Coach, designing accessories, handbags and belts. “I started to miss actual dirty, hands-on work, ” she says of that time. Adelaide launched Honey & White as a means of staying in touch with the craft of the design process. Her strong foundation in accessory production has alleviated many of the challenges with which first time designers are faced. However, Adelaide says she still struggles to find enough hours in the day to accomplish her objectives. “Weeknights and weekends are pretty busy for me,” she says.
Adelaide rents a jeweler’s bench at Dobbins Mews Studio in Greenpoint to stay on top of her jewelry orders. The space is shared with current T&C designers Anne McClain of MCMC Fragrances, Emily Hirsch of Talon, and Jennifer Sarkilahti of Odette NY. “It’s a one story space with a skylight that surrounds a tiny courtyard and a generous fig tree. You enter through a metal gate, which conceals the secret hideaway. Everyone always says it feels like California! I love New York, but it is nice to be able to make this quick escape sometimes!” This season Adelaide was influenced by the Art Deco era and Southwestern jewelry, two major trend stories for SS12. Going forward Adelaide plans to expand a few key design motifs that have been popular thus far. Our Thistle & Clover favorites are the delicate feather and heart styleways.
DEBORAH RICE “ W h e n I ’m w o rk i n g, I te n d to i m a g i n e m y f r i e n d s w ea r i n g m y d e s i g n s . M o s t o f t h e m l ive i n B r ook l y n a n d a r e ve r y c r e a t ive i n t h e i r o w n r i g h t . [ T h e y’r e ] a r t i s t s , ph otog raphe r s, m u s i c i a n s , s t y l i s t s - a n d a l l h a ve s t r o n g pe r s o n a l st yles. ”
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e b o r a h R i c e h ad s e ve r a l d i f f e re n t c are e r it e r a t i on s b e f o re fi n a l l y h on i n g i n on d e s i g n. Mos t rec e n t l y, s h e w a s a b o ok k e e pe r f o r s m a l l b u s in e s s e s . T h e j o b pa i d t h e b i l l s , b ut w a s u l t i m a t e l y un fu lfil li n g. R i c e re a l i z e d t h a t s h e w a s i n d e s pe r a t e n e e d o f a c re a t ive o ut l e t . S h e prom pt l y e n ro l l e d i n a c l a s s a t S t udi o J e we l e r s i n M a n h a t t a n . A s R i c e g a i n e d c on fi d e n c e i n he r c r a f t , s h e s t a r t e d t o t h i n k a b o u t t ur n i n g h e r pa s s ion proj e c t into a business. R i c e n ow d e s i g n s a s e r i e s o f h a m m e re d s i l ve r an d ve r me i l n e c k l ac e s , a s we l l a s a r u n o f s i l k c o rd n e c k lac e s , t ha t h a ve b e e n f l y i n g o ut o f T & C . T h e s i l k c o rd p i e c e s c a me i n t o b e i n g a f t e r a s e re n d i pi t i o us re pa i r re q ue st f rom he r m o t h e r - i n - l a w w h o n e e d e d a pe a rk n e c k l ac e re s t r u n g. “ I e n d e d u p i n t h e b e ad d i s t r i c t , l o ok i n g f o r s i lk t hre ad. An d I i n s t a n t l y f e l l i n l o ve w i t h a l l o f t h e go r ge ou s s i lk s c o l o r s . I d e c i d e d t o i n c o r po r a t e s i l k a s a m a i n e le me n t i n m y m o s t re c e n t c o l l e c t i on . ” W h e n s h e c a n’t rel y on hap py c o i n c i d e n c e, R i c e d e r i ve s i n s pi r a t i on f rom n a t u r a l a n d o r g a n i c f or ms . “ I g re w u p on a ve ge tab l e f ar m i n r u r al Pe n n s y l va n i a a n d s om e o f m y f on d e s t m e m o r i e s as a k i d a re worki n g t h e fa r m wi th m y gr an d f athe r. ” T h e o u t d o o r s a re n e ve r f a r f rom R i c e ’s wo rk ; l e a f mot i f s , br a n c h es a n d s i l ve r f e athe r s are s c atte re d t h ro ug h o u t h e r j e we l r y l i n e.
221 DeKalb Avenue ° Brooklyn, NY ° 11205 (718) 855-5577 (t) ° (718) 855-5533 (f) ° info@thistleclover.com° www.thistleclover.com
Spring 2012 Designers CLOTHING 81 Poppies Ace & Jig Amanda Uprichard American Vintage Dace Dagg & Stacey Demylee Edith A. Miller Fischer Jeunesse Joie Mason Myne Pretty Penny Troubadour Trovata Rachel Rose Wren
MagCloud.com 1501 Page Mill Rd, MS 1157 Palo Alto, CA 94304
JEWELRY
Amanda Rudey Aroc Urtu Bittersweets NY Blanca Monrós Gómez BROOK&LYN BRVTVS Catbird Deborah Rice Gaffney Designs Honey & White Jené DeSpain Katrina LaPenne Max Steiner Mia Lara Nettie Kent Odette NY Rebecka Fröberg ReElle Robbie Simon Jewelry Talon Thistle & Clover Private Label
ACCESSORIES Blue Ribbon Letterpress Chan Luu Clare Vivier Lollia Lucia Marais USA MCMC Fragrances Nona E Rose One & the Same Payal Luthra Rifle Paper Co. Sesame Letterpress Tatine Candles
POSTAGE