Introducing...Rose Gold at Ilsa Loves Rick

Just in time for Valentine's Day new product in 14k gold filled rose gold of your favorite Ilsa Loves Rick ring and bracelet designs: The Interlock, The Skinny, The Broad, The Couplet, The Snake, The Plane, The Rectangle, as well as The Kiss Cuff, The Single Snake, and The Double Snake Bracelets.  Visit my Etsy shop after February 1 and you can receive 20% of all purchases through Valentine's day using coupon code BIGLOVE.

Must See...Edvard Munch's The Scream

"Edvard Munch’s iconic The Scream (1895), among the most celebrated and recognized images in art history, will be on view at The Museum of Modern Art for a period of six months. Of the four versions of The Scream made by Munch between 1893 and 1910, this pastel-on-board from 1895 is the only one remaining in private hands; the three other versions are in the collections of museums in Norway. The Scream is being lent by a private collector." (from MoMA exhibition notes). That Open Mouth and Its Silent Voice, a very smart review by Karen Rosenberg of the Times makes you want to drop what you are doing  and run uptown.

The Creatives: An Interview with Jessica Thompson

I first met Jessica at By George on Lamar in Austin in the summer of 2011. It was a blistering 100 degree day and we had just wrapped primary photography for an Abbie Cornish film, The Girl.  My producer husband Paul, has a tradition of purchasing thank you gifts for the lead actors at the close of every show.  I of course, headed to By George (perhaps the best edited boutique in the domestic 48) where beautiful well heeled Jessica helped us find the perfect gifts.  We also spent some time talking jewelry, in particular, the line I was, at the time, still designing. Nine months later, when she had moved into buying for the shop, she picked up Ilsa Loves Rick, the first major retailer and taste maker on board.  I would love her for that alone. But love her too for her keen eye and styling genius. She is a fashion prophet. And now, in her new job at Demand Media in product launch development, she is turning up the heat for other emerging brands. She slowed down long enough for this interview. Lucky us.  Lucky new year.

What are your predictions for trends in the New Year?

There's been a strong counter-movement to the flowy, bohemian look that has been trending for the past few years. Lines like Céline, Mary Katrantzou, Saint Laurent, Haider Ackerman, and Dries Van Noten have really been setting the tone for structure and menswear-inspired silhouettes that still have a feminine edge (sheer fabrics, light and drapey silks, and plunging necklines in particular). Pattern-mixing, print, and the use of color add a playful edge to the more tailored trend. 

When was the last time you had a fashion epiphany?

They come and go constantly! I'm hoping for one very soon... My last fashion epiphany was probably about 6 weeks ago. I started a new job at a tech company and was worried about losing my creative, fashion edge. I sort of decided to merge fashion with technology and became very inspired by graphic tees, heavy metal accessories, structured blazers and architectural shoes. I guess I've been trying to channel fashion-nerd, with a little superhero edge! 

What is your favorite High brand, low brand? How do you mix high and low?

My favorite High brand is Ann Demeulemeester. Her designs are romantic, subtly evocative, moody and mysterious. She somehow transcends "fashion" and simply creates beauty and movement. My favorite low brand is probably Madewell. I love their tees, tanks and silk button-downs. I almost always mix high and low - I usually splurge on stand-out, non-trendy pieces, like a great jacket, skirt, or wild shoes, and pair them back to low brands. If I'm going to really play with a trend, I'll almost always shop low brands, like Madewell, Zara, or H&M, and leave the big spending  for more timeless pieces. 

What is your go-to uniform for a day of work? The weekend?

For work, I usually stick to trousers and tops. I love playing with volume - I'll either pair oversized harem pants with a tank and a fitted blazer, or  wear leather pants with oversized blouses and chunky wedges. On the weekends, I like to have fun. I love vintage and loud shoes and reserve them  for my time outside of the office - outdoor brunches, drinks with friends, weekend getaways. 

What is your favorite ILR piece and why?

My favorite ILR pieces are the Broad and the Skinny rings. I have two of each and love stacking them all together, or mixing them in with other rings. I always have the Broad on my pointer finger - haven't taken it off since I bought it! 

Who are your style icons?

Stevie Nicks, Ann Demeulemeester, Elisa Nalin, Emmanuelle Alt, Patti Smith, Catherine Baba, my best friend... So many! 

Covetable...Filson

Utilitarian chic, I say. We love Filson for making the kind of bags that can withstand decades of toting things heavy and not. Employing just the right balance between function and fashion.  Today's Filson is finding a home on the best dressed shoulders all around town.

From the website: "Born in 1850, C. C. Filson inherited his father's pioneer spirit and love of the outdoors. After homesteading in Nebraska and roaming the country as a railroad conductor, he moved to the small city of Seattle, Washington in the 1890's.

Filson's timing couldn't have been better. By 1897, the Great Klondike Gold Rush was on, and thousands of fortune hunters were stampeding into Seattle, headed north. Armed with a strong work ethic, a reputation for honesty, and several years' experience operating a small loggers' outfitting store, C. C. Filson was ready to stake his claim to fame." www.filson.com.

HomeTour: Christine Edmonds of Trove Decor (part 1 objects)

Christine Edmonds isn't only a partner in Trove Decor (a continually evolving collection of vintage furniture and finds) she is an event coordinator, fashion stylist,  personal shopper, and a florist. I think of her as the kind of person who gives you faith in people again. Generous, smart and a devoted citizen to small town America, there are few initiatives in our little hamlet of Newtown borough in Bucks County, PA that don't have her fingerprints all over them. The first time I met her she had prepared sushi for a park-full of people who had gathered to hear a summer music festival.  Yup, she hand-rolled hundreds of sushi pieces because she thought folks might be hungry. So when I discovered that she organized summer movie night in the park complete with an old time popcorn pushcart, or saved our local hardware store, or is developing fundraising opportunities to help our little theater convert to digital projection, I wasn't surprised. She has the kind of style and design sensibility that feels well curated but not precious or self conscious.  I could spend hours just meandering about her gracious home discovering the most whimsical still life constructions, objet trouve, and covetable art.

What I have been reading...

Must See...Faking It: Manipulated Photography

I began my training as a photographer just years before the advent of photoshop when modernism was still king and each deviation from the perfection of a black and white silver gelatin negative had to be meticulously hand rendered. By the early 1990's Photoshop had already began to change design and publishing, and by the end of the decade with the millenium in view, it had radically changed the way photography was practiced.  Faking It: Manipulated Photography Before Photoshop at The Met through January 27, 2013 pays homages to the decades old penchant for photographic manipulation.  Nearly every type of manipulation we now associate with digital photography was also part of the medium's pre-digital repertoire: smoothing away wrinkles, slimming waistlines, adding people to a scene (or removing them)—even fabricating events that never took place. Read more about the exhibit in a review by Ken Johnson for the New York Times

What I love About...January 2013!

Happy New Year from Ilsa Loves Rick!!