Mystic..

Lately I've been reaching out to the universe to show me how to ride this great wave of change that is happening in my life. Even though change is awesome, I don't like uncertainty, and I find myself staying up too late trying to erase some of the giant question marks floating around in my head. Here are some inspiring images I found while thinking about the future. Images from WeHeartIt.

Things we love: Menswear

Hi friends,

I've been wanting to do a post about menswear for quite a while now, I just finally got around to gathering up some of my favorite images from the web. I love men's clothing, and dressing men, but I know that most men (especially here in Portland) feel either clueless or overwhelmed by fashion. So here are some of my favorite looks for men. They are a smattering from Stil in Berlin and The Street Hearts.



Things we love:
1. Knee length coats/trenches
2. Rolled pant cuffs with dress shoes




More things we love:
3. Fitted blazers
4. 1950's style hair (longer in the front and swooped back)
5. Splashes of color/patterns paired with neutral solids
6. Scarves

Inspiration: Polaroids

It's been a CRAZY month! Things are finally starting to settle down, but the past couple of weeks feel like they've been a blurry haze and my to do list is weighing heavy on my shoulders. Many exciting things happening in the coming months, now if I can just get it all done!

Here are some cool polaroids I came across while procrastinating on tackling my to do list.

funny.

pretty.

quirky.

sexy.

Have a nice weekend everybody!
All images from We Heart It

All I want for Christmas is....

Christmas is right around the corner! This year, there is really only one thing that I want for Christmas, and that something is not a material possession and those who know me well know what I'm talking about. As for the rest of you, I'm not telling. BUT just in case you want to buy me something pretty this holiday season, here are some of my favorite things:


These AMAZING shoes from Halo Shoes here in Portland. They are the perfect modern take on vintage hiking boots. All the great detail without all the bulk!


Love this sketch book, available at Sword+Fern


This actual working telescope necklace, and...


...this necklace, both available from Crumpet Cake's Etsy Shop.

Inspiration: Geometric shapes and natural elements

Right now I'm working on re-branding Reif, and am planning to launch an updated website in January or February. Here are some things that are inspiring me like crazy right now. All images from WeHeartIt.

Hello, Autumn....

My favorite season, Autumn, is in full swing. Here at the Reif Haus, the interns and I are busy organizing and cleaning up after the frenzy of fall '09 production, and planning for our next collection. So excited! Fall '10 so far is looking very cozy.... luxurious sweater knits and wool jerseys, and lots and lots of layering.

I'm continually inspired by vintage military fashion, because of its emphasis on form and function, so some elements of that will likely show up as well.

Before things get crazy again, I'm also taking some time out for myself, to complete a few projects I've been putting off for too long.

1) Winter knitting - I'm working on a circle scarf and a winter hat. Maybe they'll show up in my fall collection, who knows?

2) Setting up a textile show at the Fresh Pot here in Portland. I moonlight as a barista, and also curate the art shows. I'm in search of amazing textile artists - geometric quilts, etc. Any suggestions would be most helpful!

3) Working on some re-branding, a new and updated website, as well as new labels.



Images from We Heart It.

Nebulae

Here are some beautiful images that are inspiring us this week:

Photos courtesy of HubbleSite

1. The Omega/Swan Nebula
2. Dying Star HD 44179
3. Cone Nebula
4. Bubble Nebula

nature meets technology

Today in a search for a new flash drive, I came across these beautiful ones, by the Dutch company OOOMS. I'm in love. The design is beautiful, and the natural wood is a welcome contrast to plastic.

These lovely flash drives are available at Dynamism.com

Inspiration #1: Prints

I'm really particular about fabric patterns. There are just so many bad prints out there - like the aisles of the majority of fabric stores, who occasionally have cool things, but its so overwhelming wading through the latest holiday collection of novelty cottons that I often leave discouraged. I know what I'm looking for in a pattern. The rules are pretty simple - geometric patterns, particularly those with a really optic quality, muted colors, florals are okay, but the flowers must not be too large and not made up entirely of rose buds. I really like florals with black backgrounds too. Okay, so actually the rules are not that simple and I'm kind of picky. I don't think that's a bad thing.

Here is a swatch of the fabric I picked up for my soon-to-be-released fall/winter 09 collection. It's an IKAT print and I absolutely love it. I want to make everything out of this fabric.



Here's an article about IKAT.

I love the natural aspect of IKAT, how the pattern is actually woven into the fabric, not just printed after the fabric has been produced.

Some more patterns I'm obsessed with:





Yes, PENDLETON. Just a 6-ish hour drive from Portland, home to the loveliest of lovely southwestern prints. I especially love the cargo tote bag. Not having the pattern all over the bag makes it more versatile.

I stumbled across this website the other day. Its the work of textile artist Julia Bryant. Julia is a master knitter and crocheter specializing in ethnic patterns. The pieces she makes are meticulously crafted, and while they're not all my taste, here are a few that blew me away.



So. cool.

Lastly, one of my favorite designers, mociun. I absolutely adore the fabrics she uses.