Design

Leathers by The Sleeveless Garden

The design scene in Thailand is hopping. I think the rest of the world doesn’t realise it, thanks largely to the fact that the designer knock-off scene is also hopping and overshadows it.

The Sleeveless Garden is a Thai brand that is, from what I can gather, quite new. They make stunning, fine-quality hand crafted bags and other leathers, though it was their nude satchel that caught my eye.

I found these guys at Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok, and they also have a store. Fashionistas planning a trip to Bangkok, take note!

Have a look at their website here and show them some Facebook love here.

The Written Portraits series

Written Portraits

CGI and postproduction done by Souverein Weep
agency van Wanten Etcetera, art Maarten Reynen

The “Written Portraits” series were created by us completely in 3D for the Dutch Book Week. Concept by Markus Ravenhorst and Maarten Reynen.

http://www.souverein.nl

Olimpia Zagnoli illustrations

My illustration crush for today: Olimpia Zagnoli. I especially love her use of colour.

She's an illustrator who lives in Milan, and has one impressive client list including The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, Yale University, The Harvard Business Review and Il Corriere della Sera.

Which isn't too surprising, really.

You should take a look at her website.

The smell of books

Attention all bibliophiles! You too can now smell of freshly printed books, thanks to a new fragrance collaboration between Geza Schoen, Gerhard Steidl and Wallpaper* magazine (of which I am a huge fan!).

It is called Paper Passion, and Steidl did the incredible packaging together with Karl Lagerfeld. In the front of the packaging book you’ll find short essays talking about paper, and they’re written by Lagerfeld, Schoen, Günter Grass, and Tony Chambers who is the editor-in-chief at Wallpaper*.

Read more about it on Steidl’s website and on Wallpaper*.

Love Polaroids

So awesome. I'll be doing this on my bedroom wall.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/polaroid-heart-49737

Spend a minute of your day..

Spend a minute of your day watching this incredible origami stop-frame animation video created by Dan Britt for a British campaign against Nuclear weapons.

Take a look at the Thousand Reasons campaign website too and consider adding your reason on why we’d be better off without the nukes on the Add a Reason page. Or just enjoy the pretty video :)

(Source: vimeo.com)

I am Colour, Not Coloured.

Trevor Stuurman has posted a series of beautiful photographs of David Tlale’s offerings from Mercedes Benz Cape Town Fashion week. You should click through to his blog and take a look through them.

Pretty Personal with Leila Badsha from Bow Peep

Leila Badsha started Bow Peep in early 2011, with a focus on whimsical handmade stationery and accessories. You’ve probably spotted many a Cape Town gal wearing her button earrings and rings; and if you see a dapper gent wearing a bow tie - one he tied himself, natch - chances are, it’s one of Leila’s.

Clockwise from top left: Lightning Bolt Necklace, "Inbetweener" Red Gingham Bow Tie, Polka Dot Button Ring, Light Blue And White Striped Button Earrings, Blue Nautical Earrings, Sailboat Tote, Magnetic Note Pad Red and White

We caught up with her recently:

Hello Leila! So, who are you exactly?
I’m from Cape Town - I studied at UCT, and after graduating I did a couple of internships. I really hated being an intern so I started Bow Peep because I was so bored sitting around all day at a desk working on Excel. Bow Peep started to take off so I quit my internship and decided to work for myself full time.
We hear you. Death by spreadsheet - no thanks! Can you tell us about the wonderful things Bow Peep makes?
Bow Peep is about whimsical accessories and stationery that won’t break the bank. All the products are handmade, and almost all have an element of fabric in them.
What makes you tick?
I really love fabric and every time I find new fabric it inspires me to make new products. Sometimes just wandering around fabric shops inspires new designs. I tend to come up with new products ether late at night, or when I am really busy on an order and don’t actually have the time to start something new. I also love stationery so I had to add that to my range.
Sounds like you have a lot going on! Did any of these flashes of inspiration turn into something we should know about?
I have started working in silver so you can possibly expect a small silver Bow Peep collection. I have already made some silver button necklaces, and will hopefully come up with more soon. I am also trying to make more things for guys - I am planning on making cuff links but its taking a while…
We can’t wait! So, last question: Ever lost any sheep? (Sorry, we couldn’t resist.)
Hahaha, my friends and my family think I have lost the plot sometimes. I think they think I’m a bit mad but I think you have to be a bit mad to work for yourself.

We couldn’t agree more - just look at Team Hello Pretty ;)

File under: Things We Wish We’d Thought Of First.

File under: “Things We Wish We’d Thought Of First.” You can stop keeping all those love notes, movie tickets, receipts and other things of sentimental value in desk drawers and old shoeboxes. The Memory Bank from Speechless Studios is a smart and beautiful way to store them.

Pretty Personal with Audrey Botha from Papillon Belle

Audrey Botha inherited jewellery from her grandmother, which ended up being the inspiration behind the exquisite pieces from Papillon Belle. Every piece is as unique as the butterfly it came from, and just as captivating.

Clockwise from top: Urania Butterfly Necklace, Audrey and her darling puppy, Ornithoptera Butterfly Necklace, Skeleton Wing Earrings

Once we managed to stop oohing and aahing over Audrey’s adorable puppy, we asked her a few questions:

Hello Audrey! So, who are you exactly?
I am a freelance graphic designer and illustrator based in Cape Town, South Africa. Butterflies have always been a source of inspiration to me. When I inherited two antique brooches made with real butterfly wings from my grandmother, it sparked the idea for my new range of jewellery. The brooches date back to the Victorian era and I became very interested in how you can take something as transient as a butterfly, and immortalise it in a piece of jewellery that can be passed down three generations. I wanted to create a range of timeless, classic pieces that could become family heirlooms at a time when disposable consumables seem to dominate our world.
That’s a really nice ethos. Hello Pretty is a huge fan of lasting, quality design. Can you tell us about the wonderful things Papillon Belle makes?
Papillon Belle jewellery is special on so many levels. Each piece is handcrafted using real butterfly wings, encased in glass or perspex and set in Sterling Silver. The glass pendants are engraved with the year of manufacture on the side, making it the perfect gift for a special occasion. Each pendant comes in a luxury gift box with a certificate of authenticity containing info on the butterfly and where it’s from.
The butterflies used in my jewellery are sourced from an organisation that manages sustainable farming projects all over the world. The pendants are not only beautiful to look at, but also help to conserve the rain forests and support the farmers who depend on the forests to make a living, while preserving the populations of endangered butterflies.
I read up on that on your website’s About page, and it’s fascinating. Who knew something as small as a butterfly could help change the world? What changes your world and inspires you?
Being a creative person, I am constantly inspired by things around me. When I encounter something that inspires me, it tends to cross-pollinate in my mind and result in new ideas. I also love working on a range of different projects and tackling a new creative problem. I love traveling and spending time with my beagle Otis.
Hi Otis, you cutie pie. Audrey, anything interesting coming up that we should know about?
I have been working on waterproofing butterfly wings for the past 2 months and have finally found a solution after much trial and error! You can’t touch the wings or get any moisture in contact with it without damaging the wing, so waterproofing it is incredibly tricky. I will be launching the first butterfly wing rings at the end of the month.
I just saw pictures of those on your Facebook page! Super exciting. Now, we know we shouldn’t ask you to play favourites, but do you have a favourite butterfly?
Luckily, I have a collection of 5 pendants next to my bed so every morning I choose a pendant and dress according to the colour of the wing! I would never be able to choose a single butterfly, but I would have to say the Morpho Zephyritis from Peru is pretty spectacular. The wing is actually brown, but to the human eye the one side is an iridescent turquoise blue that changes colour depending on the colour of the light. This is an optical illusion caused by light refraction taking place on tiny scales on the surface of the wing. Then the Urania Chrysiridia Ryphaeus from Madagascar is actually a moth that mimics butterflies to ward off predators. It’s a crazy looking insect covered in stripes and dots and all the colours of the rainbow. I call it my transvestite butterfly as it looks like it’s wearing too much make-up :) Madagascar is an isolated eco-system, so you tend to find insects and animals there that have evolved over time that you will find nowhere else on earth! Lastly, the Siproeta Victorina Stelenes has to be one of my favourites…for one, I love the name! It looks like something from an Art Nouveau painting and the colours are incredible (blue grey and burnt orange).

That’s it. We’re totally naming our band “The Transvestite Butterflies”. Thanks Audrey!
You can find more of Audrey’s stunning pieces on the Papillon Belle Hello Pretty store. Also, if you find her on Twitter and Facebook, maybe you’ll be lucky enough to meet Otis.