design=love

taylor reeve's fancy pants

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How awesome are these skinny jeans painted by Taylor Reeve? I have been a fan of Taylor's work for a while and when I checked out her etsy I was blown away by these fancy hot pants. She also has a number of beautiful hand-painted skate decks as well as custom shoes available for you to buy. I love her unique style of bold illustrated lines and bright colors. Her girls are totally sexy, but they also have a sweet innocence to them. Be sure to check out more of Taylor's work on her site as well as the sweet shades and goggles she designed with Dragon. Below is the artist herself in her rad pants.

 

alisha louise designs

Besides a beautiful website, Alisha has amazing jewelry. Her Branches Necklace is absolute perfection. You can even pick what enamel color you want. *hint hint* my birthday is June 28th! *wink*

the quiksilver woman

I was very excited to hear about the new line that Quik will be releasing this fall. It is a new line for women ages 18-24 (and hopefully us later twenties women too). Under the direction of Summer Rapp, I'm sure it will be as beautiful as it is unique.

Summer started her career at Roxy. She worked there for four years, until she moved to Volcom, to be the girls design director in 2001. Summer took Volcom Girls from a t-shirt and hoodie brand to a more tailored line of very fashion forward pieces. It is because of my love for Volcom during Summer's reign, that I am more than excited to see threads that Quiksilver will showcase. Summer says, "This project is really exciting, and will ultimately be a huge success, because we will combine the Quiksilver brand’s incredible clout with the freedom of being a new business and a new player in the martketplace. I am privileged to be a part of an all new team with both action sports and fashion industry experience.”

“The collection will be designed for the edgy, independent young woman whose creative approach to fashion appears effortless.” added Bernard Mariette, President of Quiksilver, Inc. “The product will be linked to the Quiksilver young men's brand, but the overall feel will be very feminine, with an end result that is casual but chic."

To check out an interview with Summer and some photos from the line, check out Shop, Eat, Surf.

haley's sea horse rain protector

Back in the glory days of my undergrad at UD, during my senior year, I was approached by an adorable girl who told me she really liked my work. That girl was the amazingly talented Haley Smith. I was truly honored that Haley, a freshman at the time, took a second to come up and just share her thoughts with me. We've stayed in touch and since Haley's graduation from UD in May of 2007, she has done amazing things.

Not only does she design fulltime for Urban Outfitter's housewares department, but she's also got prints she designed showing up on clothing at Anthropologie. The adorable seahorse raincoat (pictured above), is awesome. I love the color and the organic shapes the seahorses make. Sweet job Haley!

Check out Haley's sweet blog, and her lovely design portfolio.

deliciously warm

Stay warm and look as sweet as a cupcake! I found this cute hat and scarf at Shana Logic. Both are handmade with loving care and will for sure get you tons and tons of cutesy compliments!

roxy boots

Short and sweet, I really love these boots!!

new roxy to love

Roxy has [finally] updated their [pain in the butt to navigate] website. It has awesome photo galleries of their surf and snow teams as well their clothing and accessory lines. You can also purchase their goods straight from the site. I posted some of my favorite goodies above. Another cool feature is the Roxy Blog, where the roxy girls post info about the latest events, fashion, trends, music, and team.

L.A.M.B. at NY Fashion Week

Gwen showed off L.A.M.B.'s Spring 2008 collection a couple of days ago during New York's Fashion Week. We all know I'm not a high end fashion goddess, but I have to say I really adored a ton of the pieces! The feel is very mod with splashes of Gwen's very own favorite prints and colors. There are also pieces that use lace and other flowing fabrics to create a very romantic visual. It seems like the critics really loved it, as well as Gwen herself. She says "We're still learning, but we also have accomplished stuff that shocks me. I don't want to brag, but I'm feel pretty proud of a lot of this."

Keep company

My personal stylist, aka nyc girlfrand, aka best friend for life, aka Monica, sent me a lovely link to this awesome shop. Keep is a shoe and clothing company. I love their whole ideal and what they have to say about themselves... "We do Keep for all the women who have their game tight, who work hard to make things happen, who spread positivity and energy around them, who take care of their loved ones and most importantly take care of themselves. We make Keep shoes for those women who are tired of clown shoes, too many bells and whistles, and the misappropriation of the color pink."

Their clothing is so unique and fun, but my fave are their shoes. The patterns and styles are classic yet different. I have totally fallen in love with The Juniper in Green and Purple African Print. Not only is the print amazing, but I can't get that magenta sole out of my mind. And yes, it's always about the detail... check out the bottom of the shoe. So sweet! Love love love!! Thanks Moni!!

hoodie love

Ok, it's like a billion degrees outside, so I thought I'd cool your minds with some autumnly visions of yummy snuggly hoodies. Here are 6 of my favorite styles (so far). I adore Billabong's "Hailey" for it's sweet faux leather straps and girly 'lumberjack' pattern. It's just such a unique take on the average hoodie. I also love Roxy's "You're so Foxy" for its lovely stripes and red accents. Roxy's "Ski and Chocolate" is pretty cute too! Ezekiel's "Ashley" has an awesome pattern of feathery goodness and Hurley's "Flahoca2" has awesome detail as well as great color contrast. Finally Volcom's "Wall Paper" has a beautiful all over pattern with a lovely soft texture. You can find any of these hoodies at your local surf/skate/snow shop or online.

Oh and I'm going away for like the next 2 weeks to some of my favorite beachy towns. I'll be sure to keep an eye our for the sweetest gear and post updates as frequently as I can. I HAVE to get in as much freedom as I can before school starts August 28th! YIKES!! Enjoy the summer everyone! Before we know it, it'll be SNOWBOARD TIME!!! xoxo

Nikita 07 Fall Preview

Nikita has updated their myspace page with a preview of some of the loveliest items from their 2007 Fall/Winter line. I'm already saving money for their awesome prints, graphics, and threads. The item I'm most excited for is the hoodie pictured above. It's my favorite print from summer put on my favorite article of clothing. How sweet is life? So get yourself pumped for cooler temps with Nikita's unique and beautiful clothes. Oh and if photo's aren't enough, they've also made a video for you! Check it out!

team nikita

Back from vaycay and there was a nice little present waiting for me. This lovely Nikita Barstruck shirt that I ordered from Moda3. The shirt is so soft, comfortable, and so perfect for those cool summer days when you're hanging out in the backyard. It's my new most favorite shirt ever!

I also have to say that ordering online from Moda3 was an absolute pleasure. There's free shipping on orders over $50 bucks and not only was it delivered super fast; but they also included a bunch of sweet Nikita stickers as well as a personalized thank you letter from the staff! Needless to say I was very impressed with their customer service.

Moda3 is a lifestyle shop based out of Milwaukee, WI. The shop is run by a group of snowboarders, skateboarders, and sneaker heads. They are dedicated to those [and I quote them by saying] "with a gnarly passion for riding wood (making turns on the snow and street, that is)… rockin' gear that separates us from the mainstream… bringin' heat to our feet… supporting artistic expression (especially imported vinyl)… and music (ya know… rhymes, riffs, and dope beats)".

Check 'em out, they have a great selection of Volcom, Triple 5 Soul, Obey, and of course, Nikita.

walkin' into spiderwebs

K, usually I am against all slip-ons that aren't Vans, but of course I have to have a little love for Gwen's Lamb Katella's. Lamb footwear has a couple new styles coming out tomorrow [July 1st] and I have to say I'm in love with the prints. They have great detail like the textured vulcanized soles and the gold logo tag on the side of the heel. Lamb Shoes also come in adorable children and infant versions. Check 'em out and pick me up a pair!

For Girlies Who Ride

Nikita's summer '07 line is definitely their best ever! Their use of abstract patterns and lovable line drawings are like a breath of fresh air. The also have a huge selection of top and pant styles that you can't find anywhere else. With european styling you're are sure to find something totally unique. My two faves are the 'Lucy in the Sky top' and the 'Thunderstorm Zipped Hoodie'.

Heida Birgisdottir from Reykjavik, Iceland started Nikita in 2000. She was the owner of her own snow/skate/street clothing shop and was bummed when she couldn't find girls clothing that she liked to wear herself. As a designer, she found the best solution was to start her own label. Today, Nikita is sold in hundreds of shops in over 30 countries.

Another awesome aspect to Nikita is that they do not use models to show their clothing. All the girls in the ads, p.o.p., and website are professional surfers, snowboarders, musicians, skaters, and DJ's. Heida like using girls that are "...just so real. They are active, they express themselves, they are themselves." It is those words that the whole Nikita brand is based off of. Nikita is a clothing line that allows girls to mix and match pieces to create their own unique style. With baggy boy fitting pants to tight skinny jeans - Nikita has it all.

I admire Heida for taking the initiative to start her own line of clothing in an industry usually run by guys. If you're looking for a small rider-owned company this is it. Heida surfs, skate, has a huge pile of snowboarding trophies under her bed, and became Iceland's first woman's motorcross champion. She is inspired by her beloved Iceland as well as paintings, old and new furniture, crayons, and even food. Their professional team includes snowboarders Natasza Zurek, Christel Thorensen, and Keiko Yanagisawa, as well as skateboarder Mimi Knoop.

Rad in Plaid

For years now I have tried to find the perfect fitting boy shorts. I just loved the looser fit and how they hung low on my hips. Recenty I found myself drawn to the plaid ones. I would look through mens' departments and thrift shops looking for the perfect color and fit. Even though I was sometimes successful, they never really flattered my hips... or bootie. I guess I wasn't the only one that loved them because this year it seems like everyone came out with their own girly version of my favorite boyish styled short. My favorite is the Volcom Bahama Breeze. I love the wide plaid style with the crazy color palette. I'm also in love with Roxy's Miranda. The two color hot pink is absolutely adorable. Besides punky and bright, there are also tighter fitting muted colors, like Element's Katia. So whatever your style, you can find a plaid short perfect for ya. Most of these shorts are available at beckersurf.com or your local surf shop.

Maple skateboard jewelry

I came across these totally unique skateboard accessories crafted by Portland designer, Maple, while searching through Etsy today. The beautiful bracelets and earrings are made from 100% recycled skateboards. No paint or designs are added and each handmade item is one of a kind. These bracelets and earrings are a definite conversation starter. The bright colors and designs created from grinded off graphics make abstract patterns found nowhere else. I also love that Maple leaves some of the original concave deck shape in the pieces rather than sanding them into perfect circles. You can purchase these items right through Etsy. So celebrate Go Skateboarding Day a day early and treat yourself to one of these awe-inspiring accessories.

b4bc sessions jacket

First of all, how beautiful is that jacket!?!! Back in January when I was at SIA, I stopped in my tracks when I walked past the Sessions booth. I was so excited to see this beautiful jacket for my favorite casue. Sessions has been involved with B4BC since day one, but this is probably my most favorite thing they have ever created. The illustration was done by Swedish artist, Amanda Mendiant. It was her idea that inspired the B4BC campaign 'Know Yourself.' Her idea was to visually show the importance of protecting your breasts by placing a female character on the back putting her arms around the jacket and the girl inside of the jacket, protecting the owners' breasts. The jacket with be in stores this winter and will be sold with an attached shower card to educate and encourage all women to have regular mammograms and perform self-examinations. Proceeds from the jacket will be donated to B4BC in memory of Lynne Long, step sister to one of Sessions owners that lost her battle to cancer. This jacket was honored with a "Best of SIA' award at this year's 2007 SIA Vegas tradeshow. Check out a better photo of the jacket on Amanda's site (and more of her beautiful illustrations as well.

Kat Von D for Von Z

The gorgeous and talented Kat Von D is one of the newest faces of Von Zipper. Michael Beck shot these photos of Kat earlier this year. They can now be found in Von Zipper's ads and p.o.p. I think the photos are absolutely beautiful and Kat looks independent and strong. I think she is the perfect girl to represent the VZ brand. Check out more of Kat in Von Zipper's photo gallery.



Oh and while you're there, be sure to check out the sweet and stylish new Red Opus Collection. [seen here on the Dharma] I love the bright red with the gucci-esque VZ pattern. Loverly!

Volcom Gals: Fall 2007

So I know it isn't even technically summer yet, but most clothing companies have already started stocking stores with their back to school merchandise. Volcom started it's first shipment in June so you can already get your hands on their cutest fall outfits. I love Volcom's graphic tees. They always use the newest and most unique printing processes. I also absolutely love their bags. They are so well made and usually come with tons of pocket space and fun inside prints. For Fall 2007 Volcom is still rockin the skinny jean but also has some baggier boy fit styles. There's also a great diversity in their tops; ranging from revealing tanks to preppy but pretty button ups. Check out more of it here. Everything should be in stores by August.