Retro bags by Prada

Miuccia Prada is a true visionary. Her truly artistic and wildly innovative prints have proven to be extraordinary season after season and there is no stopping her. Every piece she creates, from clothing to bags to shoes has a point of view and appeals to people from all walks of life. One doesn't have to love fashion to love Prada!

Check out some pics of her retro bags for Spring 2012...

Open Studio in New Haven

After a long week of work, I decided to escape the city and visit my good friend, Chen Reichert's open studio yesterday in New Haven. Chen is a very talented artist and the brains behind Botodesigns, a colorful world of Japanese inspired robot art.
Her work is fun, quirky, vivid and playful and I simply love the way her "botos" come together as a family, enjoying (for instance) the simple activity of eating ramen and making it look like a lot of fun.

Her hand painted boto prints on postcards are some of my favorites! If you haven't already found her on Etsy, do visit her store and she can also be found selling her wares at various craft shows. For latest updates on her shows, you can follow her blog: http://botodesigns.blogspot.com/

Here's a sneak peak at some of her latest paintings/prints...

Marimekko+Converse

Have you guys checked out the new Marimekko store on 5th Avenue? I am a huge Marimekko fan and the idea of a NY flagship store, full of bold prints and colors is beyond exciting to me.
They've really expanded themselves into a fashion and lifestyle brand and have always stayed true to their vision. Check out their Fall 2011 fashion show here:

And, if you're a Marimekko fan just like me, you will also love their Holiday 2011 shoe collection in collaboration with Converse. It's available online and in stores now. Here are a few pics...

Wallpaper makes all the difference...

My dream is to have a studio in a quiet corner of my apartment covered with an eclectic mix of printed wallpaper covering every wall. There's something so creatively uplifting about wallpaper and it can add so much character to any room in the apartment.

I happened to come across this adorable store called Retro Villa in Copenhagen and was ecstatic to see the wide variety of wallpaper they have. Beautiful floral, graphic and retro prints in bold, vibrant colors. They carry the largest selection of original wallpaper in all of Scandinavia as well as cutesy, fun objects, clothing and accessories. It is impossible to leave this store empty handed. It's a must see!

Creativity in Copenhagen

On a recent trip to Copenhagen, I came across a couple of creative and unique stores, full of printed goodies for the home. If you happen to visit the city, do find the time to check out Retro Villa and Rie Elise Larsen. The former is a quaint little store known for it's largest collection of printed wallpaper, home furnishings and clothing for the tiny tots. The latter is a well established stylist who also creates home accessories. Her printed paper lampshades are simply adorable and hard to resist! Aren't these cute?!