With product names like Spagflation and Mystical Geoduck, Ruffeo Hearts Lil’ Snotty are an off-the-wall, tongue-in-cheek fashion label from Brooklyn, NY. Their multi-paneled, multi-coloured pieces are just the ticket in a recession. Go to their Etsy store and join the fun, because, really, we should all be wearing undies called Rainbows Shooting from a Mystical Clam in these troubled times.
I am wearing my woolen LeMuse as I type this, and it’s pretty much the definition of cozy. Rather like a designer blanket with sleeves, these drapy, wrappy tops and dresses are body-friendly and fashion-forward. With a sleeve protruding from the hip and a neck hole that could also be the hem, it’s left up to the wearer’s body and mood to define the garment. Buy from LeMuse on Etsy.
Barbie gets a facelift at Margaux Lange. Cheeky jewellery playing on both your sense of nostalgia and your sense of humour, Lange “re-members Barbie” with smile necklaces and ear earings! Buy the prototypes from her her Etsy shop.
Where I am, someone just turned winter on last week, so I’m thinking of all the different ways to keep warm. Luckily, Fantasy World Heroes invented the “snow skirt”. Yep, it’s a coat for your butt. It’s ok, you can trust them, they’re Canadian. Read all about it on their blog, or buy one from their Etsy shop!
Ninainvorm is Dutch student Nina van de Goor’s Etsy shop. Here you can buy her handprinted and painted “upcycled” vintage ceramics, prints and whatever else she is inspired to create. You can see on her blog that she’s a total aesthete, arranging and photographing her collections beautifully.
Tiny hats! Who doesn’t love a tiny hat? Janine Basil is a milliner from the UK who can furnish your head with anything from a think-bubble fascinator to a beautiful burlesque top hat. Buy a crown for your little princess (or big queen!) on Folksy, Dawanda, Big Cartel or Etsy.
Sarah Seven is a Portland based designer who has a strong romantic aesthetic with an eye for detail. Made-to-measure frills, strapless bodices, pencil skirts and formal wear, all photographed beautifully and for sale either via her website or her Big Cartel store. The good woman even donates 5% of sales to worthy causes.
Full disclosure: Cat Priem is a friend of mine, but that just means I know first-hand how talented she is and how hard she works! Her latest collection Trophies of a Serial Killer is a cheeky comment on the double lives of domestic cats (lovely fluffy by day, vicious hunter by night). Each painstakingly created piece is a mini work of art and an absolute conversation piece. Feast your eyes on her website, or buy online at LuisViaRoma Luxury Shopping.
Maria Lucia Squillari’s clothing line, Larimeloom, is understated and relaxed with basic cuts putting focus on the texture of the fabric. Edges are often left raw and fitting left to the wearer with drapes and ties, giving the label a kind of boho-chic look. She makes everything from her home in Italy and sometimes even weaves the cloth herself! Available on Etsy, Dawanda and Artfire.
Quoil is not only an online gallery, but an actual real-life gallery in Wellington, New Zealand. Their site is an excellent springboard to New Zealand contemporary jewelery design. There is a wide range of styles on the site, many with a local flavour, and all with a high standard of craftsmanship. My faves include Neke Moa, Kathryn Yeats, Victoria McIntosh and Phillipa Gee (pictured). Prices are in New Zealand Dollars.